Five good reasons to attend a workshop on
WSEE (World Studies Extended Essays)
Next workshop in WSEE is the Ibicus workshop in Dubai 21-23 April 2016
1. After History, English A and Psychology, WSEE is becoming one of the most popular choices
of extended essay subjects.
2. WSEE must focus on a topic of global significance; this encourages the student to reflect on
the world today in relation to issues such as the global food crisis, climate change, terrorism,
energy security, migration, global health, technology or cultural exchange... The topics (i.e.
the research questions) tend to be more open and more challenging than the “subjectspecific” EEs (where students are often told “you cannot go in this direction”); if a student is
passionate about a topic (as opposed to “passionate about a DP subject”) then a WSEE
framework is perfect for them (keeping them interested in their research)
3. Students like WSEE because it is interdisciplinary –combining two (or more) DP subjects: this
is closer to the way they ‘naturally’ learn about a topic of interest (as opposed to a strict
disciplinary focus such as “only Economics” or “only Chemistry”).
4. A DP teacher cannot however become a good WSEE supervisor without any training and
preparation, as there are expectations and parameters to understand, in order to support
students optimally and ensure that they score a high mark – this is notably linked to the
notions of interdisciplinarity and global significance.
5. This WSEE workshop is led by an experienced WSEE examiner who has led several
workshops of professional development specifically for WSEE supervisors.