Mrpronan.weebly.com



Assessment 2TOK Essays 1: In gaining knowledge, each area of knowledge uses a network of ways of knowing. Discuss this statement with reference to the arts and the natural sciences.Thoughts about this title:Gaining?– students need to decide what is meant by the term ‘gaining’. There are a number of possible interpretations, including:Knowledge developed through formal academic research processes.Knowledge, which is gained through experience (a sort of empiricist approach; a process of discovery).Knowledge moving from the personal sphere to the shared sphere (personal knowledge to shared knowledge).NetworkThe concept of a network, in the title, can be approached in a number of ways.Function – Networks can operate in both parallel & serial ways. Networks may share a number of functional needs to both use and outcome. Value – networks can place higher value upon some channels (in this case WoKs) than on other channels. – There is a potential for discussion about where, how, and most importantly why?value / emphasis is placed upon some WoKs in preference to others.Knowledge FrameworkEach AoK has a specific Knowledge Framework A good way to approach the essay would be to start with the Knowledge Framework of the chosen AoKs, specifically the methodology section for the chosen AoKs. These are included in the ToK Course Guide. The Knowledge Framework links the methods specific to each AoK with the underlying assumptions, values, historical context. The KF then gives a clear steer on how the methodology links to personal knowledge.Taken through the lens of the Knowledge Framework this essay is really rather straightforward, you just need to explain why the chosen AoKs (Natural Sciences & the Arts) place more emphasis on specific WoKs, but then show the interplay of all the WoKs. You should illustrate this discussion with real life examples.Knowledge Questions.The Knowledge Questions need to be at the heart of your essay. Don’t cite one at the beginning, and then fail to return to it in the essay. The KQ should provide the heart and structure of your essay – you should be linking back to it throughout.Some examples of KQ’s for this question:In what ways does the network of WoKs used in knowledge acquisition influence the knowledge gained?Why does a WoKs influence in knowledge acquisition vary according to the AoK considered?How do the underlying assumptions of an AoK influence the network of WoKs pertaining to that AoK?Does over-reliance on one WOK hinder/promote knowledge acquisition?Is a network of AOKs more important than a network of WOKs in knowledge acquisition?Source: accessed Sunday 20th March 2016 (with minor modifications)2: The knower’s perspective hinders the construction of knowledge in the natural sciences. Discuss this statement.A starting point for understanding the knower’s perspective is Personal Knowledge. You could look once again at the documents on my weebly, which defines Personal Knowledge to get a detailed understanding of what constitutes the knower’s perspective, and how the knower’s perspective constitutes part of this aspect of knowledge. ‘However, it may then be interesting to argue that the knower’s perspective (as part of personal knowledge) is very much shaped by shared knowledge – the very concept of the perspective is, in part, defined by a shared knowledge / shared set of understandings. Pursuing knowledge in a shared knowledge context could be using the methodology of experimental sciences (Natural Sciences), or through a disciplined process of study joining creativity with reason in the Arts. It could be argued that it is in the discussion of how these shared knowledge areas meet with personal knowledge that we find the an understanding of the process of knowledge acquisition. This could be seen through the prism of WoKs’.To form a counterclaim to the title you could look at ‘the possibility of a value free or neutral theory of knowledge. This is premised on the idea that we can develop knowledge, which is unbiased, or we can minimize the influence of the knower’s perspective; could such objectivity be present in the Natural Sciences? Knowledge questions, which would arise from such an approach, may be:Is it possible to have a value-free Theory of Knowledge? orCan Ways of Knowing interact to form an objective Way of Knowing?Source: accessed Sunday 20th March 2016 (with minor modifications) ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download