INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE

DIPLOMA PROGRAMME

NERUL

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
STUDENTS’ GUIDE
2022-2024
Dear Knower,

You have lived in this world for some time now. Your life has been shaped
many unique experiences and interactions. You believe many things about
yourself, the way the world works, and the values that guide your own life.
But have you asked yourself: How do I know what I know? Why do I believe
what I believe? How sure am I about it all? Why do others believe different
things?

Welcome to a process that begins today. It will be one that will intrigue you,
and give you a chance to reflect on how belief and knowledge come
together not only for you, but also for others in the class. You will have the
opportunity to examine knowledge claims about both the world and
knowledge itself. You will also consider knowledge questions which are
general, open-ended questions with about knowledge itself, rather than
subject specific material. For example, “How does language shape
knowledge” or “How can we know if our senses are reliable?”

Bring an open and inquisitive mind that is ready to explore. By examining

ideas and arguments put forth by yourself and others, we will reflect on how
knowledge is constructed.

At the center of TOK is you, the knower. You are invited to think critically
about how you know anything at all. How do you know what you know? Do
your senses tell you? Did you read or hear it somewhere? Is it because others
tell you? Have you reasoned it out? Do you feel it? Do you remember it? Did
you imagine it? Do you have faith in something? Or does your intuition tell
you, but you can’t explain how?

We will work together to consider what knowledge is, how we can approach
finding the truth, and the problems involved in doing so. You will examine
major Areas of knowledge such as: Human Sciences, Natural Sciences,
Mathematics, Art, History. By understanding and comparing these areas, we
will try to develop a more holistic picture of knowing. However, we must also
consider the burdens and responsibilities of having and pursuing
knowledge.

Your assessment will involve a TOK Exhibition and a 1600-word essay. This
will demonstrate your development as a knower, IB student, learner and
human. You will have many formative assessments throughout the course to
help you build the critical thinking skills needed to be successful on your
presentation and essay.

This is a course unlike any other you have encountered. The experiences you
have and skills you gain will make a lasting difference in your life. You may
feel like a new person when you’re through!

Welcome to Theory of Knowledge!

TOK of Knowledge
NERUL 2 0 2 2 - 2 4
 THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE
The overall aim of TOK is to encourage students to formulate answers to the question
“how do you know?” in a variety of contexts.

The aims of the TOK course are:

Ÿ To encourage students to reflect on the central question, “How do we know that?”, and to
recognize the value of asking that question

Ÿ To expose students to ambiguity, uncertainty and questions with multiple plausible

answers

Ÿ To equip students to effectively navigate and make sense of the world, and help prepare
them to encounter novel and complex situations

Ÿ To encourage students to be more aware of their own perspectives and to reflect

critically on their own beliefs and assumptions

Ÿ To engage students with multiple perspectives, foster open-mindedness and develop

intercultural understanding

Ÿ To encourage students to make connections between academic disciplines by exploring

underlying concepts and by identifying similarities and differences in the methods of
inquiry used in different areas of knowledge

Ÿ To prompt students to consider the importance of values, responsibilities and ethical

concerns relating to the production, acquisition, application and communication of
knowledge.

NATURE OF TOK
The TOK course plays a special role in the DP by providing an opportunity for students to
reflect on the nature, scope and limitations of knowledge and the process of knowing. In this
way, the main focus of TOK is not on students acquiring new knowledge but on helping
students to reflect on, and put into perspective, what they already know. TOK underpins
and helps to unite the subjects that students encounter in the rest of their DP studies. It
engages students in explicit reflection on how knowledge is arrived at in different
disciplines and areas of knowledge, on what these areas have in common and the
differences between them. It is intended that through this holistic approach, discussions in
one area will help to enrich and deepen discussions in other areas.

The following 12 concepts have particular prominence within, and thread throughout, the
TOK course: evidence, certainty, truth, interpretation, power, justification, explanation,
objectivity, perspective, culture, values and responsibility. Exploration of the relationship
between knowledge and these concepts can help students to deepen their understanding,
as well as facilitating the transfer of their learning to new and different contexts. Discussion
forms the backbone of the TOK course.

TOK of Knowledge
NERUL 2 0 2 2 - 2 4
 The TOK course “At a glance”
The TOK curriculum is made up of three deeply interconnected parts.

• The core theme—Knowledge and the knower: This theme encourages students to reflect
on themselves as knowers and thinkers, and to consider the different communities of
knowers to which we belong.

• Optional themes: This element provides an opportunity to take a more in-depth look at
two themes of particular interest to teachers and students. The given themes all have a
significant impact on the world today and play a key role in shaping people’s perspectives
and identities. Teachers select two optional themes from a choice of five: knowledge and
technology; knowledge and language; knowledge and politics; knowledge and religion; and
knowledge and indigenous societies.

• Areas of knowledge: The areas of knowledge (AOK) are specific branches of knowledge,
each of which can be seen to have a distinct nature and sometimes use different methods of
gaining knowledge. In TOK, students explore five compulsory areas of knowledge: history;
the human sciences; the natural sciences; mathematics; and the arts.

Assessment Objectives:

Having completed the TOK course, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate TOK thinking through the critical examination of knowledge questions

• Identify and explore links between knowledge questions and the world around us
• Identify and explore links between knowledge questions and areas of knowledge
• Develop relevant, clear and coherent arguments
• Use examples and evidence effectively to support a discussion
• Demonstrate awareness and evaluation of different points of view
• Consider the implications of arguments and conclusions.

TOK Assessment Outline

TOK of Knowledge
NERUL 2 0 2 2 - 2 4
 The TOK exhibition (10 marks)
The TOK exhibition is an internal assessment component—it is marked by the teacher and is
externally moderated by the IB.
For this task, students are required to create an exhibition of three objects that connect to
one of the 35 “IA prompts” provided in the guide. Students must select just one IA prompt
on which to base their exhibition, and all three objects must be linked to the same IA
prompt. Students are required to create an exhibition comprising three objects, or images
of objects, and an accompanying written commentary on each object.

To enable their exhibition to be marked by their TOK teacher, students are required to
produce a single file containing:

Ÿ A title clearly indicating their selected IA prompt

Ÿ Images of their three objects
Ÿ A typed commentary on each object that identifies each object and its specific real-
world context, justifies its inclusion in the exhibition and links to the IA prompt
(maximum 950 words)
Ÿ Appropriate citations and references.

Each student must create an individual exhibition. Group work may not be undertaken by
students. Multiple students in the same TOK class are permitted to create exhibitions on the
same IA prompt. However, students in the same class are not permitted to use any of the
same objects. The TOK exhibition task has been explicitly designed to be completed
during the first year of the DP.

TOK essay on a prescribed title

The TOK essay engages students in a formal, sustained piece of writing in response to one
of the six titles that are prescribed by the IB for each examination session. These titles take
the form of knowledge questions that are focused on the areas of knowledge.
The TOK essay is an external assessment component. Each student’s essay is submitted to
the IB to be marked by IB examiners. The TOK Essay must be written in standard 12 type size
and be double spaced. It is not primarily a research paper, but it is expected that specific
sources will be used, and these must be acknowledged.

The IB releases a set of six prescribed titles for each examination session. These titles are
published on the programme resource centre, six months before the submission deadline.

The maximum length of the essay is 1,600 words.

Sample Essay Titles :

Ÿ "Others have seen what is and asked why. I have seen what could be and asked why not"
(Pablo Picasso). Explore this distinction with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Ÿ "There is a sharp line between describing something and offering an explanation of it." To
what extent do you agree with this claim?
Ÿ Does it matter that your personal circumstances influence how seriously your knowledge
is taken?
Ÿ "The role of analogy is to aid understanding rather than to provide justification." To what
extent do you agree with this statement?
Ÿ "Given that every theory has its limitations, we need to retain a multiplicity of theories to
understand the world." Discuss this claim with reference to two areas of knowledge.
Ÿ "Present knowledge is wholly dependent on past knowledge." Discuss this claim with
reference to two areas of knowledge.

TOK of Knowledge
NERUL 2 0 2 2 - 2 4
 The diploma points matrix

Theory of Knowledge
Grade Grade Grade Grade Grade No Grade
A B C D E N

1
Grade Failing
3 3 2 2 Failing
A condition
condition

0
Grade Failing
3 2 2 1 Failing
B condition
condition
Extended Essay

0
Grade Failing
2 2 1 0 Failing
C condition
condition

0
Grade Failing
2 1 0 0 Failing
D condition
condition

Grade Failing Failing Failing Failing Failing Failing

E condition condition condition condition condition condition

No Grade Failing Failing Failing Failing Failing Failing

N condition condition condition condition condition condition

Recommendations to TOK students

The TOK course places a great deal of emphasis on elements that are central to the
development of international- mindedness. For example, it encourages students to
consider the diversity and richness of different perspectives, as well as exploring the
interdependent influence of knowledge and culture.
The course encourages students to be curious about, and to think deeply and carefully
about, complicated issues. It encourages students to avoid shallow and polarized thinking,
and to avoid making quick judgments. It highlights that sometimes there really are no
simple answers, and “that tensions between conflicting points of view have to be lived with,
argued about and frequently left unresolved” (Walker 2004: 135).

Through their explorations in TOK, students are encouraged to discover and articulate their
own views on knowledge. They are encouraged to share their ideas with others, and to listen
to and learn from what others think. Through this process of dialogue and discussion, their
own understanding is enriched and deepened as they become more engaged with different
beliefs, values and experiences, as well as with alternative ways of answering questions.

TOK of Knowledge
NERUL 2 0 2 2 - 2 4
 NERUL

Dr. D Y Patil Vidhyanagar, Sector 7, Nerul(East),

Navi Mumbai - 400706.

+91 - 022 - 27700840

www.dypisnerul.in | [email protected]

Follow us: