Extended essay
and the role of the supervisor
Table of contents
Part 1: Extended essay at a Glance --------------------------------------------------- 03
Part 2: General guidelines for an extended essay supervisor ----------------------- 07
Part 3: Supporting the extended essay ----------------------------------------------- 13
Part 4: Administration of the extended essay ---------------------------------------- 27
Part 5: Extended essay assessment -------------------------------------------------- 32
Part 1
Extended essay at a glance
3
Overview of the extended essay
The extended essay (EE) is an opportunity for DP students to undertake independent research on a topic of their choice
under the guidance of a supervisor. Over the course of their EE journey, students engage in 40 hours worth of work which
entails: :
01
02
03
Selecting an area of research
from any one DP subject, or two
in the case of world studies
Producing a 4000-word
independent research
essay
Completing three reflections
at specific milestones using the
Reflections on planning and
progress form (RPPF)
4
Nature of the extended essay
The EE is a unique opportunity for students to engage in sustained
academic research in preparation for university education.
As a part of the EE, students will be expected to show evidence of
intellectual growth, critical and personal development, intellectual
initiative, and creativity. This can be facilitated by the use of the
researcher’s reflection space.
Further, the process of researching and writing the EE represents the
learner profile in action. Being open-minded, principled, and reflective
are aspects of the student experience within the EE.
Finally, the EE allows students to become more internationally-minded
by engaging with local and global communities on topics of personal
inquiry.
5
Aims of the extended essay
The EE, being one of the centerpieces of the IB DP, is a valuable learning experience for students. It has three key aims
and helps students to:
01
02
03
Engage in independent
research with intellectual
initiative and rigour
Develop research, thinking,
self-management, and
communication skills
Reflect on what has been
learned throughout the
research and writing process.
6
Part 2
General guidelines for an extended
essay supervisors
7
The role of the extended essay supervisor
Your role as a supervisor is integral to the success of the students’ EE experience. Ensure that you are provided with
the necessary professional development training to undertake the supervisory role, a large part of which entails
assisting students in the process of the EE and the three reflections.
01
Be aware of the proper documents,
exemplars, platforms, and protocols in
place and disseminate these to the
students.
02
Monitor the progress of the
students.
04
05
Read and mark the final draft
following the prescribed paraments,
then submit a predicted grade.
Upload the essay and RPPF* in
conjunction with the students and EE
coordinator/DPC on IBIS.
03
Provide 3–5 hours of student guidance,
including three formal reflection
sessions as well as supervision sessions
called check-in sessions.
*Reflections on planning and progress form
8
What an extended essay supervisor cannot do
You should not reframe the
whole outlook of the essay
for the students
You should not choose a topic
or write the research question
for the students
You should not edit or
proofread students’ work nor
input citation corrections
You should not limit student
guidance to passive forms
such as via email
You should not identify sources for
the students
9
Inquiry and the extended essay
As a supervisor, you have an essential role in helping students understand and apply inquiry. You can do this using various
methods outlined below:
Model inquiry and track
Plenary
Session
teaching
practices
and the
learning processes of
students as a source of
professional development
Support thinking and
metacognition (thinking
about thinking) with
prompts and tools
Extend learning with openended questions or
problems
Reserve whole-class
experiences for meaningful
instructional, collaborative
and reflective moments
Use real-world context and
primary experiences as
significant activators of
learning
Personalize learning by
employing a range of
strategies and flexible
groupings
Promote the importance of
collaborative learning and
value the contributions of
both individuals and groups
Support students to make
deliberate connections
within and between subjects
Consider materials, field
trips, learning judgments as
stimuli for inquiry
Generate routines,
questions, strategies, and
systems that can be
transferred across a range of
contexts
Monitor and document
learning providing
meaningful feedback
throughout
Measure the products of
learning against established
success criteria
10
Roadmap to extended essay success
Now that you have a fair understanding of your role as a supervisor, let’s look at how you can guide
students to choose topics and write research questions. Refer to the roadmap below:
Identify
Students identify a
general area of interest
from the list of subjects
offered at the school
Narrow down
With guidance,
students narrow down
interest to a specific
area of investigation
Research
Students then research
about chosen area,
identifying reliable
information and
sources
Choose
After the research,
students choose a
working title
Create
Students then create a
specific research question
reflecting the chosen topic
based on the available
sources
11
Roadmap to extended essay success
After creating a good research question, students can begin their research process and write their essays
simultaneously. The next few steps showcase the process till the completion of the essay.
Generate
Students carry out an in-depth
investigation to generate a list
of varied, reliable sources.
Students conduct experiments
and surveys as appropriate to
the subject nature
Document
Students employ effective
strategies to document
information based on
conducted investigation
Evaluate
Students filter what identified
information is valuable and
reliable and what is not.
Students can then identify
missing information necessary
for the essay
Produce
Students should produce a
first draft with an
introduction, a body, and a
conclusion focused on the
research question
Review and Revise
Students should discuss the
draft with you and make
amends according to the
feedback provided
12
Part 3
Supporting the extended essay
13
Identifying areas for student support
As a supervisor, it is important to ensure that students get adequate support during their EE journey. Some
important areas that students may require support in are as below:
1. Subject-specific guidance
2. Choosing a topic
3. Writing an effective research question
4. Structuring the extended essay
14
Identifying areas for student support
5. Assisting with a topic/subject change
6. Approaches to learning skills
7. Methodology
8. Guidance on reflections on planning and progress form
15
Supporting students: Subject-specific guidance
As a supervisor, ensure that you guide students from the outset on the nature of the EE in their respective
subjects. You can guide students with:
Treatment of topic
Unpacking of EE
criteria
Structure of the EE
Setting a studentspecific timeline
Guidance on
academic integrity
and double-dipping
16
Supporting students: Choosing a topic
One important way to support students is by guiding them as they choose their topics, as this is extremely
important to their EE success. Below are some key steps for students to consider.
Identify topic of interest
Students identify a topic or
two that are of interest to
them. This ensures that they
are engaged in the process.
Conduct preliminary
research
Complete annotated
bibliography
Craft an open-ended
research question
Students begin with
preliminary research on their
topic to check if they will be
limited by availability or lack
of translations for sources;
whether they need to modify
their topic or broaden it or
narrow the focus.
Students provide a list of
identified reliable sources
with a detailed description
and evaluative comments
known as annotations.
Using their topic and
preliminary research,
students create a research
question that will lead to an
appropriate investigation.
The research question (RQ)
should be overarching, starts
with a command term, and
has a narrow and focused
scope.
17
Supporting students: Writing an effective research question
Once students choose their topics, they can begin formulating their research question. There are four
key elements to consider when writing the research question. The end result is an open-ended
questions with a narrow and focused scope. You can guide students in this process.
Command term
Topic of interest
Link
Consequence
To what extent…
How useful…
How significant….
Why/How….
In what ways…
Novel, film, event, situation,
policy, individual, experiment,
equation, debate, theory, etc.
Responsible for…
In the context of…
A person studying…
Impacts development.. Causes
issues…etc.
Event, policy, situation,
development, discovery, etc.
18
Supporting students: Research question example
In this RQ example, you can identify the four blocks, as highlighted in different colours:
A
B
C
D
To what extent did ideological differences heighten the development of cold war tensions?
The table below may be used with students to help them piece together their research question
A: Command Term
B: Topic of Interest
C: Link
D: Consequence
Tip: Notice how the example RQ is open-ended but focused on a very particular aspect of the cold war.
19
Supporting students: Structure of the extended essay
Another way to support students is to provide guidance regarding the structure of the extended
essay as outlined below.
1
2
3
4
5
6
Title page: It should include the title of the essay, the research question, the subject for
which the essay is registered, word count
Contents page: It must be provided at the beginning of the EE and all pages should
be numbered
Introduction: It should tell the reader what to expect in the essay including the focus of the essay, the
scope of the research, the sources to be used, and an insight into the argument to be proposed
Body of the essay: It should include the undertaken research an analysis, discussion
and evaluation of the topic
Conclusion: It should say what has been achieved, including notes of any limitations and
any questions that have not been resolved
References and bibliography: These should be completed in a consistent style of academic
referencing.
20
Supporting students: Assisting with change in topic/subject
There are times when, after selecting the research question and conducting their initial research, students may want to
change the focus or change the subject of their EE altogether. Although this may seem daunting, you can follow the
steps outlined below to assist students when they change either their topic or their subject:
Subject change
Topic change
•
•
You should work with the students to find
suitable options and have these changes
reflected in the RPPF.
If students have already completed their
initial reflection, they must keep this and
provide an explanation on how and why the
change occurred and then continue on.
●
In the case of a subject change, the EE
coordinator will assign the student to a new
supervisor.
21
Supporting students: Approaches to learning (ATL) skills
Communication skills
A great way to boost inquiry is by
helping students develop their ATL
skills. Here are examples of different
activities students may undertake
during the EE journey that will help
with ATL skill development.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Self-management skills
1.
2.
Set and stick to goals by
implementing action plans
Overcome setbacks by readjusting action plans
Create SMART goals
Write an effective research question
Use subject-specific jargon and
appropriate essay structure
Communicate through formal and
and informal interactions with
supervisors
Social skills
1.
2.
Thinking skills
1.
Develop the knowledge and
conceptual understanding for
successfully completing the EE
Develop social skills through
interviewing and corresponding with
people for their research, talk to
primary sources, etc.
Thinking through collaboration with
peers to promote engagement,
understanding and transfer skills
Research skills
1.
2.
Cite and document sources and
generate a bibliography for the EE
Evaluate sources, and analyze and
synthesize information
22
Supporting students: Methodology
Methodology is the means through which students gather information and data. The methodology of the EE is determined
by the nature of the subject chosen. You are expected to help students learn how they can gather data in their respective
subjects.
1
3
Study: Study a variety of literary
and nonliterary, primary and
secondary sources
2
5
Conduct: Conduct lab work,
experiments, fieldwork,
performance, interviews,
observations, etc.
4
Access: Access information
presented in statistics,
infographics, questionnaires, etc.
Analyses: Consider and analyze
statistical evidence, charts,
graphs, etc.
6
Gather: Gather data from other
disciplines to establish
connections
Compare: Compare and contrast
primary and secondary sources to
arrive at conclusions.
For more guidance regarding methodology, refer to the EE guide here.
23
Supporting students: Reflections on planning and progress form (RPPF)
The role of reflection for future action is paramount in the EE. Below is a brief sketch for the the reflection sessions that
have to be documented in the RPPF, which helps inform the examiners’ judgment on Criterion E and helps document the
process for authentication.
1
Students discuss their options
with their supervisor and
decide on their chosen topic
and research question
2 Plenary
Students
discuss their outline
Session
or rough draft of the EE with
their supervisor
3 Plenary
Students
complete their viva
Session
voce with their supervisors.
Supervisors provide comments
on RPPF
You can access an annotated RPPF exemplar with tips on the process of the three reflections here!
22
25
Guidance on effective supervisory feedback
As a supervisor, you not only assist students with the methodology and reflection process but also through their entire
EE journey. Below is a small illustration outlining what this assistance looks like.
Early to mid process
Mid Process
End of process
Share: Examine students’ work
and share suggestions free of
judgment to affirm as well as
develop their approach
Feedback: Provide general feedback
to help students develop their work
and to overcome obstacles. It helps
students reflect on their approach
and the progress achieved
Evaluate: Measure students’ success in
achieving goals, answering the RQ, and
developing skills. Evaluation is based on
students’ work, EE criteria, and a
discussion about how this will affect their
future work
Affirm: Confirm students' success and achievement status so far, highlighting the rationale and impact of their work.
This motivates students to continue.
25
Further guidance on the extended essay feedback
When reviewing students’ work, you can also:
Comment: Comment in open-ended ways on one draft
how the essay can be improved
Balance: Understand the difference between too much
and too little support
Annotate: Annotate sparingly on one draft
Provide: Provide generic advice regarding language
structure or research approach
26
Part 4
Administration of the extended essay
27
Internal and external communication
To ensure smooth administration of the EE, here are some communication guidelines you may like to consider:
Establish
Establish effective and efficient forms
of communication with your students
through data-informed learning
routines
Collaborate
Collaborate with other similar
subject supervisors for help and
advice in best practice
Update
Work in conjunction with EE-C/DPC to
update parents on progress and/or
areas of concern that may arise along
the way
Document
Document and communicate via
Researcher’s Reflection Space (RRS)
and informal check-in sessions
28
Authentication and moderation of work
Administration of the EE is incomplete without considering academic integrity. Your role in the process of authentication of
student work is integral. This can be achieved through:
Interim meetings
Through formal and
informal meetings, you
should be able to
transparently see the
process under which essay
was constructed
Plagiarism tools
You should make use of
plagiarism platforms like
Turnitin to ensure student’s
work does not breach academic
integrity
Viva Voce
The viva voce is the final step
on the way towards
EE completion where you
formally authenticate the
student’s work
27
Extended essay submission requirements
As a supervisor, you should clearly articulate the formal requirements to complete the
EE process to students, as outlined in the illustration below.
A final draft of a 4000word essay submitted
by the student
A 500-word RPPF
completed by both
student and you
A predicted grade for
each student
submitted by you
Report of
authenticity of
student’s work
(eg: Turnitin report)
Note: Authenticity reports do not have to be uploaded along with the EE. However, it is good
practice to collect these in the event the student’s work is flagged for academic misconduct.
30
Uploading of final extended essay and the RPPF
Upon the completion of the viva voce and final supervisory comments,
the final action to be taken is the uploading of the essay and RPPF to IBIS
eCoursework.
Training
Ensure that you receive the necessary
training and time in order to complete
this task successfully
Convention
You are recommended to adhere to a
uniform labelling convention of
student work to simplify the
uploading process
31
Part 5
Extended essay assessments
32
Overview of extended essay criteria
The EE is assessed against five criteria, each with a different weightage, as summarized in the illustration.
The maximum mark awarded is 34. The criteria are holistic, assessing student knowledge, communication
skills, research methods, and engagement.
Focus and method
Topic, research
question and
methodology
6 marks
Knowledge and
understanding
Context, subjectspecific terminology
and concepts
6 marks
Critical thinking
Research, analysis
and discussion and
evaluation
12 marks
Presentation
Structure and
layout
4 marks
Engagement
Reflection and the
research process
6 marks
33
Description and unpacking of extended essay criteria
Before implementing the EE criteria, it is recommended that you understand them using the unpacking of EE
criteria published by the IB. Below is a summary of what each criterion focuses on.
A
Focus and method: This criterion focuses on the topic, the research question and the methodology. It
assesses the explanation of the focus of the research, including the research question, how the research will
be undertaken, and how the focus is maintained throughout the essay.
B
Knowledge and understanding: This criterion assesses the extent to which the research relates to the chosen
discipline(s) to explore the research question and how knowledge and understanding are demonstrated through the
use of appropriate terminology and concepts.
C
Critical thinking: This criterion assesses how critical thinking skills have been used to analyse and evaluate the
undertaken research.
D
Presentation: This criterion assesses the extent to which the presentation follows the standard format
expected for academic writing and the extent to which this aids effective communication.
E
Engagement: This criterion assesses the students’ engagement with their research process. It will be assessed
solely via the RPPF, with the supervisory comments and the EE itself as context.
34
Introduction to extended essay assessments
1
4
Assessment criteria are
used when the assessment
task is open-ended. Each
criterion concentrates on a
particular skill that students
are expected to
demonstrate.
Each criterion comprises a
set of hierarchically ordered
level descriptors. Each level
descriptor is worth one or
more marks. Each criterion
is applied independently
using a best-fit model.
2
5
An assessment objective
describes what students
should be able to do, and
assessment criteria describe
how well they should be
able to do it.
The maximum marks for
each criterion may differ
according to the criterion’s
importance.
3
6
Using assessment criteria
allows discrimination
between different levels of
student work and
encourages a variety of
approaches to the EE.
The marks awarded for
each criterion are added
together to give the total
mark for the piece of work.
(EE Guide, 2018)
35
Best-fit approach
1
When assessing the EE, the "best-fit
approach" is adopted. It aims to find the
descriptor that conveys most accurately the
level attained by the student's work.
2
A best-fit approach means that
compensation is made when a piece of
work matches different indicators of a
markband at different levels. The mark
awarded is the one that most fairly reflects
the balance of achievement against the
markband.
3
It is not necessary for every indicator of a
level descriptor to be met for that mark to
be awarded.
In this example, the student was placed in markband 1-2 for one of the
indicators, and band 3-4 in the two remaining indicators. When reaching a
judgment, it was concluded that the student will be placed on the lower
range of markband 3-4 and will be awarded a final mark of 3/6 due to
having one of the indicators in markband 1-2, which stops him from being
placed in the upper range of markband 3-4.
36
Grade Boundaries
Student final assessment against the different criteria will result in a final
grade out of 34 which will then be converted into a letter grade. Each letter
grade represents a ‘grade descriptor’. In the table are the most recent
grade boundaries for the EE. These are subject to change and will be
revised by the IB every examination session.
Final
Grade
From
To
E
0
5
D
6
12
C
13
19
B
20
25
A
26
34
37
Grade Descriptors
After assessing students against the five criteria, students numerical grade is then converted to a letter grade. Each
letter grade represents a ‘grade descriptor’. Grade descriptors consist of characteristics of performance at each grade.
The grade descriptors are also intended to help teachers explain the academic requirements of the IB Diploma
Programme to students, undertake formative assessment, report progress and predict students’ grades.
Final IB DP Grade
A
B
C
D
E
Grade Descriptor
(Example)
Demonstrates:
effective research
skills resulting in a
well-focused and
appropriate
research question
that can be
explored within the
scope of the chosen
topic;
Demonstrates:
appropriate
research skills
resulting in a
research question
that can be
explored within
the scope of the
chosen topic
Demonstrates:
good
understanding and
appreciation of the
interplay between
form and content
in regard
to the question or
task;
Demonstrates: a
lack of research,
resulting in
unsatisfactory
focus and a
research question
that is not
answerable within
the scope of the
chosen topic
Demonstrates: an
unclear nature of
the essay; a
generally
unsystematic
approach and
resulting
unfocused
research question
You can access most recent IB grade descriptors on MyIB.
38
Assessment in the Core
1
TOK and the EE are graded A–E, with A being the highest grade. These two grades are
then combined in the diploma points matrix to contribute between 0 and 3 points to the
total.
2
The overall maximum points from subject grades, TOK and the EE is 45.
Award of points matrix for TOK and the EE
Points achieved: 3
Points achieved: 2
Points achieved: 1
Points achieved: 0
Failing
Two As
Two Bs
Two Cs
Two Ds
Two Es
One A + One B
One A + One C
One B + One D
One C + One D
One E in TOK/EE
One A + One D
One B + One C
39
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