Reflecting and the RPPF
Reflection has become a key component of the Extended Essay and counts for a significant portion of your final mark. Reflection for the Extended Essay is a three part process.
1) Keeping an up to date Researcher's Reflection Space: Your researcher's reflection space will be on managebac. You will use this space to keep track of your thoughts, ideas, goals and challenges throughout the process. You can also use it as a storage space for resources. Your supervisor will also use this space to keep brief notes of your check-in sessions. It is important that you continually update this space and keep a running log of your process. You will be consulting and reviewing this space with your supervisor during your 3 "formal reflection sessions".
2) Formal reflection sessions: Throughout the EE process you will be completing 3 formal reflection sessions with your supervisor. These are not your regular check-in sessions. Instead, these three sessions are led by your supervisor and allow you the opportunity to reflect on what you have achieved so far, discuss challenges and strengths and look ahead to where you plan to take your EE next. These sessions run 20-30 minutes and will take place at a time set by the EE coordinator (at the beginning, middle and end of your process). You will come to these sessions prepared to review your researcher's reflection space with your supervisor and discuss all aspects of your process and progress so far.
3) The Reflection Planning and Progress Form: After each formal reflection session, you will be writing a short reflection based on what you have discussed with your supervisor. These three reflections will be stored on managebac and will be submitted to the IB on a special form (the RPPF) This form can be no longer than 500 words for all three reflections combined so you must be careful with how you word things and what you choose to include. The form counts for 6 marks out of the total 34 marks awarded for the EE. That's close to 20% of your final EE mark on just 500 words of reflection! A well written "Reflection Planning and Progress Form" (RPPF) holds enough value to move your final EE letter grade up or down so it is vital that you put time and effort into completing this important component of the Extended Essay.
The Research Planning and Progress Form (The RPPF)
You will be completing a short reflection in your RPPF form after each formal reflection session. This form is marked out of 6 and will make up almost 20% of your final EE grade.
It is important that you write these reflections carefully to ensure that your are meeting the expectations set by the IB.
Be sure to consult the student samples linked on the left when crafting each of your reflections
The First Formal Reflection Session
This session is conducted early in the EE process and is meant to focus on your developing research question, the methodologies you intend to use and how you will go about finding relevant, credible sources for your research. It is also meant to help you understand some of the challenges you may face possible ways of tackling these challenges when you encounter them.
The First Official EE meeting - Guiding questions for supervisors (1).pdfCopy of IB guidance video - First formal reflection sessionThe Second Formal Reflection Session
The purpose of the Second Formal Reflection Session is to allow for you and your supervisor to formally discuss your EE progress after the submission of your initial 3000 words. You will be expected to engage in thoughtful and well prepared conversation and to reflect meaningfully on what you have accomplished with your EE up to this point.
The Interim Meeting - Guiding questions for supervisors.pdfThe Viva Voce
(Third Formal Reflection Session)
(Third Formal Reflection Session)
The Viva Voce is the third and final reflection session of the EE process. It will be conducted after the submission of your final EE in Semster 2 of Year 13. The purpose of this reflection is to allow you an opportunity to discuss your EE journey in its entirety. This session is meant to be a celebration of your accomplishments and an opportunity for you to reflect on your own personal growth as a researcher and scholar. The Viva Voce is also an opportunity for your supervisor to confirm the authenticity of your ideas and sources. What you discuss in this session will help your supervisor when they write their final supervisor comment which is submitted along with your EE.
The Viva Voce meeting - Guiding questions for supervisors (2).pdfReflection Process_ The Viva Voce.mp4We will be reviewing all aspects of the EE reflection process in our weekly CORE sessions.
