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Extended Essay: Information for Supervisors

Everything you need to know about the Extended Essay and more!

INFO For Supervisors

Supervisors are to spend no more than 3-5 hours of time with each of their students.  The reasons for this are vague in the guide, but it should be noted that when an excessive amount of supervisory time is given, questions are raised by the IB on how much support was given, and how much the student can take responsibility for their own work. 

Information from the IB Support Site for Supervisors:

This Teacher Support Material has been written by IB teachers experienced in supporting students and fellow teachers through the EE component of the Diploma Programme. 

Its advice is neither prescriptive nor exhaustive, but is designed to:

  • support both experienced and less experienced EE coordinators and supervisors (experienced coordinators and supervisors will find it helpful to view “What’s new in EE from 2016”) 
  • complement IB professional development
  • make links with other helpful and relevant IB documents
  • encourage collaboration and discussion about the EE process between those involved (coordinators, supervisors, librarians and students) 
  • provide the theoretical background and practical tools to enable teachers to support and guide their students’ learning through the EE process.

Understanding the assessment criteria

It is important that supervisors and students understand the assessment criteria and how these are applied by examiners to an EE. 

The EE is an externally assessed component of the Diploma Programme, marked by an IB examiner. Examiners are unaware of any predicted grade that a supervisor gives to the essay. The examiners simply apply the assessment criteria based on the evidence in front of them—the student’s work. 

It is important, therefore, that a student’s demonstration of the assessment criteria is clear and apparent. 

Supervisors and coordinators must ensure that students understand from the outset how they are to be assessed. 

For details of the assessment criteria please refer to the following sections of this site: 

It is also useful to understand how the assessment criteria are considered holistically across the whole essay. The following table gives some examples. 

Criterion Holistic application
A: Focus and method
  • Has a focus been maintained on the research question throughout the essay?
  • Is there evidence of the planned use of specific methods and sources?
B: Knowledge and understanding
  • Are the terminology and concepts used throughout the essay indicative of the subject and area of research? 
  • Are they used appropriately and with confidence throughout the essay to demonstrate knowledge and understanding? 
C: Critical thinking
  • Does the research question relate to the evidence presented?
  • Are different aspects of the information/argument presented in the essay coherently connected to each other? 
  • Are the analysis and conclusions drawn connected to the stated intentions of the research?
  • Is there a clear thread to the argument presented throughout the essay?
D: Presentation
  • Are the formatting aspects of the essay consistent throughout?

Markbands

Each criterion is organized at three levels of information. Firstly, the “markband”, which relates to the mark range available; secondly, the strand, which relates to what is being assessed; and thirdly, the indicators, which are the demonstration of the strands within a mark band. For example: 

Markband Strand
1–2

The topic is communicated unclearly and incompletely.

Indicators of the strand:

  • Identification and explanation of the topic is limited; the purpose and focus of the research is unclear, or does not lend itself to a systematic investigation in the subject for which it is registered. 

The research question is stated but not clearly expressed or too broad.

Indicators of the strand:

  • The research question is too broad in scope to be treated effectively within the word limit and requirements of the task, or does not lend itself to a systematic investigation in the subject for which it is registered. 
  • The intent of the research question is understood but has not been clearly expressed and/or the discussion of the essay is not focused on the research question.

The current grade boundaries are as follows, although these numbers are subject to change before the final reports are published by the IB: 

A – 26 to 34
B – 20 to 25
C –13 to 19
D – 6 to 12
E – 0 to 5

Sample Viva Voce Questions

 

  1. What have been the high and low points of the research and writing processes?’

  2. What would you have done differently in the research process?

  3. What is the most important thing that you learned?

  4. What was your greatest challenge and how did you overcome it?

  5. What would you change in your research if you did another EE?

  6. How rewarding did you find the experience??

  7. What was the most valuable experience that you took away from the process?

  8. What was your greatest challenge and what did you do to overcome it?

  9. What advice would you give to the next year’s group?

  10. What IB learner profile attribute would you say helped you through the process (communicator, risk-taker, etc.)?

  11. Would you like to continue reading on this topic?

  12. What questions did this process raise?

  13. What conclusions have you drawn about the topic?

  14. What ATL skills did you develop the most through this process?

It is also acceptable to use this reflection session (partly) as a more ‘traditional’ viva to check on authenticity / depth of thinking.

Also, pick points out of the essay - ask specific questions, ask for clarifications

Key - begin and end positively.  This is the end of a long, sometimes tough, process.