Reflective Project

The Reflective Project, or RP, is an in-depth body of work produced over an extended period and submitted toward the end of the course.  It is a product of the student’s own initiative and should reflect his or her experience of the CP.  Designed to draw together key elements of a student’s program, particularly their career-related studies, SL experiences and PPS course, students identify an issue of interest that they wish to explore in greater depth that arises from their career studies.  

Students further identify an ethical dilemma associated with the issue and then undertake research on the ethical dilemma, including consultation with the local community. It is the ethical dimension of the issue, and not the issue itself, which is the focus of the RP.  The end product highlights the thinking skills and communication skills developed by students in their PPS course including looking at multiple sides of an issue and then developing a well-reasoned argument based on appropriate supporting evidence.

While most students will choose to write a formal essay, other possible formats for the project could be a website or web page, a PowerPoint presentation, a dialogue, a short play, a short film, a storyboard or a series of photographs.  Whatever the nature of the project, the work must be presented in a format that can be electronically sent to, or accessed by, the IB for moderation purposes.  The maximum word limit for the project is 750 to 3000 words (not including reflections) depending on the nature of the format of the RP.

Aims of the RP:

• Produce an extended piece of work

• Engage in personal inquiry, action and reflection on a specific ethical issue

• Engage with both global and/or local communities

• Develop research and communication skills

• Develop the skills of critical and creative thinking
  
  

Supervision of the RP:  It is the school’s responsibility to ensure that each student engaged in the RP receives direct supervision from a qualified person in the school who can provide appropriate guidance and confirm the authenticity of the work submitted.  The supervisor is required to provide the student with advice, guidance, support and encouragement, discuss the choice of topic with the student, read and comment on the first draft only of the project, and monitor the progress of the project to ensure the project is the student’s own work.