Why do tok

For example, the essay may ask students to discuss the claim that the methodologies used to produce knowledge depend on the use to which that knowledge will be used. TOK aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases — whether these biases are retained, revised or rejected. TOK also provides coherence for the student, by linking academic subject areas as well as transcending them.

It therefore demonstrates the ways in which the student can apply their knowledge with greater awareness and credibility. We use cookies on this site. By continuing to use this website, you consent to our use of these cookies. Does that mean every Area of Knowledge is a different entity and thus completely independent? Absolutely not! Quite the contrary, the disciplines offered in the form of AOKs are connected to each other in a very subtle way.

To become a holistic scholar, a student should be able to spot this subtle connection and draw parallels between different Areas of Knowledge. Dedicated blogs for each of the AOK mentioned above will be launched soon. Make sure you watch this space! You can also follow Nail IB on Instagram to get regular updates and content dedicated to helping IB students achieve their study goals. The main objective of TOK then is to make you aware of the level of your competency in each AOK and bridge the knowledge gap.

This is a critical point. Going back to the pond analogy. You can do it as animals do. You can use a cup, or you can lay down a pipeline and have the water sent to your home.

That question is, ' How do we know '. This question is expanded by integrating different Areas of Knowledge and studying them through the Ways of Knowing. To understand the points mentioned above, let's revisit the famous example that most TOK teachers like to use:. The Earth being flat was treated as a universal truth until the Greeks disproved it. So was Flat Earth was a fact that belonged to the natural sciences.

Greek Empire was an establishment for which religion was of paramount importance. Perhaps then the 'Flat Earth' was Religious Knowledge that was promoted to accentuate the existence of the Gods and Heaven. Now that this 'fact' has been disproved, does it still belong to any of the aforementioned areas of knowledge, or does it now fall under History?

The first revolt against a flat Earth was done by Aristotle who made observations of the night sky. Of course, when Aristotle suggested that the Earth was round, it was not backed by a mathematical explanation this was done in the next hundred years by Aristarchus and Eratosthenes.

It is one of the components of the DP core and is mandatory for all students. As a thoughtful and purposeful inquiry into different ways of knowing, and into different kinds of knowledge, TOK is composed almost entirely of questions. Through discussions of these and other questions, students gain greater awareness of their personal and ideological assumptions, as well as developing an appreciation of the diversity and richness of cultural perspectives.

The presentation assesses the ability of the student to apply TOK thinking to a real-life situation, while the essay takes a more conceptual starting point. For example, the essay may ask students to discuss the claim that the methodologies used to produce knowledge depend on the use to which that knowledge will be used.

TOK aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases — whether these biases are retained, revised or rejected. TOK also provides coherence for the student, by linking academic subject areas as well as transcending them.

It therefore demonstrates the ways in which the student can apply their knowledge with greater awareness and credibility. Skip to Main Content. District Home.