Levels of Biggs’s SOLO taxonomy

Prestructural

Use of irrelevant information, or no meaningful response.

Unistructural

Answer focuses on one relevant aspect only.

Multistructural

Answer focuses on several relevant features, but they are not coordinated together.

Relational

The several parts are integrated into a coherent whole: details are linked to conclusions; meaning is understood.

Extended abstract

Answer generalizes the structure beyond the meaning given: higher order principles are used to bring in a new and broader set of issues.

From: Ramsden, P. (1992). Learning to teach in higher education. London: Routledge. p. 55.

For more information, see: Atherton, J. S. (2002) Learning and Teaching: Solo taxonomy at http://www.dmu.ac.uk/~jamesa/learning/solo.htm.