The Extended Essay
Extended Essay School Handbook
What is the Extended Essay?
The Extended Essay (EE) is one of three core components of the IB Diploma Programme. It consists of a 4,000 word research paper on a subject and in a topic chosen by the student from several available disciplines. The paper is assessed externally (by an IB Examiner) according to the criteria provided to students during instruction. The EE is begun in grade 11 and completed early in grade 12. It is expected, on average, that the completion of the EE will take approximately 40 hours.
There is a strong emphasis on process, reinforced during instruction from the initial choice of subject and topic to the completion of the final draft and an interview with the student’s Extended Essay Supervisor. During this process, students must complete a Planning and Progress Form and they are very strongly encouraged to establish and maintain a Researcher Reflection Space (a journal including reflections, plans, notes, etc.) One of the assessment criteria, “Engagement” is reserved for this.
What are the Expectations for Completion of the Extended Essay?
Each student is expected to fulfill the following:
· Follow in-school and IB external deadlines for the completion of the Extended Essay, including the process stages.
· Conduct research and complete writing according to all expectations for Academic Honesty as indicated in IB directions and in the school’s IB Academic Honesty Policy.
· Record all reflections in ManageBac (or in the RRS) and on the EE Planning and Progress Form promptly once each Supervisor meeting has taken place.
· Approach a potential Supervisor with a proposal and agreement to review before the Supervisor agrees to take on the role.
· Prepare in advance for Supervisor meetings and make use of the informal and formal meetings during the entire EE process.
· Submit a draft for review by the deadline set, recognizing that, without extra-ordinary circumstances and agreement with the EE Supervisor and EE Coordinator, draft review will not take place for late submissions.
· Submit a final essay by the deadline set, recognizing that this deadline cannot be altered or late submissions accepted without exceptional circumstances being recognized by the EE Coordinator and documented with letters from appropriate authorities (e.g. Doctor, Police, etc.). This is to fulfill IB procedures for IB Assessment submissions.
· Seek guidance and support from the EE Supervisor and/or EE Coordinator if experiencing difficulties or with reference to correct procedures
What is the role of the Student in the Extended Essay?
As the extended essay is an important component of the Diploma Programme, and a substantial piece of work, students need to ensure that they understand the expectations of the task and manage their time and workload effectively. The following suggestions are given as guidance to help with the process.
Students are strongly recommended to:
develop a Researcher’s reflection space as a planning tool (suggested use of ManageBac for this)
use the Researcher’s reflection space to prepare for reflection sessions
share excerpts from the Researcher’s reflection space with the supervisor during the reflection sessions
choose a subject, followed by a topic, and then think carefully about the research question for their essay
plan how, when and where they will find material and sources for their essay before deciding on the final topic and research question
plan a schedule for both the researching and writing of their extended essay, including extra time for delays and unforeseen problems
record sources as their research progresses using their Researcher’s reflection space rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end
make the most of their supervision and reflection sessions by arriving prepared to discuss their work
have a clear structure for the essay before beginning to write
check and proofread the final version of their extended essay
make sure that the version they submit for assessment is the final version with all sources correctly and consistently referenced
Ensure that all requirements are met.
Each Formal meeting with the Supervisor is considered a mandatory supervision session. The student is required to enter notes on the Research Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) following each Formal meeting. These notes will include comments, reflections and progress indications. They must be entered on the appropriate section in ManageBac. Failure to complete the RPPF fully and effectively will result in a lower mark on “Criterion E: Engagement” as this evidence is necessary for the Examiner to assign a grade. A maximum of 500 words is permitted to the student for all three formal reflections.
Check-in sessions have no requirement to record reflections but it is strongly recommended that the discussions are documented in the Researcher’s Reflection Space.
(Please note: Students are expected to approach potential Supervisors with a proposal that has been approved and signed by the EE Coordinator. Referred to as the ‘Pitch’, this proposal is to provide information on Subject, Topic and initial research as well as a tentative Research Question and a statement of commitment to the process. It is not permissible for a student to approach a staff member for the role without this proposal and it is understood that the student may or may not succeed in the request, depending upon the staff member’s review of the proposal and response.)
What is the role of the Supervisor in the Extended Essay?
Supervisors are required to:
undertake three mandatory reflection sessions with each student they are supervising
Sign and date each reflection summarized on the Reflections on Planning and Progress Form (RPPF) and provide comments at the end of the process. Provide students with advice and guidance in the skills of undertaking research
encourage and support students throughout the research and writing of the extended essay
discuss the choice of topic with each student and, in particular, help to formulate a well-focused research question which is suitable to the subject of registration and ensure that the chosen research question satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with regard to health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues
be familiar with the regulations governing the extended essay and the assessment criteria, and give copies of these to students
monitor the progress of the extended essay to offer guidance and to ensure that the essay is the student’s own work (this may include presenting a section of the essay for supervisor comment)
read and comment on one draft only of the extended essay (but do not edit the draft); this should take place after the interim reflection session, but before the final reflection session, the viva voce
ensure that the final version of the essay is handed in before the final reflection session (viva voce) takes place, and that no changes are made to it subsequently
Read the final version and, in conjunction with the viva voce, confirm its authenticity.
Supervisors will also:
read recent extended essay reports for the subject
spend between three and five hours with each student, including the time spent on the three mandatory reflection sessions
encourage the development of a Researcher’s reflection space for students
set a clear schedule for the reflection sessions (including check-ins and formal sessions)
ensure that the chosen research question is appropriate for the subject
advise students on:
access to appropriate resources (such as people, a library, a laboratory)
These provisions assume that the student is engaged and meeting expectations through the EE process. Under no conditions is it the Supervisor’s role to police deadlines or pursue a student for meetings or material.
(Please note: some of these tasks are largely covered by the Extended Essay Coordinator)
What is the role of the IB Extended Essay Coordinator?
Ensure that extended essays conform to the regulations outlined in the Diploma Programme Assessment procedures.
Ensure that students select the subject for their extended essays from the list of available subjects for the May or November session in question (in the Diploma Programme Assessment procedures) before choosing a topic.
Ensure that each student has an appropriately qualified supervisor, who is a member of staff within the school.
Introduce, explain and support the reflection process.
Provide supervisors and students with the general and subject-specific information and guidelines for the extended essay contained in this guide and the accompanying teacher support material.
Ensure that the Reflections on planning and progress form (RPPF) is completed and signed by the student and supervisor and submitted to the IB with the essay for assessment under criterion E by the deadline stated in the Diploma Programme Assessment procedures.
Provide exemplars of extended essays to supervisors and students.
Ensure that supervisors and students are familiar with the IB documents Academic honesty in the IB educational context and Effective citing and referencing.
Explain to students the importance of the extended essay in the overall context of the Diploma Programme, including the requirement to achieve a D grade or higher in order to be awarded the Diploma.
Explain to students that they will be expected to spend up to 40 hours on their extended essay.
The EE Coordinator may also be an EE Supervisor.
Where do I find necessary documents and support material for my Extended Essay?
Most support material will be posted on Google Classroom. Handouts may be given from time to time and these should be kept with this handbook.
Deadlines will be posted on the shared Calendar and are also identified below for the main deadlines during the EE process.
Additional support may be available on request from your Supervisor or the EE Coordinator.
What resources are available during the Extended Essay process?
Ø Our school library, including databases available through EBSCO
Ø University Library with on-site access to books, periodicals, journals and a series of academic databases across all disciplines. An orientation session will be held at the university library and student access will be provided. At home online access to resources can be arranged.
Ø Other resources will include IB guides and materials, plus any support materials specific to subject, citation methods and the like that may be supplied through the EE Supervisor or Coordinator.
Ø With ALL sources, it is the student’s responsibility to make sure that they are reliable, academic and peer-reviewed. General reference sources like Wikipedia are useful for initial inquiry and exploration but are not considered academic. Digital sources are all subject to examination of their origin and credentials. This applies to all text, images, audio or visual material.
What is the Extended Essay timeline?
When
Event
Expectation
September -December- Semester 1 Grade 11
class sessions in preparation for beginning the EE
Students will understand EE expectations and choose their Subject, Topic and establish a tentative Research Question. Research and Reflection Space will begin.
January
Presentation
Proposals to Supervisors
Students present slideshow of ideas/outline etc to EE Coordinator and then to Supervisors:
Students will submit their Proposals to potential Supervisors, including their Research Subject, Topic, Proposed Research Question and contract. Supervisors are selected when they have signed this.
February
First Interim Reflection
Students will have completed their first interim reflection with Supervisors and they will have entered their notes on the Planning and Progress Form on ManageBac
February
University Library Orientation
Session at the university with personal access to library resources will be arranged.
March
Annotated Bibliography
Submission of an Annotated Bibliography of sources-to-date to Extended Essay Coordinator and EE Supervisor.
April
1000 word submission and Second Interim Reflection
Students submit 1000 words of EE to Extended Essay Coordinator and EE Supervisor.
May
Second Interim Reflection
Second Formal Meeting to discuss research and progress towards draft completion. May discuss areas to improve, can look at portions of the paper with Supervisor to do this. Finalize format and submission requirements. Reflection to be entered in Planning and Progress Form by candidate immediately following this meeting.
May
Draft Submission
Draft of Extended Essay submitted to EE Coordinator who will authenticate and pass it to EE Supervisor for review and comments. Supervisor review will be followed by a meeting with student to discuss comments prior to completion of final draft. This is the only time the EE Supervisor may read and provide comments on the draft to the student.
October
Submission of Final Essay
Final Extended Essay submitted to EE Coordinator who will authenticate and pass it on to EE Supervisor for reading and establishing Anticipated Grade.
November/December
Viva Voce and Final Interim Reflection
Viva Voce interview and Final Interim Reflection to be completed. Supervisor will finalize process by entering comments and recording number of hours spent with student on Planning and Progress Form.
Throughout EE Process
Informal Meetings
Student may arrange informal meetings with the EE Supervisor to discuss progress or ask questions at any point during the EE process. These should be documented with results and reflection in the RRS (Researcher Reflection Space). They should not bring total support time past the 3-5 hours available.