TOK EOC

What is TOK?

• How we know what we claim to know

• The nature of knowledge

• The limits and reliability of knowledge

“How do we know?”

Knowledge Question (KQ)

• Open-ended

• About knowledge itself

• Uses TOK concepts

Ex. How reliable is memory as a way of knowing?

Types of Knowledge

1. Personal Knowledge

2. Shared Knowledge

Ways of Knowing (WOKs)

1. Language

2. Sense Perception

3. Emotion

4. Reason

5. Imagination

6. Faith

7. Intuition

8. Memory

Areas of Knowledge (AOKs)

🧪Natural Sciences

👥 Human Sciences

🎨 The Arts

➗ Mathematics

📜 History

Evidence

the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief, proposition, or knowledge claim is true or valid

Verification

the process of establishing the truth, the accuracy or validity of a knowledge claim

Uncertainty

being uncertain of the validity of a knowledge claim. Uncertainty may range from a falling short of certainty to an almost complete lack of conviction or knowledge especially about an outcome or result

Perspective

a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view when interpreting a knowledge claim.

Validity

the quality of a knowledge claim being logically or factually sound

Paradigm/Worldview

the assumptions that guide our interpretations or decisions about knowledge based on our cultural, educational, and/or social background

Proof

evidence or argument establishing a fact or truth of the statement concerning a knowledge claim

Meaning

clarifying the significance of something, usually a knowledge claim, evidence, data, or information

Dogmatism

to lay down principles as incontrovertibly true without consideration of evidence of others’ opinion.

Interpretation

the action of explaining the meaning of something.

Sense Perception

the use of our senses to acquire information about the world around us and to become acquainted with objects, events, and their features

Data

the statistics collected for reference or analysis in order to make knowledge claim

Justification

the action of showing/explaining a knowledge claim to be right, valid, or reasonable.

Ambiguity

the quality of being open to more than one interpretation

Bias

the prejudice in favor of or against one thing, person, or group compared with another, usually considered unfair. Negatively influences the knowledge process

Reliability

the quality of a knowledge source or method being trustworthy or of performing consistently well

Correlation

the mutual relationship or connection between two or more things

Causation

one element causing an effect on another.

Authority

power to make rulings, validations, or critiques concerning knowledge because of one's recognized knowledge about an area of knowledge. They are seen as credible experts within the field of study

Emotion

a natural instinctive state of mind deriving from one's circumstances, mood, or relationships with others

Absolutism

the acceptance of or belief in absolute principles in matters associated with a knowledge approach or claim.

Standards of Judgement

an accepted or approved example of something against which others are judged or measured. A set of standards by which a knowledge claim is evaluated

Information

facts provided or learned about something or someone in the pursuit of knowledge.

Language

the principal method of human communication, consisting of words used in a structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture

Explanation

a statement or account that makes knowledge claims or justifications clearer

Limitations

a limiting rule or circumstance; a restriction that keeps a knowledge claim from being 100% certain

Mental models

an explanation of someone's thought process about how something works in the real world

Lie

a lie is an assertion that is believed to be false, typically used with the purpose of deceiving someone

Mystery

a knowledge issue or topic that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain

Reason

to form conclusions, judgments, or inferences from facts or premises

Theory

a plausible or acceptable general principle or body of principles offered to explain a knowledge issue

Generalization

a general statement or concept obtained by inference from specific cases. Taking a ‘sample size’ and applying it to a wider situation

Credibility

the quality of a source or claim being trusted and believed in

Memory

the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information

Margin of Error

an amount (usually small) that is allowed for in case of miscalculation or change of circumstances. The amount of error allowed before knowledge conclusions are deemed invalid

Doubt

a feeling of uncertainty or lack of conviction when it comes to the plausibility or validity of a knowledge claim

Subjectivity

the quality of being based on or influenced by feelings, tastes, or opinions. subjectivity is influenced by personal bias

Imagination

the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the senses

Faith

a strongly held belief or theory

Assumption

something that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof or substantial evidence

Ethical Responsibility

the ability to recognize, interpret and act upon multiple principles and values according to the standards within a given field and/or context (when producing or critiquing knowledge)

Pattern

a regular and intelligible form or sequence that learners can base knowledge conclusions on

Context

the circumstances that form the setting for a knowledge situation in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed

Intuition

a thing that one knows or considers likely from instinctive feeling rather than conscious reasoning

Relativity

the absence of standards of absolute and universal application for a knowledge concept

Extrapolation

the action of estimating or concluding something about a knowledge concept by assuming that existing trends will continue, or a current method will remain applicable to other broader knowledge claims

Knowledge Framework

• Scope

• Perspectives

• Methods and Tools

• Ethics

12 Important Concepts

• Evidence

• Certainty

• Truth

• Interpretation

• Power

• Justification,

• Explanation

• Objectivity

• Perspective

• Culture

• Values

• Responsibility.

International-Mindedness

way of thinking, being and acting characterized by an openness to the world and a recognition of our deep interconnectedness to others

ex. encourages students to consider the diversity and richness of different perspectives, as well as exploring the interdependent influence of knowledge and culture

Optional Themes

• Knowledge and technology

• Knowledge and language

• Knowledge and politics

• Knowledge and religion

• Knowledge and indigenous societies

Scope

explores how each theme/area of knowledge fits within the totality of human knowledge, and also considers the nature of the problems that each theme/area of knowledge faces and tries to address

ex. What motivates the pursuit of knowledge in these themes/areas of knowledge?

Perspectives

focuses on the importance and influence of perspectives and context. Including students’ own perspectives and how different people or groups view or approach knowledge in the different themes/areas of knowledge. It also includes reflection on historical perspectives and how knowledge changes over time

ex. Are some types of knowledge less open to interpretation than others?

Methods and Tools

focuses on practices that we use to produce knowledge. Includes the establishing of traditions and practices, methodologies by formal discipline, cognitive and material tools.And how these tools have changed as a result of technological developments

ex. What assumptions underlie the methods of inquiry used in these themes/areas of knowledge?

Ethics

focuses on ethical considerations that have an impact on inquiry in the different themes and areas of knowledge. This includes aspects such as the relationship between facts and values, and how ethical and epistemic values

ex. Do established values change in the face of new knowledge?

Core Theme

Knowledge and the knower