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WHAT IS CAS?
Creativity, activity, service (CAS) is one of the three essential elements that every student must complete as part of the Diploma Programme (DP). Students undertake CAS experiences continuously for at least 18 months of the IB Diploma Programme.
They must also undertake one CAS project with a minimum duration of one month and collaboration with 2 or more people. On managebac, students will explain, support with evidence and reflect on CAS experiences at significant moments throughout creating a CAS portfolio. Using evidence from their portfolio, students will demonstrate achievement of the 7 CAS learning outcomes.
The Three Strands of CAS
CAS was designed to create more well-rounded students who have had the opportunity to cultivate interests and skills outside of their studies. For the purposes of the IB, these interests and skills fall into three categories:
Creativity– arts and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
• activities must be ideally imaginative and inspiring
• can cover active participation in a wide range of artistic endeavours
• must be separate from ordinary curriculum work
• includes dance, theatre, music, painting, animation, school radio, video
• production, web design, pottery, cookery, calligraphy
• also involves debate, learning a new language, writing articles for a magazine •
and other experiences that involve creative thinking
Activity– physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the DP.
• physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle
• developing new physical skills and requiring physical exertion
• encouraging active participation into social life through sports
• developing awareness of physical fitness and active citizenship
• students can learn to participate, to perform and to instruct
• involves team sports, individual sports, expeditions, camping trips
*Service– an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student.
• unpaid and voluntary exchange providing a free service to a person, a group of people or
the wider community (GESS Classrooms)
• should focus on things with others, not just for others
• develops real ties of commitment to others
• may involve NGOs, hospitals, institutes for elderly, funds, schools, associations, media,
charities
• also includes working towards a school event and voluntary coaching
*TYPES OF SERVICE
DIRECT: Student interaction involves people, the environment or animals. For example, this can appear as one-on-one tutoring, developing a garden in partnership with refugees, or working in an animal shelter.
INDIRECT: Though students do not see the recipients of indirect service, they have verified their actions will benefit the community or environment. For example, this can appear as redesigning a non-profit organization’s website, writing original picture books to teach a language, or nurturing tree seedlings for planting.
ADVOCACY: Students speak on behalf of a cause or concern to promote action on an issue of public interest. For example, this may appear as initiating an awareness campaign on hunger, performing a play on replacing bullying with respect, or creating a video on sustainable water solutions.
RESEARCH: Students collect information through varied sources, analyse data, and report on a topic of importance to influence policy or practice. For example, they may conduct environmental surveys to influence their school, contribute to a study of animal migration, compile effective means to reduce litter in public spaces, or conduct social research by interviewing people on topics such as homelessness, unemployment or isolation.
The 7 Learning Outcomes
Incorporating all three strands, CAS also aims to achieve seven primary outcomes. In fulfilling the IB requirements, you need to have a broad range of CAS Experiences that have engaged in all of the following outcomes.
1. Strength & growth
Students are able to see themselves as individuals with various skills and abilities, some more developed than others, and understand that they can make choices about how they wish to move forward. The student:
• is aware of own strengths and weaknesses
• is open to improvement and growth opportunities
• is able to propose activities according to own interests and talents
• is willing to participate in different activities
• is able to undertake a thoughtful self-evaluation
• is able to see themselves as individuals with various abilities and skills, some more developed than others.
2. Challenge & skills
A new challenge may be an unfamiliar experience or an extension of an existing one. The newly acquired or developed skills may be shown through experiences that the student has not previously undertaken or through increased expertise in an established area. The student:
• participates in an experience that demands an appropriate personal challenge; this could be with new or familiar
experiences
• is willing to become involved in unfamiliar environments and situations
• acquires new skills and abilities
• increases expertise in an established area
• shows newly acquired or developed skills or increased expertise in an established area.
3. Initiative & planning
Students articulate the stages from conceiving an idea to executing a plan for a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences. This may be accomplished in collaboration with other participants. Students may show their knowledge and awareness by building on a previous experience, or by launching a new idea or process. The student:
• is able to articulate the CAS stages including investigation, preparation, action, reflection (ongoing) and demonstration, moving from conceiving an idea to carrying out a plan for a CAS experience or series of CAS experiences
• demonstrates knowledge and awareness by building on a previous CAS experience
• shows initiative by launching a new idea or process
• suggests creative ideas, proposals or solutions
• integrates reflective thoughts in planning or taking initiative
• is aware of roles and responsibilities when designing an individual or collective CAS experience
• shows responsible attitude to CAS project planning
• is able to develop a coherent action plan taking into account the aim or purpose, activities and resources.
4. Working collaboratively with others
Collaboration can be shown in many different activities, such as team sports, playing music in a band, or helping in a kindergarten. At least one project involving collaboration and integrating at least two of creativity, action, and service is required. The student:
• demonstrates regular involvement and active engagement with CAS experiences and CAS project
• is able to foresee potential challenges to the initial plan and consider valid alternatives and contingencies
• demonstrates adaptability to uncertainties and changes
• gets involved in long-term CAS experiences and CAS project.
5. Showing perseverance and commitment
Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS activities, and accept a share of the responsibility for dealing with problems that arise in the course of activities. The student:
• shares skills and knowledge
• listens respectfully to proposals from peers
• is willing to take on different roles within a team
• shows respect for different points of view and ideas
• makes valuable contributions • is responsible for participating in the group • readily assists others
• is able to identify, demonstrate and discuss critically the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences.
6. Global engagement
Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally, or internationally. (for example, environmental concerns, caring for the elderly). The student:
• recognizes the global implications of local issues
• is able to identify global issues in the local or national community
• shows awareness of issues of global importance and takes concrete and appropriate actions in response to them either locally, nationally or internationally
• gets involved in CAS projects addressing global issues in a local, national or international context
• develops awareness and responsibility towards a shared humanity.
7. Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions
Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences. Ethical decisions arise in almost any CAS activity (for example, on the sports field, in musical composition, in relationships with others involved in service activities). The student:
recognizes ethical issues
is able to explain the social influences on one’s ethical identity
takes into account cultural context when making a plan or ethical decision
identifies what is needed to know in order to make an ethical decision
articulates ethical principles and approaches to ethical decisions
shows accountability for choices and actions
is aware of the consequences of choices and actions regarding self, others involved and the community
integrates the process of reflection when facing an ethical decision
shows awareness of the potential and varied consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.
*Taken from the IBO CAS Guide
This document has more detailed bullet points about each Learner Outcome to help you create your goals and reflection on your experience.
CAS learning outcomes.docx5 Stages of CAS
Over the 18 months, students must demonstrate ongoing CAS engagement through a series of CAS experiences and one CAS project. All requirements should be fulfilled according to the 5 Stages of Cas.
Investigation: Identifying interests early on in the course, your skills and talents, and how they can be used for CAS. Investigation also includes how you scout your area for volunteering opportunities.
Preparation: Creating a plan based on investigations, searching for required resources and opportunities to act on your project plan, and gaining any knowledge and skills required to move on.
Action: At this point, a plan should be ready and acted upon. This step demonstrates decision-making and critical thinking, such as having backup plans ready in case your CAS project does not end up going the way you hoped. Accounting for mishaps and situations out of your control is something IB actively searches for when looking at CAS submissions.
Reflection: After the completion of the projects, you will reflect upon your work, what you could have done better, how you could have improved the overall CAS experience, and how fulfilled you felt from your project.
Demonstration: Recording logs and documents are submitted to a CAS portfolio, which can be something as simple as a folder with all the proof of work obtained throughout your CAS experience. This portfolio should contain your reflections and notes from your supervisor.
Using the CAS Stages
Using the CAS Stages
Guide to applying the stages to your CAS experiences and project.
CAS Using CAS Stages (1).pdfThree CAS Interviews
Over the course of the 18-month period, 3 CAS interviews will be held. Rather than a means of evaluation, their primary purpose is to allow students to reap the program’s rewards and serve as a means of checking in, so no one gets left behind. CAS interviews are approached differently by each supervision, but in general they unfold according to a loosely structured framework will help guide the process and ensure students are maximizing the opportunities and possibilities of CAS.
First CAS interview
The first CAS interview will take place once a student has completed a CAS orientation and is familiar with the elements of CAS. The purpose of this interview is to gauge the student’s understanding of CAS, discuss relevant interests, get the student prepared for their very first CAS experience, and review the learning outcomes of CAS—while outlining possible ways that they might be achieved.
Second CAS interview
The second interview is intended to assess whether or not the student’s engagement with CAS is on track and determine the student’s progress towards fulfilling CAS requirements and what evidence has been collected thus far. This interview should also act as an opportunity for the student to reflect verbally on CAS and to be reminded that CAS is meant to be enjoyable and beneficial to themselves and others with whom they are engaging.
Third CAS interview
The final and summative CAS interview should focus on achievements and the realization of the CAS learning outcomes. Students need to examine their thoughts and feelings about the overall program and reflect on the growth that they have experienced. Now is the time to dig into personal awareness and development, more robust understandings of the world, and how the CAS experience might impact future choices and actions.
CAS Experiences & Project
*Required: ( 1 Project and Continuous CAS Involvement- Experiences)
CAS Experiences are short projects that cover one or more of the CAS strands and achieve at least one or two learning outcomes. CAS experiences should last for about an hour and require one reflection.
The CAS Project needs to be at least a month-long, involve collaboration, and have several reflections. This project can be an individual concept or something worked on as a group, with other students, including up to a whole classroom. Usually, most students pull inspiration and ideas from one or more of the three components and work on projects that might constitute all three.
Questions: Contact Ms. Stacy on TEAMS or at stacy.ohrtbillingslea@gess.edu.sg
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