Toward a Post-Bloom Philosophy of Assessment: Three Challenges for Practice

ABSTRACT This article reflects on the philosophical and practical tensions in contemporary higher education assessment, critiquing the dominant behaviorist paradigm underlying Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. It identifies three interconnected challenges: (1) genuinely honoring faculty perspectives on meaningful learning outcomes beyond observable behaviors; (2) developing a post-Bloom philosophy that recognizes a broader range of measurable outcomes, including affective, intangible, and transformational changes; and (3) shifting the assessment focus toward enduring intellectual skills and habits of mind rather than short-term content acquisition. The author argues that the traditional distinction between “direct” and “indirect” measures is philosophically outdated and methodologically misleading, as all forms of assessment involve substantial inference. Drawing from contemporary measurement theory and psychological research, the author advocates for embracing diverse methods that better align with faculty values and disciplinary epistemologies. Ultimately, this piece calls for a philosophical recalibration and methodological innovation in assessment practice, encouraging a richer, more authentic understanding of student learning to meet the evolving educational goals of a complex, technologically integrated world.