Here at Gunung.org I offer 5 courses on critical thinking, decision-making and creative problem-solving. This article is about how the courses relate and compare to the IB Theory of Knowledge and P4C courses.
First of all, I do not offer a critical thinking course for the high school age group. I have a middle / secondary school course comprised of six introductory lessons and a introductory course for adults which is suitable for anyone over the age of 18.
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) which is a required core subject in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is designed for high school students aged 16-19 and I am generally very happy to recommend it for students who have completed the middle / secondary school introductory course. For the many students out there who are not studying the IB Diploma Programme, I am happy to speak with you and assess whether you are likely to find our introductory course for adults suitable or not.
My philosophical concept of knowledge is stricter than the more recent updates to the TOK course. Since 2014, their ‘ways of knowing’ have including faith and intuition, neither of which are reliable methods for gaining justified true belief, the standard philosophical definition of knowledge.
The Philosophy for Children (P4C) is a movement that aims to teach children reasoning and argumentative skills, including logic and broader philosophical methods of learning. My own materials are more specifically focussed on decision-making and creative problem-solving skills over an initial 6-lesson introductory course.
All the courses aim to help students develop certain characteristics including curiosity about the world, being principled, empathetic, reflective and open-minded about other ways of understanding ourselves and our environment.