10
2014
Investigating DOK Levels
An article by 
Many teachers strive to provide their students with diversified classroom experiences, and many of those experiences can be categorized with Webb’s (1997) Depth of Knowledge (DOK) model employed to analyze cognitive expectations of standards, curricular activities, and assessments.The DOK level describes the kind of thinking involved in a task, not the likelihood the task will be completed correctly.
| DOK Level | Title of Level |
| 1 | Recall and Reproduction |
| 2 | Skills and Concepts |
| 3 | Short-term Strategic Thinking |
| 4 | Extended Thinking |
The Oklahoma Core Curriculum Tests (OCCT) and the Oklahoma End-of Instruction Tests (EoI) for science reflect questions that correspond to DOK 1, 2, and 3.
To better prepare students for the OCCT and EoI science exams teachers across the state are conducting a critical analysis of the DOKs in their classroom assessments and curricular activities. Many teachers find that when they have a better understanding of the DOK model, they can:
- better determine if their classroom curricula is truly preparing students for higher order thinking skills;
- better develop classroom curricula that meets the demands of DOK 1, 2 and 3;
- develop classroom assessments that better align to DOK 1, 2 and 3 questions found on state assessments, and;
- have a better idea of how their students will preform on cognitively challenging exams.
To better understand DOK levels and to better inform classroom practices around them, utilize the link below to access the OKSci PD on Your Plan module: Investigating Depth of Knowledge Levels to Inform Classroom Practice.
[Education by Pete Fecteau from The Noun Project]
