Understanding Depth of Knowledge

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UnderstandingDepth of Knowledge

• Pearl River Central School District
• October 2007
• Stacy Baudoin
• Curriculum Coordinator

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DOK

• DOK stands for Depth of Knowledge.
• DOK is one way administrators, teachers, and
  parents can understand the objectives in terms of
  the complexity of what students are expected to
  know and do.
• DOK is a system for categorizing cognitive demand
  (Bloom is a system we are all familiar with).
• Developed by Norman L. Webb.

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Why is DOK important?

• The more you understand DOK, the better you will
  be able to prepare your students for statewide
  tests.
• You must feel comfortable with DOK in order to
  model this way of thinking.
• Feedback for students should involve the thinking
  process involved in getting to the correct
  answer.

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Webbs Depth of Knowledge

• Level 1 Recall
• Recall of a fact, information, or procedure,
  rote response, follow a set procedure, typically
  involves one step
• Level 2 Basic Reasoning
• Use information or conceptual knowledge, make
  decisions about how to approach the question or
  problem, use two or more steps that go beyond
  recall or simple procedure
• Level 3 Strategic Thinking
• Requires reasoning, developing a plan or sequence
  of steps, has some complexity, more than one
  possible answer based on more demanding reasoning
• Level 4 Extended Thinking
• Requires an investigation, time to think and
  process multiple conditions of the problem or
  task, relate ideas within and among content

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Teaching with DOK

• Every objective in our frameworks has been
  assigned a DOK level.
• State assessments are designed so that the test
  items match the DOK levels of the objectives.
• DOK 1, 2, and 3 items are on the state
  assessments.
• Instruction needs to be designed at the same
  level as the DOK specified by the objective if
  students are to be adequately prepared for the
  state assessments.
• Teachers need to examine each objective to ensure
  that they are teaching at the appropriate DOK
  level.

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Depth of Knowledge is Not

• DOK is not just a verb.
• DOK is not a Performance Level Descriptor.

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DOK is Not a Verb

• Verbs are not always used correctly.
• Compare the following
• Describe how many houses are in the picture. DOK
  1 Recall
• Describe how two historical events are alike.
• DOK 2 Basic Reasoning
• Describe your analysis of the literary elements
  in Walk Two Moons citing evidence from the text.
  DOK 3 Strategic Thinking

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DOK is About What Follows the Verb

• What comes after the verb is more important than
  the verb itself.
• Analyze this sentence to decide if semicolons
  have been used correctly.
• Students are merely recalling a rule.
• DOK 1 Recall

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DOK is Not About Difficulty

• Difficulty only tells us how many students can
  answer a question correctly.
• How many of you know the definition of the word
  knowledge? DOK 1 Recall
• If most of you know the definition, it is an easy
  question.
• How many of you know the definition of the
  words panegyrize? DOK 1 Recall
• If most of you do not know the definition, it is
  a difficult question.

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DOK is About Complexity

• Level 1 requires students to use simple skills or
  abilities.
• Level 2 includes the engagement of some mental
  processing beyond recalling.
• Level 3 requires some higher level mental
  processing like reasoning, planning, and using
  evidence.
• Level 4 requires complex reasoning, planning,
  developing, and thinking over an extended period
  of time.

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Performance Level Descriptors

• Advanced
• Proficient
• Basic
• Minimal

NCLB requires PLDs for at least three levels,
including Basic, Proficient, and Advanced. Our
fourth and lowest level is Minimal.
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PLD is about Difficulty

• Advanced Students at the advanced level are able
  to perform at a high level of difficulty,
  complexity, or fluency as specified by the
  grade-level content standards.
• Proficient Students at the proficient level are
  able to perform at the level of difficulty,
  complexity, or fluency specified by the
  grade-level content standards.
• Basic Students at the basic level are able to
  perform some of the content standards at a low
  level of difficulty, complexity, or fluency as
  specified by the grade-level content standards.

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6th Grade Vocabulary PLD

• Advanced Justify the use of context clues used
  to determine meaning of multiple meaning words or
  to infer meaning of figurative language. Justify
  vocabulary usage based on appropriateness for
  context and purpose. Justify selection of word
  choice based on use of reference materials.
• Proficient Apply knowledge of roots and affixes
  (com-, ex-, il-, mid-, under-, sub-, -ance,
  -ence, -ive, -en) to determine the meaning of
  multi-syllabic words. Apply expansive knowledge
  of words and word meanings to communicate. Use
  context clues to determine the meanings of
  multiple meaning words and the figurative
  meanings of text. Use reference materials to
  evaluate word choice in a variety of texts and to
  determine meaning. Analyze and evaluate
  vocabulary usage based on appropriateness for
  context and purpose.
• Basic Identify of roots and affixes in
  multi-syllabic words identify and produce
  grade-level appropriate synonyms, antonyms, and
  homonyms identify figurative language in text of
  increasing length, complexity and difficulty.

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Myths of DOK

• Advanced means DOK 3.
• Proficient means DOK 2.
• Basic means DOK 1.
• These are only myths.
• Advanced PLD requires more thinking, but does not
  always increase the DOK level.

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PLDs and DOKs

• Language Arts, Grade 3, 2b The student will
  analyze texts in order to identify, understand,
  infer, or synthesize information. (DOK 3)
• Sub-objective Answer literal and inferential
  questions about main characters, setting, plot,
  and theme.
• Grade 3 Basic PLD
• In reading comprehension Use texts to identify
  literal and simple inferential questions about
  story elements . . .

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Why DOK is important

• MCT2, Algebra I Test, and English II Test are
  tied to specific Depth of Knowledge Levels.
• DOK on these tests will range from Levels 1-3.
• Teachers at all grade levels need to understand
  all DOK levels.
• Instruction, assignments, and classroom
  assessment must incorporate the expectation of
  rigor for students associated with the DOK levels
  of all objectives for that grade and content
  area.

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DOK and Reading

• Level 1 RECALL requires students to recite facts
  or to use simple skills or abilities requiring
  only a shallow understanding of the text
  presented.
• Level 2 BASIC REASONING requires both
  comprehension and subsequent processing of text
  or portions of text.
• DOK 2 items require closer understanding of
  text DOK 2 multiple-choice answer options may
  reflect paraphrasing of the text rather than
  verbatim wording.

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More DOK and Reading

• Level 3 STRATEGIC THINKING involves reasoning
  and planning students must be able to support
  their thinking. Justifying answers is a DOK 3
  activity.
• Level 4 EXTENDED THINKING requires extended
  activity and application of significant
  conceptual understanding and higher-order
  thinking.
• Note The extended time period does not
  automatically raise the DOK level if students
  merely repeat a rote process.

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DOK and Writing

• Level 1 RECALL expects students to write, speak,
  and edit using the conventions of Standard
  English. This level includes having students use
  appropriate grammar, punctuation, capitalization,
  and spelling.
• Level 2 BASIC REASONING expects students to
  begin connecting ideas, using a simple
  organizational structure. Applying more complex
  sentence structure meets the DOK 2 criteria.

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More DOK and Writing

• Level 3 STRATEGIC THINKING expects students to
  compose text that demonstrates some synthesis and
  analysis with multiple paragraphs and complex
  sentence structure. Students show awareness of
  their audience and purpose.
• Level 4 EXTENDED THINKING requires students to
  compose multi-paragraph text based upon their
  ability to synthesize and analyze complex ideas
  or themes (from multiple sources).

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DOK Reading and Writing Examples

• DOK ____ Identify cause and effect, and
  understand main idea and purpose implied by text.
  
• DOK ____ Evaluate the relative accuracy and
  usefulness of information from different sources.
  
• DOK ____ Locate, gather, and analyze written
  information for the purpose of drafting a
  reasoned report that supports a position.

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DOK Levels May Change From Grade to Grade

• Grade 6 LA, 2b The student will analyze text to
  understand, infer, draw conclusions, or
  synthesize information. (DOK 2)
• (DOK 2) PLD Proficient
• Grade 7 LA, 2b The student will analyze text to
  infer, justify, draw conclusions, synthesize, or
  evaluate information. (DOK 3)
• (DOK 3) PLD Proficient

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Grade 6 Language Arts, 2b Sample Item
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Grade 7 Language Arts, 2b Sample Item
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DOK Levels May Remain Constant From Grade to
Grade

• Grade 3 LA, 3b The student will compose
  descriptive text using specific details and vivid
  language. (DOK 3)
• (DOK 3) PLD Proficient
• Grade 6 LA, 3b The student will compose
  descriptive texts using sensory details and vivid
  language. (DOK 3)
• (DOK 3) PLD Proficient
• Grade 7 LA, 3b The student will incorporate
  descriptive details into texts including but not
  limited to narrative, expository, or persuasive
  text. (DOK 3)
• (DOK 3) PLD Proficient

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Grade 3 Language Arts, 3b Sample Item
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Grade 3, 3bDOK, PLD, Sample Item

• This objective assigned a DOK 3.
• This task was placed in the Basic PLD based on
  this language Use the composing process to
  generate descriptive text using specific details.
  Notice that vivid language is not in this
  statement.
• The sample items lacks the vivid language
  necessary to move the item to a DOK 3 therefore,
  the sample item is labeled with DOK 2.
• The Advanced PLD addresses descriptive writing in
  this way Evaluate the use of specific details
  and vivid language in descriptive text.

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DOK and Mathematics

• Level 1 RECALL includes knowing information such
  as facts, definitions, terms, or simple
  procedures.
• Level 2 BASIC REASONING includes the engagement
  of some mental processing beyond habitual
  response. Students must make decisions about
  what they are presented.
• Note A two-step process in a math calculation is
  NOT automatically a
• DOK 2 if the steps require only rote or
  mechanical knowledge or
• skills.

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More DOK and Mathematics

• Level 3 STRATEGIC THINKING requires demanding
  reasoning, using evidence, and a high level of
  thinking. Justifying answers is a DOK 3
  activity.
• Level 4 EXTENDED THINKING requires complex
  reasoning and development of a product, often
  over an extended period of time.
• Note The extended time period does not
  automatically raise the DOK
• level if students merely repeat a rote
  process.

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DOK Math Examples

• DOK ____ Read, write, and compare decimals in
  scientific notation.
• DOK ____ Design a statistical experiment to
  study a problem and communicate the outcomes.
• DOK ____ Construct two-dimensional patterns for
  three-dimensional models, such as cylinders and
  cones.
• DOK ____ Compute with numbers (that is, add,
  subtract, multiply, divide).

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Where do we start?

• Examine the framework for your subject area
  and/or grade level. Note the DOK levels for each
  objective.
• Examine the PLD for your subject area and/or
  grade level. Note the differences among advance,
  proficient, and basic.
• Examine the Test Items Specifications for your
  subject area and/or grade level. Note the way
  each objective is assessed.

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DOK in your Classroom

• Start with the objectives
• Create assessments using DOK that are modeled
  after Test Item Specifications
• Design instruction based on DOK and PLD
• Assess at regular intervals
• Use assessment results to focus instruction and
  to make interventions

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Resources

• Curriculum Framework
• http//wwwmde.k12.ms.us/acad1
• Test Blueprints
• http//www.mde.k12.ms.us/ACAD/osa/blueprints
• Performance Level Descriptors
• http//wwwmde.k12.ms.us//ACAD/osa/pld
• Test Item Specifications
• http//www.mde.k12.ms.us/ACAD/osa/itemspecs
• Practice Tests
• http//www.mde.k12.ms.us/ACAD/osa/practicetests/