A writing assignment asks students to organize, plan, formulate, assemble, compose, construct, or arrange information they have learned. Which cognitive objective is this aimed at?

• A. Synthesis
• B. Evaluation
• C. Analysis
• D. Application

Answer: (A)

Synthesis is the act of combining elements to form a new, coherent whole. When students are asked to organize, plan, formulate, assemble, compose, construct, or arrange information they’ve learned, they’re taking separate pieces of knowledge and merging them into a single, new product—like a plan or a written piece. That integrative act is synthesis because it creates something new from the parts rather than just breaking information down or applying it in a routine way.

This differs from analysis, which has students break information into parts to understand structure and relationships; from evaluation, which asks them to judge value or quality; and from application, which involves using knowledge in a new situation. For example, designing a unit plan that weaves together science content, math skills, and reading strategies into one cohesive project illustrates synthesis in action.