Universities and the IB
Bryanston school 3rd October
2014
Peter Fidczuk
IB UK Development and Recognition Manager
(formerly Director IB, Dartford Grammar School)
Peter.fidczuk@ibo.org
What do Employers want?
CBI Education & Skills Survey 2012
John Cridland, CBI Director-General, said:
"It's alarming that a significant number of
employers have concerns about the basic skills of
school and college leavers. Companies do not
expect them to produce 'job-ready' young people,
but having a solid foundation in basic skills, such as
literacy and numeracy, is fundamental for work."
What do Employers want?
CBI Education & Skills Survey 2013
What do Employers want?
CBI Education & Skills Survey 2014
What do Universities want?
UEA comments at the Westminster Education
Forum 2014
Students starting at university have the following
problems:
• Forgotten much subject knowledge
• Lack ability to inquire
• Lack ability to read extended texts
• Lack ability to select sources and extract relevant
material
What do Universities want?
Nottingham - cognitive skills
• Analysing
• Synthesising
• Critical thinking
• Evaluating
• Problem solving
• Inquiring mind
• Intellectual insight
• Innovation
• Argument construction
• Intellectual risk
IB learner profile
• The IB learner profile is the IB mission statement translated
into a set of learning outcomes for the 21st century
• As IB learners we strive to be:
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inquirers
knowledgeable
thinkers
communicators
principled
open-minded
caring
risk-takers
balanced
reflective
The IB Diploma
Levels and Points
• Standard Level – broadly similar
to AS level
• Higher level –broadly similar to
A2 level
• Usually 3 @ HL and 3 @ SL
• Each assessed on a 1 to 7 scale
• Total 42 points + 3 for Core
= 45 max (146 in 2014)
IB Diploma
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Broad & balanced does not mean shallow
Linear, not modular (synoptic exams in May of Year 13)
Connections within subject areas
Connections between subject areas
Assessment: more ‘open question’ than A level (hard to
‘teach to the test’)
• Standard Level (SL) courses are as challenging as Higher
Level (HL)
• Theory of Knowledge (TOK) a very good indicator of a
student’s ability to think analytically, critically and
independently
The IB Diploma Core
Theory of Knowledge
(graded A-E)
4000 word Extended
Essay (graded A-E)
Creativity, Action &
Service
Theory of Knowledge
Sample TOK Questions
1. Knowledge is generated through the interaction of critical
and creative thinking. Evaluate this statement in two areas
of knowledge
2. ‘Through different methods of justification, we can reach
conclusions in ethics that are as well-supported as those
provided in mathematics.’ To what extent would you
agree?
3. ‘What separates sciences from all human activities is its
belief in the provisional nature of all conclusions’.
(Michael Shermer). Critically evaluate this way of
distinguishing the sciences from other areas of
knowledge.
4. Using history and at least one other area of knowledge,
examine the claim that it is possible to attain knowledge
despite problems of bias and selection.
The Extended Essay
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Research project
Limited teacher input
Extended piece of writing
Structured argument central
Must demonstrate
inquiry/research/investigation/analysis
The Extended Essay
• What are the key factors John Williams employs to create an
original soundtrack that is aurally appealing and a skilful
underscore?
• Captain Corelli’s Mandolin: to what extent is there a relationship
between culture and identity?
• Is artificial intelligence real intelligence? An analysis of internet
systems and algorithms behind them.
• Can there be any moral justification for the war in Iraq?
• To what extent can the defence of Thermopylae and Artemisium
be seen as a turning point in the Persian Wars?
• To what extent is Cillit Bang safe to use?
Creativity Action Service (CAS)
• Experiential Learning
• About 150 hours over the course of two years
• Must be completed and 8 learning outcomes
satisfied to pass the diploma
• Changes students’ perceptions and takes them
out of their comfort zone
CAS
• increased their awareness of their own strengths and
areas for growth
• undertaken new challenges
• planned and initiated activities
• worked collaboratively with others
• shown perseverance and commitment in their activities
• engaged with issues of global importance
• considered the ethical implications of their actions
• developed new skills
Any questions?
Universities’ Perceptions of the Diploma
What do Universities say?
Oxford comments at the IBSCA HE Conference 2014
IB is a “great qualification” as it is:
• Challenging
• Offers a global perspective
• Integrated programme
• Interdisciplinary
• develops essay writing skills
• Extended Essay is an extended piece of writing
developing inquiry, independent study skills and
research skills
• TOK develops the skill of critical analysis
Entry to Higher Education in the UK
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Accepted by all universities
UCAS tariff points
HEI very positive attitude to DP applicants
Higher offer rate than A level
HEFCE equivalence 34 points = ABB
Some examples of offers this year:
Oxford, English 38 + 666 @HL
Kings College London, Medicine 35 + 666 @ HL
Exeter, Spanish & Russian 34
Leicester, Physics 32 + 55 @ HL
Aberystwyth, Geography 26
Greenwich, Games Computing 24
20 most popular IB Universities
The University of Edinburgh
University College London
University of Exeter
The University of Warwick
University of Bristol
King's College London
The University of Nottingham
Durham University
LSE: London Sch of Economics
The University of Kent
The University of Manchester
Oxford University
University of Bath
Queen Mary, University of London
University of St Andrews
University of Southampton
Imperial College London
University of Cambridge
University of Leeds
University of Glasgow
2012
1999
1833
1270
1369
1096
1139
1311
1207
922
962
939
916
827
755
838
888
729
777
785
526
2013
2044
1919
1606
1337
1316
1247
1226
1223
1054
1039
987
938
935
925
874
843
738
735
712
698
324
HEI in
total
Offer rates for IB UK
students
The University of Edinburgh
University College London
University of Exeter
The University of Warwick
University of Bristol
King's College London
The University of Nottingham
Durham University
LSE: London Sch of Economics
The University of Kent
2013 IB offer rate
58
57
90
78
68
72
81
66
26
99
2013 all quals offer rate
37
48
81
64
55
39
62
56
24
83
The University of Manchester
Oxford University
University of Bath
84
29
84
60
25
74
Queen Mary, University of London
University of St Andrews
University of Southampton
Imperial College London
University of Cambridge
University of Leeds
University of Glasgow
82
59
87
61
40
80
82
60
44
63
46
31
64
58
Entry to Higher Education in the
USA/Canada
The following universities have accepted IB students
from the UK in 2014:
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Harvard
Columbia
Rutgers
Duke
Carnegie Mellon
McGill
Diploma Myths
• Diploma students have difficulty getting to HE
• Diploma students can’t access medicine courses
because they can’t study triple science
• If a student fails a subject they fail the Diploma
• It’s too hard
• It’s only suitable for the most
academic students
Conclusion
Universities value Diploma students as they are :
• HE ready
• Well organised
• Well skilled
• Rarely ‘fail’
• Able to cope with intense courses
THANK YOU
Peter.fidczuk@ibo.org