Year 10 IB Diploma Preparation Course Guide 2023

INTRODUCTION TO TOK (Theory of Knowledge)

Year 10 IB Diploma Preparation Course

SUBJECT OUTLINE Introduction to TOK is a foundation course to prepare students to develop the skills, understanding and mindset required to succeed in TOK. In Year 11 and 12 IB Diploma, the TOK course plays a special role 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. In this course, students will be encouraged to examine the evidence for claims and to consider, for example, how we distinguish fact from opinion, or how we evaluate the credibility of claims that we are exposed to in the media. They explore different methods and tools of inquiry and try to establish what it is about them that makes them effective, as well as considering their limitations. PATHWAYS This course provides a strong foundation of TOK which in Year 11 and 12, 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. CORE IB Diploma Subject: TOK One of the key reasons for the desirability of the IB Diploma from the point of view of universities is the theory of knowledge course. TOK is the element of the programme that most encourages critical thinking, “a sense of confidence and standing on your own two feet,” and an objective assessment of the different subjects that make up the Diploma. This is why the skills built up as a TOK student are arguably their greatest asset when it comes to achieving in university. As the Times Higher Education Supplement says, “Universities want students who can think in the abstract, and the IB’s theory of knowledge course…does just that.”

AIMS FOR TOK

The aims of the teaching of Introduction to TOK are to encourage and enable students to: • to encourage students to reflect on the central question, “How do we know that?”, and to recognize the value of asking that question • to expose students to ambiguity, uncertainty and questions with multiple plausible answers • to equip students to effectively navigate and make sense of the world, and help prepare them to encounter novel and complex situations • to encourage students to be more aware of their own perspectives and to reflect critically on their own beliefs and assumptions • to engage students with multiple perspectives, foster open-mindedness and develop intercultural understanding • to prompt students to consider the importance of values, responsibilities and ethical concerns relating to the production, acquisition, application and communication of knowledge. • To prepare students for the style of assessment required in Year 11 and 12 TOK.

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