What is TOK?

The uniform trait in the core ensures that the three elements are all spinned with the thread of coherence where they support and are supported by the academic disciplines, foster international-mindedness in respecting others’ culture and perspectives with the pride in self-identity, and develop self-awareness.

Beyond mere learning of a specific body of knowledge, TOK is more to do with the methodology of ‘learning or knowing how to know what one claims to know’. It helps candidates to critique their knowledge claims (KCs) or assertions on knowledge to explore the open knowledge questions (KQs).

However, it does not require any prior learning or background in terms of specific subjects. It requires at least hundred instruction hours to be completed.

WOK

There are eight specific ways of knowing (WOKs), out of which studying four in depth is necessary. The WOKs are not studied in isolation but in relation to the areas of knowledge (AOKs) and the individual knower.

The WOKs are language, sense perception, emotion, reason, imagination, faith, intuition, and memory. They underlie the methodology of AOKs and provide a strong basis for personal knowledge.

AOK

Areas of knowledge (AOKs) are the specific branches of knowledge, each with a distinct nature which involves different methods of gaining knowledge. There are eight of them, out of which studying six is appropriate. They are mathematics, the natural sciences, the human sciences, the arts, history, ethics, religious knowledge systems, and indigenous knowledge systems.

The knowledge framework

The knowledge framework is a device for exploring the areas of knowledge by identifying the distinctive trait of each AOK as a key area of the five interacting components which are knowing about knowing, WOKs, roles of WOKs, AOKs and the assessment in the complex knowledge framework.  The knowledge framework allows a deeper exploration of the AOKS and WOKs relationship.

Shared knowledge

Shared knowledge is highly structured, systematic in its nature and collaborative. It is the product of more than one individual and is mainly bound into distinct AOKs. Being shared and dynamic by nature it does not solely depend upon individual contribution, rather invites checks and amendments by other individuals. It adds on to the spirit of international-mindedness in exploration of the KQ.

Personal knowledge

Personal knowledge, on the other hand, depends on the personal experiences of individuals. It is constructed through personal experience, practice, personal involvement and is innately bound with specific individualised local circumstances like biography, interests, values, and so on. It is profoundly influenced by an individual perspective.

Unlike shared knowledge, personal knowledge is either not that easily communicable or even if communicable, not easily shared, because of the strong linguistic component in-built in it.

Aims, objectives and integration with learner profile-

The study of TOK aims to inculcate a deep thirst for knowledge in the self-regulated learners and develop a critical bent of mind in them so as to explore multiple plausible answers with a problem solving skill. It encourages the learners’ participation in a collaborative framework, thus inculcating in them the habit of open-mindedness, balance and ethical stance in personality to reconcile claims and counter claims while they aim to explore the KQ through its extraction and decontextualization from the real-world to the TOK world.

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