SOLO Taxonomy - CETL- Assessment Resource Centre

ASSESSMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION Biggs’ Solo (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) Taxonomy Biggs’ Solo (Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome) Taxonomy, is a systematic way of describing how a learner’s performance develops from simple to complex levels in their learning. There are 5 stages, namely Prestructural, Uni-structural, Multi-structural which are in a quantitative phrase and Relational and Extended Abstract which are in a qualitative phrase.

Qualitative Phase

SOLO Taxonomy Extended Abstract Verbs: theorize, generalize, hypothesize, reflect

The integrated body of knowledge can be transformed into the higher level of abstract and be generalized to a new topic of the subject

Relational Verbs: compare, contrast, explain, causes, analyze, relate

Quantitative Phase

Multi-structural Verbs: enumerate, describe, list, combine, do algorithms Uni-structural Verbs: Identify, do simple procedure

Pre-structural Verbs: misses point

5 Levels in the SOLO Taxonomy

Different aspects of students’ understanding have been integrated into a coherent body of knowledge Students’ understanding focuses on several relevant aspects, but is treated as independent objects and concepts Students’ understanding focuses on only one relevant aspect of the subject Students only understand the subject at the individual word level, usually miss the point and uses too simple way of thinking about it

Information at each level

Web References and Resources •

“ATHERTON J S (2009) Learning and Teaching; SOLO taxonomy Accessed: 28 January 2010 http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/solo.htm

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“SOLO’ Taxonomy”, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Structure_of_Observed_Learning_Outcome

To Reference these pages Copy and paste the text below Chan C (2010) Assessment: Blooms’ Taxonomy, Assessment Resources @HKU, University of Hong Kong [http://ar.cetl.hku.hk/large_class.htm]: Available: Accessed: DATE