What is ToK? A Student’s Guide to IB Theory of Knowledge

When transitioning from Grade 10 into Grade 11, one of the most ‘frequently asked questions’ from students is: What is ToK? 

ToK stands for Theory of Knowledge and is a mandatory component of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. 

“Theory of Knowledge is a course on applied epistemology (the study of knowledge),” said Mr. Lundgren, one of the ToK teachers at GNS. “Basically, it asks students to consider the ways we justify our beliefs, and how looking at real-life problems from different perspectives could lead to different solutions.” 

ToK is structured differently from the other IB courses offered at GNS. From the most basic standpoint, it is graded using letter grades instead of the IB scale of 1 to 7 and does not involve the usual “paper” 1, 2 or 3 assessments. Each lesson is guided by a ‘Big Question’ which encourages students to look at, what IB calls, “fundamental knowledge problems” through different perspectives and ways of knowing, areas of knowledge and cultural perspectives. 

In Grade 11 which all students are welcome to take, the course culminates in the ToK Exhibition. This is an independent project where students explore one ToK prompt using three real-world objects. In Grade 12, which is only taken by students going on to complete the full IB Diploma, students complete a major essay that is sent to IB for assessment.

In my opinion, as a student taking ToK, the most unique aspect of the course is how it teaches you to think, approach and answer a question. Unlike courses such as History or the Sciences, it is not based on content, rather it is solely based on your own ability to think critically as well as your own experience. It is also the only course that allows—and in fact, encourages—the use of “I” statements. 

“ToK is important because it challenges students to be more self-aware and thus more rigorous and imaginative in their thinking,” said Mr. Lundgren. “This is why IB places it at the heart of the Diploma Programme. IB wants students to take the critical-thinking skills acquired from ToK and apply them in all of their classes.” 

Ms. Easton, our other ToK teacher, also shared her thoughts on the course: “I think of ToK as an opportunity for students not only to make connections to the world around them and to be critical thinkers but to evaluate how the world and forces around them have shaped the way we think. Because it is part of the IB core, it ties all the elements of the DP Programme together, showing that despite being a different subject, there is some continuity.”

“ToK is about taking ownership of your academic persona,” she continues. “While we might assign you assignments, you are the person who is providing the rationale and commitment to follow through in the course. This means that you get to own, justify and engage with your perspectives on topics that you might not get to do in any other context.”

“We get things wrong all the time,” added Mr. Lundgren, “and it’s okay. As Socrates taught us, learning only happens when we have the humility to accept the possibility that we could be mistaken, even about our most cherished beliefs.” 

As an indication of how far we will take the skills gained from ToK, Mme. Girard, the IB Diploma Coordinator, kindly shared a story from an alumni perspective: “A few years ago, an alum came back to the school after their first semester at a Canadian university at which they were studying engineering. When alumni visit, I am always keen to hear how they are doing and specifically, how being involved in the Diploma Programme has supported them at university. On this particular occasion, unprompted by me, the alum asked me if I could guess which DP course was serving them best in their engineering program. I, of course, responded with chemistry, physics or maths. To my surprise, they shared with me that in fact, it was ToK. I asked them to tell me more. They said that in their coursework so far, they had been asked to look at topics from various perspectives and that ToK had prepared them well to do so.” 

For those currently in ToK—as well as those who will be taking this course in the future—these words of wisdom should encourage us to look forward to ToK, no matter how daunting it may sometimes seem.