SOLO TAXONONY

Overview

Use

Thinking

Pre-Structural

Uni-Structural

Multi-Structural

Relational

Extended Abstract

Prepared by Mike Whiteman: Waitomo ICT Cluster

3 Story Links

Example Hoi An

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SOLO stands for Structure of the Observed Learning Outcomes and was developed by John Biggs and Kevin Collis.

In simple terms, the taxonomy presents a systematic way to describe how learner performance grows in complexity when mastering tasks (in an educational setting). It defines levels of increasing complexity in a learners understanding of an idea. Learners may not exhibit all stages. Biggs describes it as “a framework for understanding understanding.”

It seeks to provide a way to identify connections that learners make, with each level adding more.

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Helping learners to look at their own work in relation to this

taxonomy can help in two ways:

* an assessment framework independent of ‘content knowledge’

* a model to help show how a piece of work can be improved

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If you are using rubrics and/or success criteria, then use of the

SOLO Taxonomy may be more productive educationally, because

thinking about the structure responses may provide better

understanding of ideas than the listing of specific knowledge bytes.

As such, it can help learners develop an understanding of thinking,

rather than knowing of thinking.

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the point hasn’t been understood

the task has not been worked on in an appropriate way

a too simple way of going about something has been used

bits without any organisation or sense

irrelevant information

no meaningful response

may appear to be learning, but just ‘chanting’

no understanding

QUANTITAVE Pre - Structural

misses the point

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one aspect of a task is picked up and used

maybe a simple, obvious connection but no significance attached

only focuses on one relevant aspect

terms may be used but are not developed further in any way

focuses on one issue in a complex case

Uni - Structural

identify, memorise, carry out a simple procedure

QUANTITAVE

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several aspects of a tasked picked up and used, but not linked

aspects of a task are treated independently and additively

aspects like a disorganised list with no relationships recognised

a number of statements that are not built on in any way

if there are connections they are very simple

the significance of statements as a whole is not grasped

‘knowledge telling,’ ‘cut and paste’

described by Biggs as “seeing the trees but not the wood”

Multi - Structural

enumerate, classify, describe, list, combine, do algorithms

QUANTITAVE

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integration of ideas/aspects of the task into a coherent whole

this is usually seen to be an adequate understanding of a topic

significance of the parts in relation to the whole is recognised

several parts are integrated into a coherent whole

details link to conclusions

meaning is understood

able to apply a concept to a familiar situation

QUALITATIVE Relational

compare/contrast, explain causes, analyse, relate, apply

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connections are made not only within a topic, but beyond it

there is transfer from the specific to the general

generalisations are made beyond the information given

new and broader issues are identified

the ‘through the roof’ notion of the Three Story Intellect model

the Relational level at a higher level of abstraction

QUALITATIVE Extended Abstract

theorise, generalise, hypothesise, reflect, generate

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3 Story Intellect SOLO Taxonomy Surface - Deep Learning

INPUT

Pre-StructuralUni-StructuralMulti-StructuralRelationalExtended Abstract

Surface Deep

PROCESS

OUTPUT

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Pre - Structural

Uni - Structural

Multi - Structural

Relational

Extended Abstract

dunno

digging a holemaking a trench

lots of wires

Hoi An is pretty

Trenches were made so that the power and phone lines would be under the streets.

Hoi An is starting to look like it did years ago.

Trenches were made so that the power and phone lines would be under the streets in Hoi An.

Just as the Cu Chi tunnels were a safe hiding place in the American war, these Hoi An tunnels make communication safer and help restore the natural beauty of the town.

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