Benjamin Samuel Bloom was an American educational psychologist who made contributions to the classification of educational objectives and to the theory ofmastery learning. He is particularly noted for leading educational psychologists to develop the comprehensive system of describing and assessing educational outcomes in the mid-1950s. He has influenced the practices and philosophies of educatorsaround the world from the latter part of the twentieth century.
Bloom was born in Lansford, Pennsylvania, to an immigrant Jewish family. His parents fled a climate of discrimination in Russia. Bloom's father supported the family as a tailor. Bloom studied at Pennsylvania State College and was awarded his bachelor's and master's degree by 1935. He wished to study under Ralph Tyler, a progressive educator, so he enrolled in the doctoral program in education at the University of Chicago and assisted Tyler with the Eight-Year Study, which evaluated alternative methods of school assessment. Bloom earned his doctoral degree in 1942 and became a member of the University of Chicago's Board of Examiners.
Works
In 1956, Bloom edited the first volume of The Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals, which classified learning objectives according to a rubric that has come to be known as Bloom's Taxonomy. It was one of the first attempts to systematically classify levels of cognitive functioning and gave structure to the otherwise amorphousmental processes of gifted students. Bloom's Taxonomy remains a foundation of the academic profession according to the 1981 survey, "Significant Writings That Have Influenced the Curriculum: 1906–81" by Harold G. Shane and the National Society for the Study of Education. Bloom's 2 Sigma Problem is also attributed to him. Aside from his work on educational objectives and outcomes, Bloom also directed a research team that evaluated and elucidated the process of developing exceptional talents in individuals, shedding light upon the phenomena of vocational eminence and the concept of greatness.
