Levels of Learning

The following table provides you with some examples of the kinds of statements you might make if you were attempting to demonstrate critical thinking using the various levels of learning provided in the GCAP Overall Grading Taxonomy. Read the criteria associated with each level and then analyze the statements on the right to see how well they reflect these criteria. Remember, it is difficult to accomplish all the goals associated with a particular level in one or two statements. These are simply intended to give you a sense of the program’s writing expectations.

Cognitive Domain

Examples are provided for the cognitive domain to reflect the counselling theories course assignments.

Level of Learning / Criteria for Demonstration of Learning / Sample Statements to Reflect Levels of Learning
Knowledge / o  observe and recall information
o  know major ideas
o  master subject matter / Freud’s theory of personality centres around three key constructs: id, ego, and superego. Ellis speaks of thoughts, feelings, and behaviours as the central constructs.
Comprehension / o  understand content and grasp meaning
o  interpret facts, compare, contrast
o  provide examples / Freud’s interpretation of human nature rests on his belief in the influence of the unconscious; this sets him apart from cognitive-behaviourists like Ellis, whose focus is on conscious thought processes.
Application / o  use information, methods, concepts, theories in new situations
o  solve problems using required skills or knowledge / Freud might interpret a fear of stairs as a reflection of unconscious childhood conflicts stemming from the anger exhibited by a client’s father each morning when he came downstairs. Ellis, on the other hand, would more likely approach this by exploring and challenging the client’s irrational beliefs about falling from stairs.
Analysis / o  identify patterns and organization of parts
o  recognize hidden meanings or implications / Although Freud and Ellis would likely approach the fear of stairs differently, they both focus on the role of beliefs and earlier associations with stairs and they both target cognition as part of the change process.
Synthesis / o  use old ideas to create new ones or generalize to new situations
o  integrate knowledge from several areas
o  predict, draw conclusions / The key is whether one is working within conscious or unconscious awareness. The line between conscious and unconscious shifts depending on the theoretical model espoused. Freud’s classic iceberg image could be reworked to show the effect of shifting theoretical framework on the exposure of the ice. Even Ellis might allow a bit of the iceberg to remain below water.
Evaluation / o  compare and discriminate between ideas or models
o  assess value of theories and concepts
o  make choices based on reasoned argument
o  recognize subjectivity / The line between the unconscious and the conscious provides one means of categorizing psychological theories, with psychodynamic and existentialist falling on one side and humanists and cognitive-behaviorists on the other. Feminist and multicultural scholars tend to be more eclectic in approach and are likely to span both sides of the line. These latter approaches may offer a more comprehensive picture of client experience and the change process.

Affective Domain

The examples provided for the affective domain reflect the equity and diversity course assignments.

Awareness / o  demonstrate self-awareness, sensitivity towards others, personal responsibility
o  identify areas for personal change / I struggled at the outset of the course with the idea that doing nothing about racism or sexism in society is supporting the status quo. I didn’t understand that awareness without action meant I was not fulfilling my professional and ethical responsibilities. As the course progressed, however, I opened to the idea that, unless I actively confront racism, sexism, and homophobia, I am supporting cultural oppression within the profession of psychology and within the broader society.
Commitment / o  adopt a self-reflective attitude toward personal and professional activities
o  exhibit values and attitudes appropriate to the context and professional role
o  seek personal and professional development / As a result of this new awareness, I have begun to seek out opportunities to apply what I have learned in practice. I have joined the social justice chapter of CCA and am volunteering in a local immigrants’ society. I am also actively confronting these isms by challenging oppressive comments, practices, and policies as they arise. For example, I have volunteered to rework our intake form to be more culturally sensitive. I have set a goal for myself to identify one specific task to undertake each month to increase my own understanding of cultural oppression and to share that learning with others.


Skills Domain

Examples for the skills domain reflect expectations of the practicum course assignments. In the case of skill demonstrations, assignments often involve videotaped or live demonstrations. For the purposes of this example, however, written analysis and reflection of videotaped skill practice, which is often also required, is used.

Simulated demonstration / o  demonstrate purpose, structure, and application of skill, procedure, or strategy
o  implement skill, procedure, or procedure in practice contexts according to prescribed step-by-step criteria / In tape segment 3, I am working with the client to explore her feelings related to the loss of her mother. I set a goal for myself to use only affect reflects and affect summaries in this segment. I was able to do this 80% of the time. I also used meaning reflects, which had more to do with my habit of focusing on thoughts more than feelings than with the client’s needs. It is evident on the tape that she responds more freely to the affect reflects and that the cognitive reflects tend to disrupt the flow of our conversation.
Generalization / o  attend to the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and contextual factors in choice of skill, procedure, or strategy
o  generalize use of skill, procedure, or strategy to applied contexts / You can see a shift in my skill use in segment 5. At this point, the client explains that she is distracted today because she was just laid off from her job. I change the direction of our conversation and spend some time simply listening to her describe the events leading up to her job loss. She is clearly in shock, so I decide that it is not a great time to probe feelings and instead we review her coping resources and support systems. You can see the shift in my skill set to open questions and probes and paraphrases as I engage in brainstorming with her.
Responsive implementation / o  demonstrate skill, procedure, or strategy fluently, flexibly, and creatively
o  introduce new combinations of skills
o  adapt and integrate components of procedures and strategies to address emergent needs / As I was debriefing this session with my supervision group, I found myself frustrated by the continual interruptions of one member of the group. I tried at first to be patient and attend to the information she was providing. Then I decided to use my counselling skills to redirect the flow of the conversation. I summarized what she was saying and used a closed question to confirm that she was done speaking. I had to do this several times, but she eventually stopped and we carried on with my presentation. It was interesting to see the application of my skills in this new context.

Writing & APA Lesson 3 Commentary 1 p. 1