What is TOK?
Theory Of Knowledge (TOK) is central to the educational philosophy of the IB Programme and spans both years of study. It is one of the three core subjects alongside CAS and the Extended Essay. It is a compulsory inter-disciplinary course which develops critical reflection on knowledge – on diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge. TOK links up and adds coherence to all subject areas of the Diploma Programme. Students reflect on the complexity of knowledge, the process of knowing, the scope and limits of knowledge and on the responsibilities that knowledge brings to us as individuals, groups and communities. For example, the nature of poetic truth in literature will be compared with that obtained in other systems of knowledge – such as historical fact, scientific fact and mathematical proof.
TOK looks at what we believe to be true, the reasons we have for holding these beliefs and whether or not these are good reasons. It is a wide-ranging course focusing on the processes of learning, giving students the means to question all aspects of their learning and thinking. Students see their own perspectives in the light of those of others, considering the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture and in the culture of others in the wider world.
The TOK programme poses many questions, such as:
- What counts as knowledge?
- How does it grow and what are its limits?
- What is the value of knowledge?
- How do we know that a given assertion is true?
The course identifies four ‘Ways of Knowing’: Reason, Language, Emotion and Sense Perception.
In addition to this, six subject areas are identified as ‘Areas of Knowledge’: Mathematics, Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, History, the Arts and Ethics.
How will it be assessed?
Assessment takes the form of:
(a) A written assignment (a 1200-1600 word essay), taken from a list of titles set externally by the IBO. Titles will be taken from the issues met during the TOK course and enable the student to undertake a personal study of a particular area. The essay is marked externally.
(b) A 10 minute oral presentation on a topic chosen by the student. The presentation is marked internally. The student writes a self-evaluation report containing a concise description of the presentation and answers to questions posed by the IBO.
Grades from the written assignment and the oral presentation are combined with the Extended Essay grade to give up to 3 points towards a candidate’s total score for the IB Diploma.