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One of the aims of TOK is to enable you 'to effectively navigate and make sense of the world' and for you to 'make connections between academic disciplines' . The biggest way you will do this is through exploring TOK issues that arise in your subjects and the real world. Let's have a look at what that means.
One of the aims of TOK is to enable you 'to effectively navigate and make sense of the world' and for you to 'make connections between academic disciplines' . The biggest way you will do this is through exploring TOK issues that arise in your subjects and the real world. Let's have a look at what that means.
Real Life Examples
Real Life Examples
During the course you need to be on the look out for TOK issues in your classes and everyday life. Almost any real life situations contain TOK issues, for example:
During the course you need to be on the look out for TOK issues in your classes and everyday life. Almost any real life situations contain TOK issues, for example:
- a tweet
- a tweet
- a news article
- a news article
- claims made in your other classes
- claims made in your other classes
- an occurrence in your own life
- an occurrence in your own life
Basically, if a situation has a decent TOK issue going on, it's probably a decent real life example - so what's a TOK issue?
Basically, if a situation has a decent TOK issue going on, it's probably a decent real life example - so what's a TOK issue?
TOK Questions
TOK Questions
The main point about a TOK question is that it is transferable, and kinda general. That means that without changing it much you can ask the same question in any subject - and to other areas of our lives. For example:
The main point about a TOK question is that it is transferable, and kinda general. That means that without changing it much you can ask the same question in any subject - and to other areas of our lives. For example:
- how is this claim reliable?
- how is this claim reliable?
- is your academic authority trustworthy on its own?
- is your academic authority trustworthy on its own?
- when experts disagree, who should we listen to?
- when experts disagree, who should we listen to?
- what values underly the pursuit of this research?
- what values underly the pursuit of this research?
- what counts as evidence?
- what counts as evidence?
- are your claims open to interpretation, or not?
- are your claims open to interpretation, or not?
- is everything open to interpretation?
- is everything open to interpretation?
Sometimes, TOK questions will relate directly to your subject areas, for example:
Sometimes, TOK questions will relate directly to your subject areas, for example:
- should we judge the quality of music by how popular it is?
- should we judge the quality of music by how popular it is?
- when scientists disagree should we dismiss their claims completely?
- when scientists disagree should we dismiss their claims completely?
- when traditional psychology is seen as outdated, does that mean knowledge always improves?
- when traditional psychology is seen as outdated, does that mean knowledge always improves?
Activity – modern-day Snake Oil
Activity – modern-day Snake Oil
Competing knowledge claims blare across the media with different view points clamouring for our attention, issues of the reliability and bias of sources, the justification and basis for knowledge claims, or the competing world views that seek to describe the meaning of our lives, have been going on for centuries.
Competing knowledge claims blare across the media with different view points clamouring for our attention, issues of the reliability and bias of sources, the justification and basis for knowledge claims, or the competing world views that seek to describe the meaning of our lives, have been going on for centuries.
TOK aims to give you the tools not only to understand those issues but to use that understanding as you go through life to contribute to society from an informed and nuanced perspective.
TOK aims to give you the tools not only to understand those issues but to use that understanding as you go through life to contribute to society from an informed and nuanced perspective.
Now that we've watched through the Snake Oil video let's browse the celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop website and see if we can find any dubious claims. Then, after watching Stephen Colbert's take down of Goop, in your pairs do the following:
Now that we've watched through the Snake Oil video let's browse the celebrity Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop website and see if we can find any dubious claims. Then, after watching Stephen Colbert's take down of Goop, in your pairs do the following:
- what TOK key concepts can you identify?
- what TOK key concepts can you identify?
- what claims can you identify made within Goop as examples of TOK issues?
- what claims can you identify made within Goop as examples of TOK issues?
- what kinds of question might we ask about knowledge here? (scroll up the page for hints) how would you answer them? (choose one or two)
- what kinds of question might we ask about knowledge here? (scroll up the page for hints) how would you answer them? (choose one or two)
- what Areas of Knowledge (AOKs) are relevant here, and why?
- what Areas of Knowledge (AOKs) are relevant here, and why?
Your Turn
Your Turn
Exploring real life examples is a key component for your first DP assessment - the TOK exhibition. As we explore the themes and various AOKs through real life situations we will encounter a number of key concepts and relevant ideas that you will become familiar with.
Exploring real life examples is a key component for your first DP assessment - the TOK exhibition. As we explore the themes and various AOKs through real life situations we will encounter a number of key concepts and relevant ideas that you will become familiar with.
Our goal is to practice identifying these TOK issues and then critically assess the claims and ideas within them. You will then be well placed to formulate sophisticated arguments for your academic work both in TOK and your other subjects in the DP.
Our goal is to practice identifying these TOK issues and then critically assess the claims and ideas within them. You will then be well placed to formulate sophisticated arguments for your academic work both in TOK and your other subjects in the DP.
Activity
Activity
Over to you!
Over to you!
Remember: 'TOK is about how we produce, use and gain knowledge – as individuals and communities. It questions ideas that are central to your DP subjects, and explores issues in the wider world that affect us all.'
Remember: 'TOK is about how we produce, use and gain knowledge – as individuals and communities. It questions ideas that are central to your DP subjects, and explores issues in the wider world that affect us all.'
If you're wondering how figure out if an article/video/situation/object is relevant to TOK then check whether it's related to anything in the above definition.
If you're wondering how figure out if an article/video/situation/object is relevant to TOK then check whether it's related to anything in the above definition.
Prompts
Prompts
Use one of the following prompts as you go through the online content:
Use one of the following prompts as you go through the online content:
- What constitutes a good reason for us to accept a claim?
- Does knowledge always require some kind of rational basis?
- Why should we care about acquiring knowledge?
Go online and search Twitter, news sources, meme sites, anywhere you like. Let's see if together we can prove just how central TOK issues are to our lives and our communities.
Go online and search Twitter, news sources, meme sites, anywhere you like. Let's see if together we can prove just how central TOK issues are to our lives and our communities.
Use these links to find something in your area of interest: Aeon Magazine, Medium.com, the Atlantic, the Conversation, Psyche.co, Slate.com,
Use these links to find something in your area of interest: Aeon Magazine, Medium.com, the Atlantic, the Conversation, Psyche.co, Slate.com,
Once you have found a suitable example, write a paragraph or two to see if you can answer the following:
Once you have found a suitable example, write a paragraph or two to see if you can answer the following:
- what Area of Knowledge (Natural Sciences; Human Sciences; Arts; History; Maths) are relevant here?
- what Area of Knowledge (Natural Sciences; Human Sciences; Arts; History; Maths) are relevant here?
- what key concepts are relevant to this issue? How are they relevant? Do not choose many, identify one that is central to the situation and perhaps one other relevant one.
- what key concepts are relevant to this issue? How are they relevant? Do not choose many, identify one that is central to the situation and perhaps one other relevant one.
- now that you have identified your TOK issue, what kinds of meaningful questions might we ask about knowledge here? You can use some of the examples of TOK questions found on this website. Modify them to fit your real life situation.
- now that you have identified your TOK issue, what kinds of meaningful questions might we ask about knowledge here? You can use some of the examples of TOK questions found on this website. Modify them to fit your real life situation.
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