Reflective Project

Assessment

ASSESSMENT

Summative assessment principles are used to assess the project.

The following are criterion for the RP 

AO1: Focus and method

AO2: Knowledge and understanding in context

AO3: Critical thinking

AO4: Communication

AO5: Engagement and reflections on planning and progress

Students will be assessed on the following:

The descriptors are a measure of performance and should not be considered as marks, although the descriptor levels are ultimately added together to obtain a total. The school will assess all reflective projects. A sample will then be selected by the IB and sent to an external moderator for confirmation of the school’s marks. The maximum score for the reflective project is 36. Any student awarded a grade of E for the reflective project will not be awarded the IBCP Certificate.

Advice from examiners

A list of things to do:

Recommended: things to do:

- read the assessment criteria

- read previous essays to identify strengths and possible pitfalls

- spend time working out the research question (imagine the finished essay)

- work out a structure for the essay

- start work early and stick to deadlines

- maintain a good working relationship with their supervisor

- construct an argument that relates to the research question

- use the library and consult librarians for advice

- record sources as they go along (rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end)

- choose a new topic and a research question that can be answered if there is a problem

with the original

- use the appropriate language for the subject

- let your interest and enthusiasm show

- write the abstract

- check and proofread the final version carefully

A list of things to avoid:

Students should not work with a research question that is too broad or too vague, too narrow, too difficult or inappropriate. A good research question is one that asks something worth asking and that is answerable within 40 hours/750-3,000 words. It should be clear what would count as evidence in relation to the question, and it must be possible to acquire such evidence in the course of the investigation. If a student does not know what evidence is needed, or cannot collect such evidence, it will not be possible to answer the research question. In addition, students should not:

• forget to analyze the research question

• ignore the assessment criteria

• collect material that is irrelevant to the research question

• use the internet uncritically

• plagiarize

• merely describe or report (evidence must be used to support the argument)

• repeat the introduction in the conclusion

• cite sources that are not used.

One further piece of advice is as follows: the more background a student has in the subject, the better the chance he or she has of completing a high-quality Reflective Project. Choosing to write the Reflective Project in a subject that is not being studied as part of the career-related path often leads to lower marks.

Initial Planning

1. What am I interested in and why?

2. What are my motivations for undertaking research in this area?

3. How will I begin the research process?

4. Do I have sufficient knowledge of this issue?

5. What possible questions might I research?

6. How might I go about undertaking this research?

7. Do I have access to appropriate resources?

8. Are my chosen research methods appropriate for the subject I have chosen to complete it in?

9. Are there any ethical issues I need to consider before pursuing this area of research?

10. Is there sufficient focus to my research area?

These questions will help you refine your research area, and help you to focus more narrowly on a certain topic. In turn, this will guide you to a perfect research question :)

• Questions to support your reflection

It can be useful to prompt the description of the subject matter of reflection in terms of a question such as:

• What is the issue / event / topic / plan /project / task / period of time etc that is to be the subject matter of the reflection?

Questions to facilitate reflection

• Out of the description, what is the issue / are the issues that could be addressed in reflective writing?  These issues can be raised within the description or separately.  They are like bits of velcro to which you can attach the reflective writing.

• Is there anything else you need to consider at the moment in terms of the context?

• What is the nature of the significance of this issue to you?

• How do you feel about it? 

• How do your feelings relate to any action?

• Was it good / bad – and what are the implications?

• What do you need to do?

• What other information do you need (ideas, knowledge, opinion etc)?

• Are there previous instances of this event, issue arising that will help you to think more/ differently about it?

• Are there others, or the views of others who are relevant to this matter – and in what way?

Questions that are likely to be helpful in prompting more profound reflection

• Has the nature of your description of the issue / event (etc) influenced the manner in which you have gone about the reflective writing?

• Is there relevant formal theory that you need to apply?

• How do your motives for and the context of the reflective writing affect the manner in which you have gone about the task? 

• In what way might have you tackled the task differently if the context was not one of formal education (perhaps with assessment)?

• Is there another point of view that you could explore – are there alternative interpretations to consider?

• Are others seeing this issue from different points of view that may be helpful to you to explore?

• Does this issue relate to other contexts – reflection on which may be helpful?

• If you ‘step back’ from this issue, how does it look different?

• How do you judge your ability to reflect on this matter ?

• Do you notice that your feelings about it have changed over time – or in the course of writing this – suggesting that your own frame of reference has changed?

• Are there ethical / moral / wider social issues that you would want to explore?

Material developed by Jenny Moon

7 Steps to Successful Research

1. Choose a topic

2. Select information source(s)

3. Determine your search strategy

4. Execute your search— just do it!

5. Evaluate the information you gather

6. Start the process over again (if necessary)

7.  Write (and revise!) your essay

1. Choose a topic

• Gather background information and try to get a “sense” of what your topic is about

• Identify concepts and terminology central to your topic (use reference sources such as dictionaries, glossaries, encyclopedias, and Internet sources)

• Develop a research question or thesis statement

•  

1. Select information source(s)

• Based on your findings in step 1, identify sources that will provide you with the kind of information you need

• Do you need current or retrospective information?  Focused or broad scope?  Statistics?  Opinions?

• Search the library catalog for books, reference books, journals, and documentaries that the library owns

• Search the subscription databases to find articles and reports

•  Internet sources are often good for statistics and very current information (look for reliable organizations, government, and university websites)

 3. Determine your search strategy

• Brainstorm for synonyms, keywords, and terminology you can use as search terms for your topic

• Map out different search strategies:  search for authors who are experts in the field, try subject searches AND keyword searches, try general and subject specific databases.

4.   Execute your search—just do it!

• Gather print and non‐print resources

• To find books, look in the library catalogue - Destiny Discover.

• Consider finding one relevant book, find it on the shelf, and then examine the other books that are beside it

• To find articles, scholarly and otherwise, use the subscription databases—start with general/all‐purpose databases, but also try subject specific ones in your subject area

• Look at subject/topic terms and links, as they may lead you to more related articles

• To access databases from off‐campus, use the list of user‐names and passwords (you can e‐mail the library for a copy of these)

• For internet sources, use different search engines, subject guides (ie. Librarian’s Internet Index www.lii.org) and remember to evaluate all websites carefully

• Keep a record of all sources you use for your bibliography/works cited/reference list

• Ask library staff for help if you need it!

5.   Evaluate the information you gather

• Investigate author’s credentials, and use current sources  

• Is the information you found relevant to your topic?

• Did you find too many articles/books that are not relevant to your topic?

• Did you find too few articles to adequately cover all aspects of your topic?

• Can you think of any aspect of the topic that is not covered in your search results?

6.   Start the process over again (if necessary)

• If you found too few results, consider a broader, more general view of the topic

• If you have too many citations, consider narrowing the topic

7.   Write (and revise) your essay

• Write your essay or prepare presentation

• Use Harvard style guides for your citations (reference list)

• Proof read your work, and have someone else proof read it

• Revise!

Mindmap

A mind map is a graphical way to represent ideas and concepts. It is a visual thinking tool that helps structuring information, helping you to better analyze, comprehend, synthesize, recall and generate new ideas. Just as in every great idea, its power lies in its simplicity. Check for more great ideas here! https://litemind.com/what-is-mind-mapping/ 

Here are some great online Mind Mapping websites:

• https://www.mindmup.com/ 

• https://www.mindmapping.com/