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Formulating Knowledge questions.TOK guide (first assessment 2015) page 20-22 is a Knowledge question?How can I start a knowledge question?What should go into a Knowledge Question? Areas of knowledgeWays of knowingKnowledge frameworkTOK conceptsExamples of good and bad knowledge questions.Knowledge questions from the TOK guide.What is a Knowledge question?A Knowledge Question is About knowledge. It is concerned with how knowledge is constructed and evaluated. Open ended. There are a number of plausible answers to them. The questions are contestable Knowledge Questions should be expressed in general terms rather than subject specific terms. How can I start a knowledge question?Ways you can start a knowledge question:To what extent…How much…How do we know…What role does… What is the role of x in y?How do does…Under what circumstances….Why do / does……What are the strengths and weaknesses of x and y in z?How do # and #......How do x and y compare and contrast in z?“Quote” To what extent is this true in x?How can x be used to justify y?How can x be used to explain y?What is the validity of x to justify y?What is the relationship between x and y in z?What should go into a Knowledge Question? Knowledge questions can include areas of knowledge:EthicsHistoryHuman ScienceMathematicsNatural ScienceThe ArtsKnowledge questions can include ways of knowing:ReasonLanguageEmotionSense perceptionKnowledge questions can focus on areas of the knowledge frameworkScope / applicationsHistorical developmentConcepts / languageMethodologyLinks to personal Knowledge Knowledge questions can include the following TOK concepts:AssumptionArgumentBeliefCertainty CoherenceCultureEvidenceExperienceExplanationFallacyFaithImplicationsInterpretation IntuitionJustificationLogic ParadigmPerspectivesProbabilityTruthValuesExamples of good and bad knowledge questionsReal life situation.This could be the real-life situationfor the presentation or an examplein the essay:Not a knowledge question.? a statement or a description of a situation? a closed question? a subject-specific topic or question rather than about knowledge in itselfPoor Knowledge question.? a closed question? implicitly about knowledgeIntermediate Knowledge question.? an open-ended question? explicitly about knowledgeGood Knowledge question. ? An open-ended question? Explicitly about knowledge? Couched in terms of TOKvocabulary and concepts1? Precise in terms ofrelationships between theseconceptsExample 1: Future population growth in Africa.? A bad knowledge question (this will not be accepted as a knowledge question): “How can we predict future population growth in Africa?” This is not a knowledge question because it is a technical question within the discipline of population studies.? Good knowledge question: “How can a mathematical model give us knowledge even if it does not yield accurate predictions?” This is now sufficiently general and explores the purpose and nature ofmathematical modelling.Example 2: The placebo effect and its impact on the medical profession.? Not a knowledge question(this will not be accepted as a knowledge question):: “How does the placebo effect work?” An answer to this might involve a technical explanation in psychology. ? A good knowledge question: “How could we establish that X is an ‘active ingredient’ in causing Y?” This question is actually a rather general one about how we can know about causal links. It is a classic knowledge question.Example 3: World War OneA bad knowledge question (this will not be accepted as a knowledge question): Why did World War 1 start? This is too subject specific and is a closed question.A good knowledge question: Why do we have different ideas about events in the past? This is an open question and is focusing on different interpretations of events, rather than focusing on subject specific information on World War OneKnowledge questions from the TOK guide.MathematicsIs mathematics invented or discovered?If mathematics is invented by man, why do we sometimes feel that mathematical truths are objective facts about the world rather than something constructed by human beings?If mathematics is “out there” in the world, then where exactly can it be found?Natural SciencesHow can one decide when one model / explanation/ theory is better than the other?How can it be that scientific knowledge changes over time?Given the problems associated with the inductive process (going from the particular to the general), how is it that science can be reliable? Human SciencesHuman sciences are less able to predict because humans have free will. But human sciences nevertheless try to establish laws of human behaviour. How can this be?To what extent are the models of human sciences “scientific”?In the verstehen approach, how might the emotions of the investigator as object of study affect the result of the investigation?HistoryIs it possible for historical writing to be free from perspective?How can historical accounts be assessed?What is the relation between the style of language used and history written?The ArtsWhat is the relationship between the artist and the artwork?If artworks are the product of imagination of the artist, how is it that they constitute a system of knowledge?Does art enlarge what it is possible to think?EthicsDo moral truths exist?How are conflicts between different ethical systems resolved?To what extend might possession of knowledge carry with it moral obligations? ................
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