Focus on the Extended Essay

Workshop leader: Jonathan Newell

 

Aims

  • To explore the issues associated with supervising an extended essay as part requirement for the IB Diploma Programme
  • To enable participants to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding through active participation, peer collaboration and the generation of resources and strategies
 

Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants should have:

  • An understanding of the role and rationale of the extended essay in a student’s development
  • An understanding of the role and responsibilities of a supervisor in a student’s development of an extended essay
  • An understanding of the assessment rationale of the extended essay
  • An understanding of special education needs and academic honesty
  • An understanding of the administrative requirements of extended essay supervision and submission
 

Provisional agenda

Session 1: Roles & responsibilities

Introductions – aims and objectives of the workshop
Understanding the nature of the extended essay
The assessment rationale.
Enquiry-based learning
Its relation to the IB Learner Profile and TOK
International dimensions
The EE supervisor – policies and procedures
The candidate. The school
Special educational needs

Session 2: The research process

What does the essay represent to the student?
How much time and when?
The aims of the essay
Assessment objectives
The process – beginning with a suitable research question!
Recommendations to students
Things to do. Things NOT to do
The research itself – strategies for success

 

Session 3: Providing feedback

 

Timelines - a student contract? An EE schedule
Progress tracking. Writing the final draft
Supervisor advice. Academic honesty. The Viva Voce
Review – what they need! Review – to the student
Summary - strategy and resource development

Session 4:  Submission and assessment

Submission requirements
Assessment criteria and subject specific guidelines
Sample marking and assessment – being an examiner!
Resources
Questions.                                        

In accordance with commonly accepted understanding of how adults learn, all sessions will include group activities and tasks, with time for personal reflection.