Hess's Cognitive Rigor Matrix
I have found the idea of the Cognitive Rigor or Hess Matrix to be quite useful in designing not only assessments but reflections on student learning. While the article presents a use case in lesson planning, I have used the matrix with students and in curriculum design.
Students fill out the matrix themselves with their own learning outcomes in one axis with Webb's Depth of Knowledge on the other. They they fill out within the matrix with evidence of their own learning, allowing for reflection on which course experiences aligned with their own outcomes and how complex that learning was. It is a helpful tool for collaborative self-assessment with students.
By superposing two widely accepted models for describing rigor--Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives and Webb's Depth-of- Knowledge (DOK) model--this article defines cognitive rigor (CR) and introduces the CR matrix for analyzing instruction and enhancing teacher lesson planning. Two large-scale collections of student work samples analyzed using the CR matrix are presented, illustrating the preponderance of curricular items aligned to each cell in the matrix.