What are the Examiners thinking about the ToK Exhibition? May 23 ToK Subject Report
The Theory of Knowledge (ToK) Subject Report is written by examiners after each exam session, it is a reflection on what examiners have seen in the work submitted for the exam session. The report includes details on common mistakes made, and recommendations for avoiding those mistakes in the future. As such the ToK Subject Report is the most definitive document for understanding “what the examiners want”. I strongly recommend close reading of the TOK Subject Report for all ToK teachers. The ToK Subject Reports can be found in the Programme Resource Centre of MyIB.
In this blog post I summarise some of the pertinent and interesting points about the ToK Exhibition arising from the May 23 ToK Subject Report. I published similar post about The ToK Essay a couple of days ago (linked). I have written similar posts about previous ToK Subject Reports in the past (linked & linked).
The Exhibition
1. Examiners appreciate:
Students choosing objects that are “interesting to them, wide-ranging, and unique” (pg 9)
Three distinct commentaries (one for each object),
Equal treatment to each object.
2. Choosing objects.
Objects should have some personal significance to the student.
Objects of interest, and / or personal significance, tend to lead to more successful explorations of knowledge issues.
IB recommends that students choose objects before choosing the prompt (Pg 9), they want the student to reflect on how ToK manifests in the world. This requires students to “find ToK arising from objects”. Whilst this is certainly an ideal, in my experience many students find this very difficult. This is one of the reasons that I recommend that students choose a prompt, write 3 distinct knowledge arguments, and then find objects that demonstrate each knowledge argument. This approach also makes it easier for students to “justify the inclusion of each particular object in the Exhibition” which is required to access the higher mark bands.
Please see in depth blog post on the debate about choosing objects linked here.
3. It is generally recommended that the Exhibition is organised around one of the ToK Themes. However, caution is noted to ensure that the theme does not narrow the discussion, nor lead to repetition of the same idea. There is no specific assessment criteria for the use of a theme, it is a recommended teaching approach rather than a requirement.
Particular caution is noted when the themes of Knowledge & Religion, and Knowledge & Technology are used.
4. Introduction and Conclusion sections are neither required nor recommended ( a waste of words).
5. Most popular prompts:
#11: Can new knowledge change established values or beliefs?
#13: How can we know that current knowledge is an improvement upon past knowledge?
#17: Why do we seek knowledge?
#20: What is the relationship between personal experience and knowledge?
#21: What is the relationship between knowledge and culture?
Least popular prompts:
#19: What counts as a good justification for a claim?
#27: Does all knowledge impose ethical obligations on those who know it?
#31: How can we judge when evidence is adequate?
#32. What makes a good explanation?
5. Assessment can be seen in 4 broad areas:
A: the identification of three objects and their real world context.
B: The explanation of links between the objects and the prompt.
C: The Justification for the contribution of each object to the exhibition.
D: Supporting evidence & references to the prompt.
6. Teacher comments are very important in the moderation process. Teachers should use the key words in the marking criteria, but not cut & paste the marking criteria (pg 11).
7. The focus in The Exhibition should be on knowledge, not the objects. Students should “interrogate the ToK space, not just describe it” (pg 12).
8. The showcasing of the student’s Exhibition should happen AFTER submission of The Commentary. The showcase is not an opportunity for students to get feedback on their work before submission. (pg12)
9. Some tips about structure:
Each object should receive equal treatment (about 315 words).
Introductions & Conclusions should be avoided.
Prompts usually contain key ToK Concepts. Students should reflect on the significance of those concepts in the knowledge issues arising from the objects.
Prompts are often misinterpreted, or shortened in response.For example Prompt #12: Is bias inevitable in the production of knowledge often results in students focussing on bias, and misses dealing with its inevitability. A long list of similar common mistakes is given on page 13 of the Subject Report, it is well worth checking.
Links between the object and the prompt need to be explicit and direct. They should be knowledge links, ie explaining how the object demonstrates the knowledge issues raised in the prompt (Pg 14).
Justification of inclusion of the object should be seen as from the link. The justification is a further elaboration of the connective link, “showing what it is about that specific object that is so interesting in making us think about the prompt.”
Evidence: Students should not make unsubstantiated claims, they should provide evidence for claims either from external sources, or from their own experience (e.g. from their studies etc).
If you need more help with the ToK Exhibition we have a range of resources to guide you through this assessment (click here), including the e-book EVERY ToK Exhibition Prompt explained (click here).
What are the examiners thinking about the ToK Essay in 2023 ?
The Theory of Knowledge (ToK) Subject Report is written by examiners after each exam session, it is a reflection on what examiners have seen in the work submitted for the exam session. The report includes details on common mistakes made, and recommendations for avoiding those mistakes in the future. As such the ToK Subject Report is the most definitive document for understanding “what the examiners want”. I strongly recommend close reading of the TOK Subject Report for all ToK teachers. The ToK Subject Reports can be found in the Programme Resource Centre of MyIB.
In this blog post I summarise some of the pertinent and interesting points about the ToK Essay arising from the May 23 ToK Subject Report. I will publish a similar post about The Exhibition in a couple of days. I have written similar posts about previous ToK Subject Reports in the past (linked & linked).
What do we learn about the ToK Essay from the May 23 ToK Subject Report ?
1. Students need to address all parts of the prescribed title. Don’t ignore parts of the question, this affects coherence of the answer (top of P5.)
2. Precise and direct reading of question is important (e.g Q2 M23 “For artists & natural scientists” many students did not consider artists & natural scientists, they just considered ‘for the general public’.).
3. A stepped approach to build an argument is most effective for complex essays that contain multiple elements (eg #4M23: "Do you agree that it is "astonishing that so little knowledge can give us so much power" (Russell)? Discuss with reference to the NS & one other AoK"). This essay requires students to deal with each element in turn, and to develop knowledge arguments relating to each. Contrasting claims / counterclaims / evaluation points are particularly important in complex essays (eg #4 M23, bottom of pg 6/top of 7).
4. Visual representations (eg charts & graphs) are now appropriate in ToK essays (Essay 5 M23).
5. Focus on writing a critical exploration of the PT (the driving question) rather than on a descriptive essay. A critical exploration includes:
Arguments supported by examples
Implications
Awareness of & evaluation of different points of view.
Limitations of arguments
6. Use of “points of view” rather than counterclaim. Points of view allows for a more nuanced range of points than a counterclaim. Points of view do not necessarily contradict, nor cancel out, the initial claim.
7. Examples should be explicitly connected to the knowledge argument and shown to justify a point.
8. Examples drawn from the student’s own studies, or own life, generally make better examples because it is easier for the student to analyse them and to understand the implication of the example (para 3, Pg 8).
9. AoK History should consider:
The history of events that are at least 10 yrs old.
The history of events that have been investigated by historians (rather than e.g. by journalists).
The process of the production of historical knowledge rather than the event itself.
10, Geography & Economics are often used well as Human Science disciplines.
11. The Planning & Progress Form is of increasing importance as an academic integrity check given the growth of AI etc.
OK - this is just a very brief summary of some of the main points. Some of these points are included because they are surprising, or new, to me. If you want more details on the subject report I recommend downloading it from the Programme Resource Centre. A similar summary of points about the ToK Exhibition in the May 23 Subject Report will be out soon.
Stay ToKTastic,
Daniel, Lisbon Feb 24
Watch this post as a video:
Custodians as protectors of secrets
In my essay notes and videos about Essay #5 I have generally defined Custodians as bodies or systems that protect and preserve knowledge. However, custodian could have a slightly different meaning. Custodians could be seen as keepers of secret knowledge. If a person is taken into custody it generally means that they are held and imprisoned by the legal system, they don’t have the right to leave, and access to them is tightly controlled. We could also think of the custodians of knowledge as incarcerators of knowledge, locking knowledge away from other knowers, and tightly controlling access to this knowledge.
Maps as Custodians of Knowledge
In the 16th century a building on this site contained some of the most closely guarded knowledge in the world. It was closely guarded because it held the secrets to untold riches, it was closely guarded because the acquisition & production of that knowledge had been hard won & very expensive. It was closely guarded because this knowledge could allow the knower to dominate the western world. In the 16th century the building that stood on this site was The Lisbon Map Factory.
In the 16th century, the Age of Discovery was in full swing, and Portugal was at the forefront of maritime exploration. The Portuguese were making unprecedented voyages to uncharted territories such as India, Africa, and Brazil, seeking to expand their influence and acquire exotic goods. Navigation charts and maps, colloquially known as "cartas" or "portolan charts," were invaluable tools for these journeys. They were much more than mere pieces of paper; they were strategic assets that held state secrets.
Firstly, these charts represented years of hard-won knowledge. The Portuguese had developed sophisticated techniques for cartography and celestial navigation, such as the use of the astrolabe and cross-staff. This knowledge was the result of substantial investment, both in terms of financial resources and human lives. As Portugal's competitors, like Spain and later England and France, sought similar advantages in exploration and trade, the possession of these navigational aids offered a critical edge. Keeping these charts secret helped maintain Portuguese supremacy in oceanic exploration.
Secondly, the charts often contained information about newly discovered trade routes, such as the route around the Cape of Good Hope to India, and the locations of valuable commodities like spices, gold, and ivory. Revealing these routes would not only expose them to competitors but could also lead to piracy, threatening the monopoly Portugal was keen to establish and maintain.
Thirdly, the strategic implications of these charts extended to national security. They included details about fortifications, anchorages, and tides in recently conquered territories. Dissemination of this data could compromise the Portuguese position in these new lands, making them vulnerable to attack or subterfuge by rival nations.
Lastly, the secrecy around navigational charts played a role in diplomatic negotiations. Access to specific cartographic information could be granted as a bargaining chip in treaties or alliances, a valuable concession to be bestowed upon a trusted ally rather than being made available for all.
Custodians of knowledge = keepers of secrets
In summary, the secrecy surrounding oceanic navigational charts in 16th century Portugal was not mere paranoia; it was a calculated and strategic decision to protect national interests. These charts were the keys to untold wealth, influence, and power, and Portugal went to great lengths to ensure that this knowledge remained closely guarded.
Developing the ToK Points from the RLS
From this real life example we can develop some ToK points and knowledge arguments.
We’re arguing that whether we need Custodians of Knowledge partly depends upon roles. Those roles have 3 main elements:
1) The role of the Custodian of Knowledge.
2) The role of the Knowledge Producer.
3) The role of the Knower.
The role of Custodians of Knowledge
Let’s first look at the role of the Custodian of Knowledge. In this case we’re arguing that the Custodians of Knowledge protect knowledge from being shared, they keep it isolated, exclusive, confidential and secret. There are other equally valid definitions of Custodians of Knowledge that I have discussed in my earlier blogs and videos (linked)
The role of the Knowledge Producer.
Next we can look at the role of the knowledge producer. We can think about WHO created the Knowledge and WHY & HOW they created the knowledge. In the case of the 16th Century maps they were created by The Portuguese state at great expense. They were created to give Portugal commercial, financial, and military power. The position in a power hierarchy of the the knowledge producer, how they produced it, and the potential use and consequences of the knowledge produced will influence whether we need a custodian of knowledge, and the type of custodian needed.
The role of the Knower.
Finally we can look at the role of the Knower, or should I say knowers. Because there are different categories of knowers. This is linked to our definition of Custodians of Knowledge - as a ringfencing exclusionary custodian. Therefore, there are those knowers who have legitimate and authorised access to the knowledge, in our case of the 16th C maps this would be the officers in the Portuguese Navy. And then there are those knowers who are outside of the legitimate & authorised custodial circle of knowledge. In the case of the 16th C maps this might be Govts and navies that were competing with Portugal. As such, in terms of knowers we can think of WHO wants to know, and WHY do they want to know.
Purpose
Which neatly brings us to the concept which unites all 3 roles (the custodian of knowledge, the producer of knowledge, and the knower) when trying to answer the question whether we need Custodians of Knowledge.
That uniting concept is one of PURPOSE.
When considering whether we need custodians of knowledge we can ask ourselves:
What’s the purpose of the Custodian of Knowledge?
What’s the purpose of the production of that knowledge?
What is the purpose of the person who produced that knowledge?
When we start to answer the question of purpose we start to come up with a range of answers as to whether we need Custodians of Knowledge.
If you want to know more about Essay #5 May 24 Custodians of Knowledge be sure to check out my earlier videos and blog posts on this title. If you want super-supportive help with this essay check out the TokToday essay guidance notes, those notes are like having a ToK teacher sitting next to you helping you.
Daniel, Lisbon, October 2023
Detailed guidance video for Essay 5 May 24
ToK Essay Guidance Notes: FAQs
I’ve been getting lots of questions about the ToKToday Essay Guidance notes, so I thought that it might be useful to put them together into a Frequently Asked Questions Blog / video. The video version of this blog can be found here.
At the end of this blog I will give you a joke about Essay #5 May 24 (Custodians).
FAQ #1: Are the notes cheating ?
No, the notes are not cheating, they are not a ready prepared written essay. They are more like a mini textbook for each essay title. The notes explain different approaches and different ideas that could come up in the essay. You can't just copy and paste the notes, they wouldn't make much sense like that. Think of them as being a textbook just like your ToK textbook from Oxford or pearson, you can even cite the notes in your bibliography. the notes should be used as a way to design and frame your knowledge arguments. You can even use the suggested real life examples from the notes. The important issue is that you're going to have to pick and choose selectively from the notes just like you would from a textbook. As such they're not cheating because you are having to reconstruct and synthesize ideas, as you would from any other secondary source.
FAQ #2: Will I get flagged for plagiarism if I use the notes ?
At the beginning of the notes I warn against copying and pasting the notes. I recommend that you rewrite the ideas in your own words, just like you would from a textbook. The notes are just a mini-textbook that has been written specifically for a single essay question. The notes are 8000-11000 words long, far too long to be copied & pasted into a 1600 word ToK Essay. If you rewrite the sections of notes that you choose in your own words you won’t get flagged for plagiarism. By using the notes you are merely reading ideas, reconstituting and synthesising those ideas into your own thoughts and knowledge arguments.
FAQ3: Can I use your knowledge arguments, but my own Real life examples ?
I get asked this question quite often. Of course you can use the Knowledge Arguments from the ToKToday notes, and use your own real life examples. You can use as little or as much of the ToKToday notes as you wish. The important thing is that you ensure that your real life examples demonstrate the knowledge argument that you are developing.
FAQ #4: Are the ToK Essay Questions harder this year ?
It’s a matter of some debate, lots of ToK teachers have been discussing this across the networks and the forums. I made a video a few weeks ago: why some ToK Essay questions are easier than others. You can check that out for a more detailed analysis.
Personally I think that not having any quotes in the essay questions makes them a bit easier, students are less likely to be distracted from the knowledge argument by the quote . Secondly I think that essay titles 1 & 5 are are fairly straightforward. You don’t get more straightforward than Essay #5. Essays 3 & 4 are fairly normal in terms of difficulty. They’re the middle of the roaders that we get every year. Essay 2 may at first seem hard, but actually isn’t as hard as it first seems when you start to dig into it and think about it. Essay 6 I think is a tricky one, it has at least 3 propositional clauses in it, that’s a lot to deal with ! However, these are just my opinions, and you may have a very different understanding of the essay titles - and that’s why ToK is beautiful.
If you have questions about the ToK Essay Guidance Notes, or anything else, don't hesitate to contact me at Daniel@ToKToday.com. Alternatively use the FB Messenger Button on this page.
Ok, you’ve read this far so you deserve the Joke about Essay #5:
Q:Why did the teacher marry the janitor?
A: Because he swept her off her feet!
This is about essay #5 because in some parts of America the janitor is called the Custodian (Custodians of knowledge). However, in the UK the janitor is called the caretaker.., ok enough
Stay ToKtastic my friends!
Daniel, Lisbon, Oct 23
Can CAS & EE help me to get into Uni ?
Many students have asked me whether CAS (Creativity, Action and Service), and EE (Extended Essay) are useful for getting into university. Today, on the YouTube Channel we were fortunate to have Magda from Unifymecounselling.com to help us to answer this question. To watch the video please click here.
Magda has already worked with ToKToday, to watch the previous video with her (How can ToK help my Uni application ?) click here, or read the blog post at this link.
The main points from the discussion on CAS / EE & Uni applications:
Q1: Can Extended Essay help me with my uni / higher education application?
Extended Essay can significantly benefit higher education applications, demonstrating university-level research skills and subject-specific knowledge.
Similar to the UK's EPQ, the Extended Essay showcases self-initiated, subject-focused work, enhancing university applications.
While not mandatory, doing the Extended Essay in a higher-level subject is recommended, allowing for in-depth exploration and knowledge expansion.
Extended Essay achievements can be highlighted in UK applications, CVs, and motivational letters, emphasizing academic preparation and potential.
Q2 - Do you have any tips for students aspiring to a high grade in EE ?
Choose a research topic that genuinely interests you, focusing on inner curiosity and enjoyment.
Apply the 80-20 rule, emphasizing 80% research and 20% writing; thorough research forms the core of a successful extended essay.
Start by immersing yourself in extensive research to become an expert in the topic, enabling better argumentation and exploration of various perspectives.
Pay close attention to details, including formatting, page numbers, and writing a valuable reflection, as these aspects contribute significantly to the overall quality.
Utilize resources like JSTOR if available in your school for comprehensive research.
Maintain open communication with your assigned supervisor, seeking guidance and building a collaborative relationship for effective support.
Q3 - What is the value of CAS for an HE application ?
CAS is a crucial part of the IB core, often undervalued due to its lack of exams, leading some to want to complete it quickly.
CAS is highly valuable for higher education applications, especially in competitive scenarios, as it showcases well-roundedness, impact on communities, and development of key skills.
Combining creativity, action, and service offers a unique chance to initiate and expand projects, demonstrating leadership qualities and making a positive impact.
Students have been accepted into universities based on their extracurricular activities despite lower academic scores, emphasizing the significance of CAS in university admissions
If you want to contact Magda for help with uni applications, educational decisions, counselling support her email is Magda@Unifymecounselling.com
Magda's other social media contacts are in the slide above / left.
We are starting to look at wider DP issues than solely just ToK this year. If you have questions, or suggestions for other topics that we could cover, please leave them in the comments section below.
Stay Toktastic my friends,
Daniel, Bangkok, Sept 2023
1st Yr Anniversary!
On 1st August 2022 (1 year ago today) I launched ToKToday, so I thought it would be a good time to look back at what has happened during that year. A reflection - we’re good IB learners, and IB learners know that reflection is central to learning.
ToKToday: Origin Story.
In summer 2022 I left my international school in Bangkok Thailand, and moved to beautiful Lisbon, Portugal. On the 1st August of that year I launched ToKToday, an online learning resource for Theory of Knowledge, with the aim to make “ToK more accessible for students and teachers. We aim to do this by providing accessible and effective resources for both the learning and teaching of ToK.”
The past year in numbers
Let's start with some quantitative knowledge (numbers, they’re nearly facts !):
We’ve published 144 videos on YouTube from analyses of Post-structuralist philosophy to the ToK of Taylor Swift, and 668 of you lovely viewers have subscribed to the YouTube channel, thank you so much for each and everyone of those subscriptions !
132 blog posts have been published on the ToKToday.com website (link in the video description).
32,000 unique visitors have come to the TokToday website (unique and special visitors), and those 32,000 visitors have collectively clocked up 66,000 views.
TokToday.com: global reach
People have visited the blog from 164 different countries in the world. The top 10 countries for visitors to the blog:
10: Turkey, 9: Japan, 8: Spain, 7: UK, 6: Hong Kong, 5: Canada, 4: Australia, 3: Singapore, 2: United States, 1: India.
The support from everyone has been great, but I need to make a special mention for India - the support of my Indian friends has been consistent and deep during the year. Further, in 3rd place there is Singapore, it’s not a big country in size, but it’s a big supporter of ToKToday - thank you Singapore!
ToKToday Ebooks
We’ve published 36 e-books on the ToKToday website, and they’ve been picked up by over 500 readers in 62 countries around the world.
I’ve worked with over 50 wonderful students in online coaching, and those students have come from 6 of the 7 continents of the world. - I’m still waiting for my first student from Antarctica
I’d like to take this opportunity to personally thank everyone who has supported TokToday this year by visiting the website, watching the videos, arranging coaching sessions and buying e-books. You have brought my vision to life, and given me the confidence to believe that this can actually work.
Qualitative learning from the past year.
Well, first of all I have to think about all of the wonderful people that I’ve met this year from all over the world through ToKToday.
Just to think that at this time last year I hadn’t met my new friends from Australia, they were the earliest supporters of the site, they helped me through a difficult time in the UK at the beginning of ToKToday, they gave me the confidence to continue to build the site, and have continued to be great supporters of the site over the past year - I won’t mention names, but thank you my Australian friends.
And then I also got to know new friends in Florida, USA who have also been wonderful supporters of the site, including giving me suggestions on content and direction - thank you so much to my special friends in Florida.
I have got to mention all of the wonderful people at United Lisbon International School here in Lisbon, they took me in at the beginning of the year, and have given me a practical element for ToKToday.
There are so many other people that I’ve worked with from all over the world who are new colleagues that I have met through ToKToday from HK, Singapore, India, Kenya, Latvia, Panama and Peru.
It’s been wonderful to meet all of you this year.
Unexpected outcomes this past year.
Well, to be honest - the whole vision of ToKToday has shifted during the year. There’s a saying : the first rule of planning is that the plan changes on first contact with reality. And that’s certainly true of ToKToday.
I thought that the main focus of the site would be videos on YouTube, but it’s turned out that the website gets far more attention & visits than YouTube. YouTube has been a lot more difficult than expected - I’m still working out what might work on YouTube.
Secondly, I thought the focus of ToKToday would be working with schools and teachers, and whilst some of this has happened most site views, video views and sales have come from students.
Another thing that I’ve learned this year is that student’s parents are very active in supporting their children’s ToK learning. It's parents who are looking at the site content and deciding whether I can support their children.
There are so many other things that I have learned this year from finding personal motivation free from institutional constraints to techy stuff like Search Engine Optimisation and ChatGPT.
Plans for the coming year for ToKToday.com
The first point of action is to redesign the website during the summer - the website needs to be more user friendly, and more aesthetically pleasing - so, I’m going to learn all about UX this summer.
The second aim is to produce more content for parents of DP students, and with that in mind I’m hoping to collaborate with other independent content creators & service providers in the DP space - there’s a couple of collaborations in the nascent stage, but if you’re interested in collaborating with me please get in touch.
And I’ll continue to improve the things that seem to be working in lots of other areas.
In summary
I recently read a quote from a teacher in the UK describing the state of education. She said that if a Pterodactyl were to land on the school roof the children would be told to ignore it so they could finish their allotted learning task.
Well I like to believe that ToK is a place in the school curriculum where we wouldn’t ignore the Pterodactyl. We’d go up to the school roof, and ask the Pterodactyl what evidence was required for its existence. Of course we'd also ask whether it could formulate 2 counterclaims for its existence.
Thanks for all of the support this year, thank you for watching & I hope to see you in the coming year, And of course,
Stay Tok-Tastic my friends
Daniel, August 2023
Link Object to The Prompt
ToK Exhibition Mini Series #2/4
Link ToK Exhibition Objects to the prompt.
What’s the most basic thing to get right in the ToK Exhibition ?
The first thing that moderating examiners are looking for when they assess your ToK exhibition is whether you have made a link between the object and the prompt. This link needs to be explicit and direct, and is best made frequently during the commentary.
Let’s briefly consider those words:
Explicit means using the word link, I am going to write “the link between my object and the prompt is”.
Direct means that I am going to use the words from the prompt in my answer.
If you do this then there is less chance that the examiner will overlook the link you make, and more chance that you are awarded the marks. I know this sounds obvious, but you'd be amazed how many Exhibition Commentaries that I see where the student has not clearly made the link between the object and the prompt. Linking the ToK Exhibition Object to the prompt is crucial for scoring 2+ marks in the Exhibition.
Examples of direct and explicit links between the object & prompt.
Let’s have a look at some examples.
The first prompt is: Why do we seek knowledge?
The object is: The Natural History Museum in London.
I am going to write : “The link between the Natural History Museum and the prompt is that the museum demonstrates that one of the reasons that we seek knowledge is to resolve unanswered questions”.
OK, maybe it’s a little cumbersome, so maybe we could refine it to:
“The Natural History Museum demonstrates that one of the reasons that seek knowledge is to resolve unanswered questions”.
It’s up to you whether you go with something cumbersome or more refined. Personally, I like to see the word link / linked in there as it reduces any potential equivocation on the part of the examiner.
The important point is that we have the words from the prompt in the answer. The prompt asks “why do we seek knowledge?”, so I have the words “seek knowledge” in my answer - I know it sounds ridiculously obvious, but lots of ToK students are not doing it, maybe they don’t do it because it seems so obvious, obviously.
Another example linking ToK Exhibition object to the prompt
Let’s look at another example:
The prompt is What is the relationship between personal experience and knowledge?
The object is The Dragon’s Back Hiking Trail in Hong Kong.
I am going to write: “The link between the Dragon’s Back Hiking trail and the relationship between personal experience and knowledge is that it demonstrates that experience can lead to the formation of knowledge”.
Again, it’s a little cumbersome, but the Exhibition is not an exercise in refined prose, it’s an exercise in showing how ToK manifests itself in the world around us.
If you want more help with your Exhibition we have lots of resources available at this link, including the very popular Every ToK Exhibition Prompt Explained. Link in the video description.
The next blog in this series will be on choosing objects,.
For more blogs on the ToK Exhibition check out:
Basic ToK Exhibition Mistakes (Blog 1/4 of ToK Exhibition Mini Series)
On what grounds might we doubt a claim?
Get LOTS more help with this prompt from the e-book ToK Exhibition Prompts 1-5 Explained (over 8,000 words).
The e-book contains:
An overview explanation of each prompt.
Examples of three knowledge claims for each prompt.
Suggestions for the types of object that would be appropriate for each knowledge claim.
How to structure the ToK Exhibition Commentary.
This is just an example of a commentary for the ToK Exhibition prompt "On what grounds might we doubt a claim ?".
A video overview of this commentary can be found at this link.
Exhibition Commentary Structure.
We can use the following structure for each object to answer the prompt "On what grounds might we doubt a claim?". ToK Concepts should only be included if they are relevant, and appropriate to the knowledge claim being developed. Evidence can be details from the object, published articles, or research. Evidence should not be a separate section, just place the evidence within the discussion as appropriate.
The overall ToK Exhibition Commentary structure is shown below.
Knowledge Claims for On what grounds might we doubt a claim?
It is recommended that you develop three knowledge claims (one for each object) BEFORE you identify objects. If you have one distinct knowledge claim for each object it is easier to write a knowledge discussion which is specific to that object.
Knowledge Claim 1:
Contradictory evidence is grounds on which to doubt a claim.
Knowledge Claim 2:
A biased / prejudicial claimant is grounds on which to doubt a claim.
Knowledge Claim 3:
Unsubstantiated and untested methods of knowledge production are grounds on which to doubt a claim
Object 1: Photo of exhibition at Creationist Museum Cincinnati
Photo Credit: (Boyle)
Link between Object 1 and the prompt.
This photograph popped up in my feed whilst I was researching aspects of evolutionary psychology. the photograph is from the creationist Museum in Cincinnati usa. It shows a human and a dinosaur in the same installation, inferring that they may have lived at the same time. This photograph constitutes grounds to doubt the claim that humans and dinosaurs lived at the same time, because the vast weight of evidence that I have come across has claimed that there were millions of years between the existence of dinosaurs on earth and the evolution of humans. this Photograph shows that contradictory evidence is grounds on which we might doubt a claim.
Link between object 1 and knowledge claim 1.
Whilst contradictory evidence might be grounds on which to doubt a claim, the problem related to this photograph is whether to doubt the claim put forward by the creationist museum, or to doubt the claim put forward the currently conventional weight of evidence that humans and dinosaurs did not exist at the same time. contradictory evidence alone does not necessarily help us to substantiate a claim as truth, but only to introduce doubt into the claims that the evidence is related to. as such, the photograph demonstrates that Evidence alone does not constitute knowledge. contradictory evidence which can lead to doubt only introduces contrasting understandings or Divergent knowledge. the photograph shows that we can know two contradictory things without being able to establish truth from either. Obviously, a range of factors other than evidence is involved in establishing the truth of a claim such as the weight of evidence, the source of evidence, and pre-existing knowledge schemas.
Justification for the inclusion of object 1.
I have included object one because it is in stark contrast to the prevailing and widely accepted scientific knowledge that humans and dinosaurs did not exist at the same time. However, many writers have commented that the fossil evidence for the timeline of human evolution is scarce relative to that that would be expected to be found. As such, whilst object 1 demonstrates that contradictory evidence may be grounds on which to doubt a claim, doubt is introduced by a far wider range of factors other than solely contradictory evidence.
Object 1: 356 words
Object 2: The Film “The Trick” (BBC)
Photo credit: (“BBC One - The Trick”)
Link between Object 2 and the prompt.
Object 2 is the BBC film The Trick (“BBC One - The Trick”), the film describes an incident in 2009 when it was claimed that scientists were conspiring to falsify meteorological data in order to demonstrate climate change. The film details that the evidence for this claim came from climate change deniers who stole and misrepresented emails from the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia. Object 2 shows that claims made by knowers with intentional bias, or prejudice, are grounds on which to doubt a claim.
Link between Object 2 and knowledge claim 2.
Claims that are made to support a pre-existing bias may misrepresent or misconstrue evidence in such a way to support or consolidate that bias. Such bias can be introduced by the knower making the claim, or the evidence used to support the claim. In most cases there is probably an interrelationship between the two. Object 2 describes how biased knowers were able to misrepresent evidence in order to support the claim that climate change was not happening, and was a falsification constructed by climate scientists (Grundmann). That this claim was given disproportionate coverage in the media is an example of the file drawer problem. As such, object to shows that the intentions, or biases, of claimants is integral to our acceptance or doubt of claims.
Justification for the inclusion of object 2.
Object two is included because it demonstrates the difficulty of removing doubt, and establishing certainty, when considering a claim. To make a claim a knower must have some intention, and such intention could be understood as bias, prejudgment, or prejudice. however with object two we are claiming that intention strike bias is grounds on which two doubt a claim. objective shows that we must approach claims with a healthy, but open, scepticism. such scepticism should be informed by a wide range of knowledge that we can bring from elsewhere pertaining to the original claim.
Object 2: 306 words
Object 3: A photo of defendants in the Theranos Trial (2022)
Photo Credit: (Wile)
Link between Object 3 and the prompt.
Object three is a photograph of defendants in the Theranos financial scandal in USA 2022. Theranos claimed that it had invented a special rapid blood test requiring a very small amount of blood using a small portable testing device. It was claimed that the test could detect a wide range of diseases. Both of these claims were later proven to be false. That no other scientific company had managed to invent such a device led people to question the claims. As such object three demonstrates that unsubstantiated and untested methods of knowledge production are grounds on which to doubt a claim.
Link between object 3 and knowledge claim 3.
The remarkable, and highly innovative, claims that Theranos were making regarding scientific testing produced great excitement amongst the investor community and led to significant financial investment. The development of new knowledge, and new technology, can lead to greater human productivity, and therefore naturally invites financial investment. However, object three demonstrates that claims to such innovation alone are grounds on which to doubt a claim. Such claims are not necessarily unfounded, but when they are unique, they represent at least grounds for doubt. triangulation of such claims with evidence and other knowledge producers can increase the certainty of knowledge for such claims.
Justification for the inclusion of object 3.
Object three is included because it shows the problem of integration of new knowledge into a pre-existing knowledge framework. Just because we doubt a claim based on its methodology, or the uniqueness of that methodology, does not necessarily mean that the claim is unfounded. However, Object 3 shows that external factors (such as money) can lead knowledge producers to misrepresent the methodology producing evidence supporting the claim, or the claim itself. Object 3 shows that transparency of the methodology of knowledge production is essential when making a new claim.
Object 3: 291 words
Total Exhibition Commentary: 953 words
Works Cited
“BBC One - The Trick.” BBC, 2021, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010s10. Accessed 24 April 2023.
Boyle, Alan. “Evolution debate plays out on creationism's home turf.” NBC News, 4 February 2014, https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/evolution-debate-plays-out-creationisms-home-turf-flna2d12044727. Accessed 24 April 2023.
Grundmann, Reiner. “Climatic Research Unit email controversy.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climatic_Research_Unit_email_controversy. Accessed 24 April 2023.
Wile, Rob. “Theranos lab head confirms testimony in Elizabeth Holmes case.” NBC News, 17 October 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/theranos-lab-director-confirms-testimony-elizabeth-holmes-rcna52316. Accessed 24 April 2023.
Check out other ToK Exhibition resources that may be of interest to you:
How do I use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay ?
How do I use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay ?
ChatGPT could also refer to any other large language model Artificial Intelligence (AI) system.
Underneath this question are a couple of other questions:
Am I allowed to use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay?
Should I use chat GPT to write my ToK Essay?
Let’s take these in the following order:
Am I allowed to use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay?
How do I use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay?
Should I use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay?
Those last two are very inter-related, and we’ll probably deal with them together.
Am I allowed to use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay ?
On March 15th 2023 International Baccalaureate updated their Academic Integrity Policy to say:
AI generated text, image or graphs must be credited & referenced just like any other secondary source.
Students should be encouraged to ask [AI] software research questions rather than the essay title.
So, yes - you are allowed to use AI software (such as ChatGPT) as long as you credit it. And you are encouraged to ask AI research questions. Now, we have questions, or prompts, that you can ask AI about each ToK Essay available from TokToday - these prompts are designed to give you content which is specific to your essay.
OK, now we know that you are allowed to use ChatGPT, let’s consider how you should use it to write your ToK Essay.
How do I use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay?
To understand how to use ChatGPT it’s helpful to understand a little about what ChatGPT actually is. It’s called a Large Language Model (LLM), this means that it studies the frequencies of words occurring together in written text, and from this it is able to predict the word that is most likely to come next in a sentence. As such, it doesn’t actually know anything. It’s just selecting words that are most likely to follow each other in response to the question (or prompt) that you ask it.
You know more ToK than it does, but it can draw on a wider information base than you to help you to develop your knowledge.
So - the question / prompt that you ask it is super important to ensure that you get specific and relevant content for your essay. If you just cut & paste the essay question into its prompt box it will give you a very generalised response, with lots of vague and non-relevant content.
You need to work out your knowledge arguments beforehand, and ask questions directly about the knowledge arguments, or you can even ask ChatGPT to give you the knowledge arguments. Let’s look at an example from May 2023 session. We’ll use essay #5 May 23: are visual representations helpful in the communication of knowledge in human sciences & maths ?
Rather than directly ask that whole question we break it down, and we use the responses of the AI to build our argument. So, let’s start with the question: "Give me an example from Economics when using a visual representation is better than a written description".
From this example you can see that it has given me the example of a supply and demand curve, and it has explained the advantage that “A written description of the relationship between supply and demand can be difficult to understand this involves multiple variables and complex interactions over visual representation such as a graph can make the relationship much clearer and easier to comprehend.” Now in this passage we have the core of an evaluation point for the use of visual representations in Economics (as a Human Science). We would need to develop this advantage of visual representations using ToK concepts or terminology, but we have the beginnings there.
Now, we come to the advantage of AI such as ChatGPT over old search engines. AI remembers what you have already asked it, it’s like you’re have a conversation with it, so we can now ask it: “what are the disadvantages of explaining the law of supply and demand using a graph rather than using a written description ?”
Here you can see that it has given us 4 disadvantages of using visual representations, each point could be developed into an evaluation point to be used in either AoK Human Sciences or AoK Mathematics for this essay. Points 2-4 are very rich seams for ToK, and are substantial enough to develop as the whole evaluatory side of the essay - you would just need to use ToK concepts, and real life situation, but tbh you could get ChatGpt are the disadvantages of explaining the law of supply and demand using a graph rather than using a written description ?POT to do that for you as well.
Notice, that rather then just put the whole essay question into ChatGPTs search bar I started by asking it a specific question, and then the next specific question that I asked it built on the response from the first question, I could have continued to do this. This is the 2 part rule for getting relevant and specific content from AI:
(i) Start with a specific question.
(ii) follow up with specific questions based on the AI’s response from earlier in the conversation.
As I mentioned earlier we have questions, or prompts, that you can ask AI about each ToK Essay available from TokToday - these prompts are designed to give you content which is specific to your essay.
Should I use ChatGPT to write my ToK Essay?
Maybe you should use ChatGPT to write your essay, but there are a few issues to take into account. Essentially, it’s contextual, like everything in life. I would say there are 2 big (inter-related) factors in whether you should use ChatGPT to write your essay:
(i) the information it gives may not be accurate (nor relevant, nor specific enough).
(ii) it may be more work to use it than not to use it.
(iii) Your own personal development
Can you trust Ai when writing your ToK Essay?
Remember AI doesn’t actually know anything, it just places words in order based on a predictive algorithm. So, it may give you biased, or even false information, if that’s how the algorithm interprets the word frequencies that it’s finding on the net. For example I recently asked ChatGPT to summarise a specific philosophical argument in the empiricism vs rationalism debate. The philosophical argument I was asking about concerned corroboration of experience, It gave me 300 words on the value of curiosity. Its response had very little to do with the argument that I was asking it to summarise, it was only vaguely connected. I wouldn’t have known this if I hadn’t studied this debate at university, read some articles on JSTOR etc.
Check carefully !
And there’s the first problem - you need to check everything that ChatGPT tells you - you need to check it for biases and inaccuracies. Some of that checking can be done using general Google searches, but some of it will require the use of academic journals such as those found in JSTOR.
And that checking may be more work than just using those traditional academic research sources to begin with. Just start with JSTOR, and use your own selection skills to decide what to include, because your going to have to do this anyway after using ChatGPT.
Is it more work to use Ai to write my ToK Essay ?
This neatly brings us to our second problem which is that ChatGPT may be work to use than not to use:
Not only do you have to check all of the content that it gives you but you also have to adapt any content that is inaccurate, and you have to cite any content that it gives you. So, it can give you factually inaccurate & incorrect information - this has OFTEN happened when I’ve asked it to give me specific academic research on a particular subject, and the other day it even made up a fallacy - a fallacious fallacy so to speak. So, if you find that it has given you inaccurate information you have to adapt the information - which takes time.
Finally, you have to cite it’s content just like any other secondary content (eg Wikipedia). If you get caught pretending that AI content is your own you could be excluded from the DP. The AI plagiarism checkers are getting far better. I have been testing GPTZero and I am yet to fool it, it always correctly identifies content from ChatGPT, and differentiates it from content that I have written myself.
Summary - how to use ChatGPT to write ToK Essay
So, in summary - ChatGPT can be great for giving us ideas for the essay, and for further research. However, relying upon it too much could create more work than just taking its ideas and developing them in the conventional traditional academic fashion (using your own intelligence).
Prompts, or questions, for artificial intelligence specific to each ToK Essay can be picked up from this link.
For those of you who are taking a more traditional route to writing the ToK Essay detailed essay guidance notes for each ToK Essay, and lots of support can be picked up from this link
ToK Essay 3 Nov 23 "Dangerous Experts"
ToK Essay 3 Nov 23 "Dangerous Experts":
In the acquisition of knowledge, is unquestioningly following experts just as dangerous as completely ignoring them? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.
The Acquisition of knowledge is generally taken as gaining knowledge, or becoming knowledgeable. Whilst this term is not defined in the ToK Study guide it can be assumed that it refers to the process of becoming a knower. Learning, in both formal and informal senses, is a process of knowledge acquisition.
Choice of Area of Knowledge - ToK Essay 3 Nov 23 Dangerous Experts.
You are directed to use Human Sciences, and are given a free choice on the other AoK. You may want to pick an AoK which gives a contrast to ways of acquiring knowledge in Human Sciences as your second AoK. This could also be (indirectly) linked to a contrast method of producing knowledge. Consider whether ways of acquiring knowledge in AoK Maths, History or The Arts contrasts well with AoK Human Sciences ? A good contrast in the processes of acquiring knowledge will give you greater potential for developing good evaluation, and implication, points in the essay.
A hard choice.
We are offered a choice between “following unquestioningly” or “ignoring completely”. Obviously we want to sometimes accept, sometimes ignore, sometimes accept critically, and sometimes ignore in an informed manner. However, these choices are not given to us. It is advised that students directly address the choices given in the PT before arguing for any of the nuanced positions between these two choices. You will need to explain to the examiner why you are rejecting the two positions given if you want to argue for an ‘in-between’ position.
Further, the focus of the question is actually asking us which is the more dangerous of the two choices given. As such, we can assume that the safer nuanced (in between) position is less important than the relative dangers posed by the two positions given. It is advised that students focus discussion on the relative dangers of the two positions rather than the in-between preferred positions.
Experts
Consider who these ‘experts’ are in each area of knowledge. Questions that could lead to knowledge points include:
How did they become to be labelled as ‘experts’ ?
Do ‘experts’ all share the same perspective in a discipline / AoK ?
Are there competing ‘experts’ ?
Why are they labelled ‘experts’ ?
Are we considering the expert themselves, or their knowledge ?
Danger.
You will need to think about what these ‘dangers’ are that could arise from following / completely ignoring these experts. Danger to what / whom ? Danger for what ? You may want to consider the development of the Area of Knowledge, the type of knowledge produced, or the uses of that knowledge. There can be obvious links to ethics here, which could be contrasted with arguments regarding objectivity.
Objectivity.
In directing us to consider AoK Human Sciences we are offered the opportunity to consider the function / purposes of the Human Sciences. This is a rich area for debate and discussion. There is a potential debate between the objectivity of the Human Sciences vs the ethical implications of knowledge developed in the Human Sciences. If you study Economics, Environmental Systems, Geography or Psychology this debate will be evident to you. Students taking Business Management can also develop such debates regarding ethical business practices etc. This is an area where there are clear opportunities for you to draw upon the content of your Group 3 Diploma Subject. Ask your Grp 3 teacher for advice if you are unsure of the debate between ethics and objectivity in your essay.
Ethics.
The discussion concerning ethics could occur at 2 levels:
(i) The ethical consequences of ignoring / unquestioningly accepting the application of the knowledge that experts produce.
(ii) The ethical consequences for the development of knowledge in the discipline / AoK of ignoring / unquestioningly accepting the knowledge that experts produce.
Context
The context of the expert’s knowledge, the acceptance / rejection of experts, and the application of the expert’s knowledge will change. As such the dangers posed by accepting / rejecting experts will also change. This provides a rich seam of discussion in any area of knowledge. Context provides great evaluation and implication points for any Area of Knowledge.
Confirmation Bias
Following people unquestioningly, and ignoring them completely, potentially gives rise to a range of fallacies (see this post on fallacies), particularly confirmation bias. Any AoK can give great opportunity for a discussion on confirmation bias in the acquisition of knowledge, and its consequences for the development of biased perspectives of the knower.
Foundational / Definitive Knowledge.
There is a potential discussion around the scope, or definition, of a discipline / AoK. Is there a set of ‘expert knowledge’ which must be acquired in order to develop an understanding of that discipline ? For example, can you study economics without learning about theoretical vs empirical models, Macro & Micro Economics, Pluralist vs Free Market models etc ? Obviously economics students are not taught to accept this knowledge ‘unquestioningly’, they are taught how to evaluate this knowledge. However, arguably they are following the evaluative knowledge unquestioningly as well…,
Innovation / development of new knowledge
One way of thinking about AoKs is whether the acquisition of knowledge in that AoK is more “top-down” or “bottom-up”. Top-down processes are more hierarchical in which the knower is discouraged from developing critical, personal, perspectives. Bottom up processes of acquisition are led more by enquiry, in which the knower is encouraged to develop their own perspectives. Contrasting two AoKs in this way will allow the student to develop an argument about the dangers which may be inherent to, or arise from, either type of knowledge acquisition process.
These arguments, and many more developed in far more detail in the notes: 10 Arguments for ToK Essay #3 available from TokToday - those notes contain
knowledge arguments
evaluation points
Implications of knowledge arguments
suggested real life situations (with references)
We also have a list of 25 questions that you can ask Artificial Intelligence (such as ChatGPT) about ToK Essay #3. These questions are designed to get relevant content which is appropriate for this ToK Essay.
We need to talk about.. Pune, India.
To understand this blog you're going to need to watch the (2 min) video below first.
“What's the video about ? Pune, India ?"
I hope that you realise that the video is not directly about Pune, India. Pune is used as an example of things that we know which may not have any apparent, direct, tangible, function for us. I could have picked my knowledge of the words to an Abba song, the history of the early Christians in England, or the chemical formula for photosynthesis. I know all of these things, but none of them have an apparent function to my every day life.
"So, you know stuff you don't use. What's that got to do with the ToK of Technology?"
The answer to the question "why do we know things that we don't use ?" is a way of approaching the ToK of Technology. Most conventional writing on the relationship between knowledge and technology takes the approach that technology is a tool which helps us to manipulate the world, and therefore helps us to know more about the world. I'm not sure that I agree with this.
"I'm still not clear what Pune has got to do with the ToK of Technology".
My knowledge of Pune may have been acquired due to technology, I am interested in the causes of that technology. Does that technology have a direct functional relationship to my needs ? Is it helping or hindering my pursuit of knowledge in the world ? How is it shaping my perspectives of the world ? Most importantly, what has caused the technology that allowed me to know about Pune ?
In the video I make the point that the conventional answers to these questions tend to focus on HOW we use technology, or HOW technology works. I'm more interested in the causes of technology, questions pertaining to WHY technology exists rather than just how it works.
Of far more interest to this approach is the premise that rather than just knowing about Pune through technology, Pune is technology itself. This approach starts to question the conventional separation between knowledge and technology.
"but, surely how technology changes our knowledge is more important to the Theory of Knowledge ?"
Many people would agree that a descriptive account of how technology operates gives you great insight into the effects of that technology. I contend that trying to understand the causes of technology will give us a greater understanding of its effects on knowledge than merely describing its operation. In this I am taking a rather structural, functionalist, approach.
"OK, how do I find out more ?"
In the coming weeks TokToday will publish 3 blogs on the relationship between knowledge and technology, unpacking some of the Knowledge Questions from ToK optional unit Knowledge & Technology. These blogs will focus more on the causal perspectives of technology rather than the descriptive perspectives.
These blogs are underpinned by my thinking on creating The ToK Mindset (linked here), ToK Skills and how to teach critical thinking.
I hope that you find the upcoming series useful, and if you have any questions or suggestions please don't hesitate to get in touch: Daniel@TokToday.com
have a great day!
Daniel, Lisbon, Jan 2023
5 tips for Responding to Draft ToK Essay Comments to max your ToK Score.
So your teacher gave you written feedback (ToK essay comments) on your ToK Essay, the question is what should you do next ?
Taking action on the Draft ToK Essay Comments is key to achieving a high score in ToK, here are 5 tips to help you to get the most out of the written feedback from your teacher:
1. Act upon them immediately.
Time is One of the scarcest resources for DP students, it is better to deal with things in the immediate then to put them off for the future. If you leave dealing with the Tik commands until the deadline and then you find you didn't understand the comments it's going to be difficult for your teacher to help you so act upon the comments as soon as you receive the essay back.
2. Have a face to face session with your teacher.
Hopefully your teacher will accompany the comments with 1:1 verbal feedback. If this is not offered then (politely) ask your teacher for such a meeting - verbal feedback in addition to written feedback gives you a far more holistic understanding of the feedback. Also, you can use the feedback meeting as one of the 3 interactions that you have to record for the essay process.
3. Seek clarification.
As you work on the comments if there is anything that you don’t understand then seek clarification from your teacher immediately. Don’t just let misunderstanding sit, your teacher has spent time writing the comments - they want you to understand all of them, and will welcome your further enquiry.
4. Get more feedback.
Continue to seek support and guidance from your teacher as you continue redraft the essay. Your teacher can only give you written feedback once, but they can give you continuous verbal feedback on your subsequent drafts.
5. Explain your essay to a non-Toker
Added max value tip - once You have have redrafted your essay, find somebody who's willing to listen such as your mom, or a willing friends and explain the essay paragraph by paragraph to them. Don't read the essay verbatim, but rather explain it to them this will help you to clarify your understanding of the essay and may help you to catch some final issues.
So there we have it, I hope that that's useful for you to improve your ToK Essay, and I hope that you get a great score in ToK
If you need help planning / writing your essay you can check out the ebook 'How to write the ToK Essay in 6 Easy Steps'.
if you need any more help than please don't hesitate to go to ToKtoday or contact me at Daniel at ToKtoday,
have a great day stay ToK-tastic.
Daniel, Lisbon, Jan 2023
5 (essential) tips for marking the ToK Essay Draft
Marking, and feeding back, on the ToK Essay Draft is the key process in improving ToK scores. This post is designed to save ToK Teachers time, toil and possible trauma - it’s focussed for teachers who are new to teaching the ToK Essay, it’s in the “if only I’d known this” category.
1. Keep a copy of both the marked and unmarked Draft.
A copy of the unmarked Draft can come in useful if the student does not submit a final essay, and you have to send off the Draft. A copy of the marked draft is useful in case the student ‘loses’ your marked draft (it does happen - honestly). The easiest thing to do is to mark the essay in an cloud based platform such as Google Docs, but if you’re marking hard copies by hand take a photocopy before handing them back - it could save you a lot of time later on !
2. Check that the PT is written at the top of the essay exactly as published by IB.
This is a lot more important than it sounds, If the student has written the PT at the beginning they’re much more likely to have directly answered the PT, you will find that as you mark the essay you are constantly referring students back to the wording of the PT, this is all made a lot easier if the PT is there at the beginning.
3. Share a proforma checklist with students beforehand.
A proforma checklist is going to clear up a lot of the problems before you get to marking the essay. It will also save you a lot of time not having to repeat the same points over and over again. You can also use the checklist in peer review before submission.
Don’t rush writing the written feedback, nor explaining it verbally face to face. Time invested in these processes now will save you time, & stress, later on.
Free ToK Feedback Proforma (Google Doc)
Free ToK Feedback Proforma (PDF)
Feedback Presentation (Google Slides)
4. Format & Style matter.
Format is easy - standard font (Arial / Times New Roman) double spaced, the double spacing is important, as is the style of the essay. The essay is best written in a formal academic style, not overly formal, but certainly not informal, colloquial nor familiar. The student certainly can refer to themselves in the first person, and include their personal reflections, but this should all be done in an academic style.
5. Feedback as 2nd / 3rd Interaction
Use the handing back of written feedback as the 2nd or 3rd recorded interaction with the student. You have spent a lot of time writing the feedback, so it’s worth using a little more time holding individual feedback meetings with the students- checking that they have read the feedback, understand the feedback, and have plans to act on the feedback. After this feedback meeting I ask students to record the meeting as their second or third interaction with me.
Written feedback on the draft is a crucial moment in the ToK Essay writing process which can have great influence on the grades that the students get in the essay.
Well - that’s how I do it, if you have any tips, things that you do differently, please let me know either in the comments section, or email me at Daniel@ToKToday.com
Have a wonderful time marking the ToK drafts,
Daniel,
Lisbon, Jan 2023
End of term 1.
That’s a wrap on the 1st term at TokToday !
Many thanks to all of you who have liked, commented, shared and subscribed. Your support is very much appreciated.
I’m going to take a two week break, and will be back in the New Year with more ideas and resources.
Wishing you, and your family, a happy and peaceful festive break.
Daniel.
Christmas ToK Lesson
Teaching DP in the last week of term before Christmas can present us with somewhat of a challenge. Usually there is a festive feel in the air, and the students may be having ‘parties’ in some classes, some may even want to have a party in your lesson. I’m a bit of a grumpy Scrooge who prefers to keep learning going - we have limited teaching time, and a party is more work for less gain than running your lesson as usual. However I am not totally immune to the Yuletide festivities - so I usually try to bring a festive theme into the lesson, without losing the learning objectives - that’;s what I have for you today - a ToK lesson which introduces AoK Natural Sciences, but applied in a festive grotto of presents, reindeer and softly falling snow.
A video explaining the lesson is linked below.
Christmas ToK Lesson
The ToK of Santa Claus: Learning Objectives
I’ve called the lesson The ToK of Santa Claus. The lesson has two main learning objectives:
1) students consider the differences between necessary and sufficient evidence, and many points in between.
2) students learn key points about the scientific method.
Mentimeter - a great learning tool
So, we start the lesson with a Mentimeter poll - if you haven’t used Mentimeter it’s a great (free) tool to get engagement and to check understanding. Sometimes I don’t get any further than the mentimeter starter activity in a lesson.
This Mentimeter quiz asks students to consider the terms necessary and sufficient in relation to evidence. At the risk of trivialising these ideas we’re just starting to scaffold students in their exploration of these terms.
Popper's Theory of Falsification
After the quiz we go into a Christmas version of Popper’s Falsification Theory, it’s a loose application of that theory - but should be ‘sufficient’ for the purposes of a ToK course. This is followed by a bit of upfront teaching of the theory of falsification.
At this point, maybe about 50 mins into the lesson we can move to group work, and introduce the scientific method. We ask groups to use the Scientific Method to research the existence of Santa.
Activity 2 then gives students a more conceptually challenging task which helps them to understand perspectives in AoK Natural Sciences. We ask each group to take on a different perspective / role as a knower when considering the existence of Santa.
And then finally, if you have a really long lesson, or incredibly enthusiastic ToK students we have 6 open ended questions which link the role of evidence in The Natural Sciences to other ToK concepts - the operative concepts in each question are obviously in purple bold.
And, there we have it - a suitably festive lesson which will still enable ToK learning to take place.
I wish you and your family all the best for the season, and I hope to see you back here in the New Year.
Seasons greetings to you all,
Daniel,
Lisbon, Portugal
ToK Essay #6 May 23
The video guide to ToK Essay #6 May 23 has gone up on YouTube today, and is linked below. That wraps it up for ToK Essay guides for May 23 season, I saved my favourite Essay for last ! If you find the videos useful then a like, subscribe, comment or share would be greatly appreciated.
ToK Essay #6 - My favourite.
I love Essay #6 - it's core ToK - it can be written at so many different levels by students. It can be approached as an discussion of knowledge construction problems, or it can be approached at a far more analytical level looking at whether we construct a world, or merely 'sense' an external physical world. I could write about, and discuss, this essay all day long !
Brevity for Levity.
I wanted to keep these video guides to less than 10 minutes in length, and I succeeded with 5/6 of them. I found the time limit particularly constraining with Essay #6 because there's just so much to say about issues of knowledge construction. In parts of the video I am only able to list a few of the topic headings which I go into in the Essay notes (linked). However, as this video was the last one made I think that I was able to keep the pace up.
Detailed Essay Notes
Super detailed notes for all of the ToK Essays in May 23 are available from this link.
The Essay Notes are very detailed (ranging from 4,500-8,000 words per essay). They include:
Main concepts.
Main arguments.
Evaluation Points.
Suggestions for different approaches to answering the questions.
Suggestions for real life examples, including sources & references.
There's far more in the notes than you will need to write a great ToK Essay - so you can pick & choose various sections of the notes to use in your essay.
Other guides:
You can find the video guide for Essay #1 linked here.
You can find the video guide for Essay #2 linked here.
You can find the video guide for Essay #3 linked here.
You can find the video guide for Essay #4 linked here.
You can find the video guide for Essay #5 linked here.
Tell me what you think !
I welcome feedback on the guide for ToK Essay #6 M23, or any of the other videos, notes, or ebooks. My mission is to produce accessible ToK Resources so please let me know what you need and what I could improve.
In the meantime, have a great week !
Daniel,
Lisbon, Portugal
Replicability: Essay 1 May 23
The first student guide video for Essay 1 May 23 on Replicability has been posted today. It's also linked below. It's going up far later than I had hoped for as I was unexpectedly taken away from TokToday for a few weeks. However, I'm now back, and producing Essay Guide Videos.
I'm trying a different approach for the ToK Essay Guide videos by using a 'Doodle Whiteboard' format. I hope that this will present the ideas in a more digestible format than my usual talking head type video. I'd be most grateful for some feedback on whether you prefer the doodle whiteboard or the talking head format.
We start with Essay 1 on Replicability not just for ordinal purposes, but because I think it's a pretty straightforward essay. There are a lot of ideas available for development in the essay, and students will be able to link it to any parts of the course. I like this essay ! It's an essay that students who specialise in natural sciences will find a lot of resonance with.
If you want more detailed notes on the Knowledge Questions and arguments raised in the video then please check out the detailed notes available here.
If you want help with your ToK Essay or Exhibition then please check out the Student Support page linked here.
You can always contact me at Daniel@ToKToday.com,
wishing you a great weekend,
Daniel