EE: For Supervisors

Things to keep in mind:

• Please DO NOT use the student's name (you can use 'the student' instead)
• Please use gender-neutral pronouns: they, them, their
• The comments are used as part of Criterion E- Engagement, NOT as an evaluation of the student's essay itself
• It does not need to be long- 1-3 paragraphs is pretty standard.
• Don't forget to add the hours you worked with the student in the appropriate box below the comments.  IB recommends 3-5 hours per student, but it may have been more or less than that depending on the student.

EXAMPLE COMMENTS:

#1

Early in the process, the candidate shared how their experiences growing up as a third culture person of Asian descent led to an interest in film representations of the issue. They explained that they were often confused about their own identity and in particular how social behaviours, language and physical appearance affected how others see them. They used this as a starting point to choose a topic that was both personally and intellectually interesting – though in the early stages, was mostly connected to their text choices and personal experiences as a cross-cultural Asian who lives in both North America and China.

However, as they worked through the feedback on their draft, they expressed concern about the analytical depth of the essay, especially related to the film Crazy Rich Asians. At this relatively late point in the process, they showed a willingness to challenge themself by examining new forms of critical theory and looked for ways to examine the film with more rigour. Interestingly, they commented on how they eventually questioned their choice of texts, given what they later learned about race theory. Far from problematic, it was great to see this discovery in the process. Indeed, they commented in their viva voce that they are now intending to refocus their university studies toward sociology rather than film alone, given what they learned about the subject and its relevance in contemporary communications.

The candidate used their time well early in the planning and investigation phase, which enabled them to create an effective research question. While this eventually led to a more critical evaluation of their texts, it is fair to say that they struggled to achieve a completely effective balance between the two films, especially in the area of cinematic analysis, which is a concern they voiced in their reflections. They were eager to recognise this and appreciate how this understanding will help them in the future to focus their research earlier and create a realistic plan to allow more time in the revision phase.

Overall, the candidate has positively engaged with the intention of the extended essay process and reflected constructively on areas for their growth as a student of film.

#2

Throughout the process of the extended essay, the student showed commitment and was diligent and productive. They were always punctual for meetings, replied promptly to messages, and showed great enthusiasm for the topic. They responded very well to feedback and acted upon all suggestions in a very mature manner. It is evident that the student dedicated a lot of time to collecting a great deal of secondary sources and has completed a good piece of writing. One of the high points for them was the research, they accessed a wide variety of authors, with a range of nationalities and views. They enjoyed this and felt that this has helped develop their skills as a historian. Their first language is Chinese and for someone to research and write about Italian history in their second language is an impressive effort. They are pleased with the development of their skills in writing and reading and have used some of the structures from books they have read in their own writing. They also demonstrated excellent evidence of their reflection process throughout. Their Viva Voce was indicative of their efforts and final product.

#3

This student was initially slow to get to experimentation and their research was initially weak. However, after a few meetings, this student renewed their focus and worked tirelessly through several setbacks during the process of developing their experimental design. They had great difficulty generating sufficient reliable data despite many attempts. They leaned on their Chemistry background, were receptive to teacher feedback and eventually hit upon the right mix of controls to get the data they needed. Their level of research improved as the project went on and they became adept at reading and processing challenging academic sources. They were determined to understand specific mechanisms and asked good questions at our meetings. They became a much more confident experimenter and is now an excellent problem-solver in practical situations. While they experienced a bit of lag in following a schedule for writing their final paper, with some teacher prompting, they rose to the challenge and completed their paper, amidst many competing assessment deadlines.

Under the assessment tab in ManageBac choose the appropriate number for each criterion (descriptors are included).  The total points will be shown in the box on the bottom of the page.

This mark will be used as your predicted grade that will be submitted to the IB.

For more details about assessment, look at the assessment tab above.

Five Criterion:

• A: Focus and method (6)
• B: Knowledge and understanding (6)
• C: Critical thinking (12)
• D: Presentation (4)
• E: Engagement (6)

Total: 34 points

• Understanding the assessment criteria
• Unpacking the assessment criteria
• Assessment grade descriptors

Grade Boundaries (2018)

• A 27-34
• B 21-26
• C 14-20
• D 7-13
• E 0-6

For EE supervisors: Here is the standard description for everyone to post (copy and paste) for EE in grade 12 reports:

The extended essay is an in-depth study of a focused topic resulting in a 4,000 word analytical essay. It promotes academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in independent research on a topic of their choice under the guidance of their supervisor. By engaging with the theories, tools and techniques of their discipline, students gain valuable experience and further develop their ability to think critically.

• For Extended Essay please comment on their work throughout the process.
• For grade mark N/A.