Video: Higher-Level Thinking | Definition, Questions & Examples

Introduction to Higher-level Thinking

The human brain is capable of doing low- and high-order thinking. Memorization and recall are some examples of mental processes under lower-order thinking skills. In these cases, a learner does not do analytical thinking. On the other hand, higher-order thinking requires application, analysis, evaluation, and creativity. The use of higher-order thinking questions is effective if teachers aim to challenge students' understanding of concepts taught.

The Bloom's Taxonomy is used as a tool that categorizes levels of thought from remembering to creating. It is a useful tool that can serve as a guide when creating higher-level thinking questions - those that would require students to apply, analyze, evaluate, and create.

Higher-order Thinking in Fiction

When reading fiction, the reader is tasked with the responsibility of identifying who is doing a specific action. This is an example of metacognition, which refers to thinking about one's thinking. Another example of metacognition is when the reader asks why a character is doing a specific action.

There are a few categories of fiction-based higher-level thinking questions. Some questions focus on facts, and an example would be "What was the problem in the story?"

Some questions go beyond the text, such as aiming to identify or analyze the author's intent.

Higher-order Thinking in Nonfiction

The focus in nonfiction is to help students prepare and acquire real-world skills that they can use to thrive in both local and global environments. There is an emphasis on putting information they get from the book into practical applications. For example, apart from learning the exact date Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, students may use higher-order thinking skills such as discovering its impact on society and even the world.

Similar to higher-level thinking questions in fiction, questions for nonfiction also have the same two categories.

• "What important dates are in the text?" for questions about facts and features
• "How does this influence your view of society?" for questions beyond the text