Theory of Knowledge is a course created by the IB organization and must not be conceived as pure epistemology. This course involves a process of exploring and sharing students' views on "knowledge questions", so "there is no end to the valid questions that may arise", "there are many different ways to approach TOK," "the sheer scope of the TOK course is daunting" and "teachers and students need the confidence to go too far outside their traditional comfort zones." Teachers are entitled to select a teaching methodology and course material that will convey the theoretical foundation of essential concepts and may provide an environment in which these concepts can be discussed and debated. The focus of the discussion should not be the differentiation between "right" and "wrong" ideas but on the quality of justification and a balanced approach to the knowledge claim in question. The TOK course uses a combination, in no particular order :
Ways of knowing:. How do we gain knowledge of the world, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each way in which we learn of the world and our place in it. Until the fall of 2014, there were only four ways of knowing.
Factors that transcend individual ways of knowing and areas of knowledge:
* Nature of knowing: what are the differences between information, data, belief, faith, opinion, knowledge and wisdom?
* Knowledge communities: what is taken for granted in a community? How can we decide which beliefs we ought to check further?
* Knowers' perspective and applications of knowledge: how do age, education, culture and experience influence selection of sources and formation of knowledge claims? If you know something, or how to do something, do you have a responsibility to use your knowledge? By using different types of AOK and WOK you can then start to write counterclaims and claims in different types of texts.
The TOK course is expected to involve 100 teaching hours over the two years of the Diploma Programme. Having followed the course, students should be competent to analyse knowledge claims and respond to knowledge issues in the context of different areas of knowledge and ways of knowing, expressing ideas accurately and honestly, using examples from their own experiences as learners and in outside life.
Personal knowledge is the systematic assimilation of shared knowledge acquired in different areas of knowledge through a process that vary within disciplines.
The Knowledge Framework is a scheme that contains five elements: scope and application, language, methodology, historical development and links to personal knowledge.
Assessment
Theory of knowledge is assessed in two parts: an externally examined 1,200–1,600 word essay and an internally assessed presentation. Each part is scored using assessment criteria that describe levels of achievement. The total score is converted into a grade from A to E. A similar system is used for the extended essay and students can gain up to 3 points for the diploma based on the grades achieved for TOK and EE. No diploma is awarded if a candidate fails to submit either the TOK essay or TOK presentation, or receives grade E for either the extended essay or theory of knowledge.
TOK essay
For each exam session the IB prescribes 6 essay titles from which students must choose, e.g., "All knowledge claims should be open to rational criticism. On what grounds and to what extent would you agree with this assertion?" Each title raises generic cross-disciplinary questions about knowledge, and the student is expected to consider the issues raised in the title and reach conclusions about them. The essay should put forward claims and counterclaims, linking knowledge issues to areas of knowledge and ways of knowing, and show evidence of original thinking by the student. Essays over the maximum word count of 1,600 are penalised with a one mark reduction, and any content beyond the 1600th word of the essay is not read by the examiner.
TOK presentation (Last exam 2021)
During the Theory of Knowledge course, students must plan and deliver at least one presentation to the class. The topic is based on a real-life situation of interest to the student, e.g. "Reliability of media reporting of science", "What makes something a work of art?" and the presentation is expected to show why the topic is significant, linking it to a relevant main knowledge question, and discussing those issues and examining the implications of approaching the question from different perspectives, given by WOKs, taken through one or two of the AOKs. Teachers have wide latitude to help with topic selection and identifying suitable approaches. About ten minutes should be allowed for each presenter, and almost any form is permitted except reading an essay aloud. If a candidate reads an essay, they are very likely to fail.
TOK exhibition (First exam 2022)
The TOK exhibition is a new assessment component implemented for all the candidates graduating in 2022. It replaces the TOK presentation and bears the same assessment weight. According to the new IB Guide, the TOK exhibition explores how TOK manifests in the world around us by creating an exhibition of three objects that connect to only one of the themes and on only one of the 35 prompts provided within the new Guide. Each object must be accompanied by a written commentary. These 35 prompts are actually knowledge questions such as: What counts as knowledge? Who owns knowledge? Are some things unknowable? etc.
