Theory of Knowledge
Theory of Knowledge (TOK), or epistemology, is the study of the origins of knowledge and the nature of knowing. Epistemology engages its practitioners in a constant search for depth and meaning in life. It asks students to challenge their own assumptions, prejudice and beliefs and seek perspective and understanding. In this way, TOK students become its practitioners as well as its study. In today's real-world, we are constantly asked to reconcile technology and nature, faith and reason, art and science, authority and individuality, tradition and progress, ethics and economy, and culture and identity. As our students continue to arrive at these and so many other crossroads in their own lives, there is evermore need to think critically and live with principle. While we all struggle to find balance, TOK exists at the IB's core to help us do this thoughtfully and compassionately.
TOK is the educational philosophy of the IB and is thus, a required course in Diploma Programme. The course exists at the highest level of IB education to help students engage in critical reflection of their course content as well as the implications of their learning in global contexts. TOK is taken in the second semester of junior year and the first semester of senior year.
TOK is the educational philosophy of the IB and is thus, a required course in Diploma Programme. The course exists at the highest level of IB education to help students engage in critical reflection of their course content as well as the implications of their learning in global contexts. TOK is taken in the second semester of junior year and the first semester of senior year.
"The greatest obstacle to progress is not the absence of knowledge, but the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel Boorstin
Structure
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The course is taught through critical analysis and discussion of real-life situations and a study of concepts and theories that lay the foundation for knowledge in certain areas. Through discussion in-class and online, as well as a variety of hands-on projects, experiences and research, students will gain a greater awareness and appreciation of different perspectives and ways of knowing, and be asked to apply them to global contexts.
Both semesters are spent exploring knowledge concepts and real-life situations. In the second semester, however, students will primarily focus on applying knowledge to global situations and tying it back to their own lives. It is also in the second semester students will begin preparing for their assessments. |
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Assessment
Students are assessed through the TOK Exhibition and through the TOK Essay.
Exhibition: Students will be asked to "exhibit" their learning by applying TOK concepts to the real world and using objects or images to illustrate your understanding. Prompts are questions about the nature of knowledge and focused on one of the main concepts explored in TOK. In addition, you will create a document that explains how each object relates to knowledge and theory in its real-world context, being specific about how it answers the question. The word count for this written document is 950 words (excluding references). References required. The exhibition is scored internally by Mr. Balazs and externally moderated.
Essay: Students will be asked to write a reflective essay that answers a question of posed to them by the IB. Questions are about knowledge and knowing how; so students are urged to think critically about their own process and discuss the nature of knowledge rather than conduct vast amounts of research on specific subject. The main criterion for this essay that determines student marks is whether the student can explore a chosen prompt critically and coherently. The word count for this document is 1600. It is assessed externally by IB moderators using a global marking scale.
Exhibition: Students will be asked to "exhibit" their learning by applying TOK concepts to the real world and using objects or images to illustrate your understanding. Prompts are questions about the nature of knowledge and focused on one of the main concepts explored in TOK. In addition, you will create a document that explains how each object relates to knowledge and theory in its real-world context, being specific about how it answers the question. The word count for this written document is 950 words (excluding references). References required. The exhibition is scored internally by Mr. Balazs and externally moderated.
Essay: Students will be asked to write a reflective essay that answers a question of posed to them by the IB. Questions are about knowledge and knowing how; so students are urged to think critically about their own process and discuss the nature of knowledge rather than conduct vast amounts of research on specific subject. The main criterion for this essay that determines student marks is whether the student can explore a chosen prompt critically and coherently. The word count for this document is 1600. It is assessed externally by IB moderators using a global marking scale.
"Only that which is the other gives us fully unto ourselves." - Sri Yogananda
Connections
The aim of TOK is clear. TOK links all of the subject areas offered in the IBDP and transcends the course content to explore knowledge with a wider scope. The process of TOK does not end when the students graduate. To live responsibly in an interconnected world we must think critically about all the pieces of the puzzle that make it up, not just the ones we are most comfortable with. We must become increasingly aware of our own ideological assumptions that may blur this vision and muddy our path of inquiry. To do this, we need to think about the nature of knowledge in areas such as the natural and human sciences, mathematics, history and the arts. By thinking critically about the different ways of knowing, reflecting on how we know rather than what we know, and establishing new connections with the world around us, we can begin at long last to gain the wisdom needed to ask the right questions.
TOK finds itself also alongside the other cores of the DP experience. The Extended Essay asks for the same depth, clarity, cohesion and critical thinking a TOK thinker embodies. The CAS requirement asks students to challenge themselves with the same level of creativity, open-mindedness, resilience, and authenticity essential of the TOK mindset. Lastly, the IB Life Travelers Program, is perfectly aligned to provide students the experiences needed to make real-world connections in global contexts.
