12th Grade Students - DO THIS NOW

On ManageBac, consider the following and write a brief response in the "Researcher's Reflection Space," found in the EE section of the IB Manager.

1. What has been the greatest challenge you faced during the EE process?

2. How do you feel about your finished product?

3. If you could go back and do one thing differently, what would that thing be and why would you change it?

4. Has the EE made you more interested or less interested in further research in your subject?

What is the VV?

The VV meeting is 20-30 minutes long and it is the FINAL step of the extended essay process. It is meant to be an overwhelmingly positive meeting; it should not focus overmuch on criticism or shortcomings. After your VV meeting with your supervisor, you are DONE. The VV can’t be held until your final EE draft has been submitted.

It is partly a celebration of what you accomplished; you’ll discuss thoughts on the EE process, the outcome, and your growth as a researcher, writer, and learner. This meeting is also a chance to talk about the challenges you faced and how you worked to overcome them. Finally, the VV is an opportunity for your supervisor to authenticate your work. Expect to discuss specific parts of your essay and answer questions your supervisor has prepared about research, analysis, etc. This is important information for them, as they need to fill out supervisor comments that get submitted to IB.

How to prepare for the Viva Voce?

Well, read your finished essay. Be familiar with your research. Look back on your notes and remember how your essay evolved over the last year. Consider challenges that you encountered. Think of successes and failures (or shortcomings.) What was rewarding about the EE process? What lessons can you carry into the future, beyond high school, DP, and MDID? Be ready to talk about specific sections of the essay, choices you made, research you did, how you overcame different obstacles.

Writing the Final Reflection (RPPF on ManageBac)

You should have a general idea what you’re writing about before the VV. The final reflection should be finished very shortly after your Viva Voce meeting. Do not waste time!

Most of you have about 200 words left (some a little more, some a little less.) Just like your first two reflections, the goal here is to move beyond being descriptive, like a diary. You want to give your examiner some insight into why you made certain decisions, how you handled obstacles, and how engaged you were with your subject and topic throughout the EE process.

This final reflection could be an evaluation of what you’ve done; to what extent did your essay meet your original goal? How pleased are you with yourself? If you could do it all again, what might you do differently? Were there things you did that were helpful throughout the process that you can bring into your future work?

Keep in mind that this reflection is about you as much as it is about your finished EE; what has this process revealed about YOU? You do not need to present yourself as a polished, perfect student. Acknowledge flaws or areas where you can still improve (hello “meeting deadlines”) is an important aspect of our self-evaluations.

This needs to be completed shortly after your Viva Voce, while it is still 'fresh' in your mind.

Need help writing?

You could write about...

• Something you regularly thought about during the process

• Times you felt frustrated (and how you got past that, or broke through an obstacle)

• An understanding you gained ("I really didn't understand...now I...")

• What might come next ("something I'd love to learn more about is...")

• Moments througohut the process ("at first...later...in the end...")

• Thinking a bit about your own learning ("I need to ask for help when.... I need to learn more about... I discovered that I...")

General Tips

• Being specific is much better than being general (e.g. "I learned a lot about the importance of a good experiment set-up when..." vs "I learned a lot about how to do an experiment.")

• Reference the past --> this is the "capstone" reflection, and it looks back on the whole process, not just the current moment

• Be honest; there is no need to boost your work, if the quality speaks for itself, and there is similarly no need to be self-deprecating (unless it's something that can be justified)

• Talking about WHY or HOW is much better than talking about WHAT --> dig deep into your work and your learning over the last year.

Sample Reflections

The following should be understood as examples, rather than models to follow. Your reflection should be your own and it should reflect your own learning and ideas.