LibGuides: Extended Essay 专题论文: STEP 4. First Formal Reflection Session

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Preparation for the first Reflection session

As preparation for their first reflection session, students should do the following.

Bring your Research Proposal, RRS to the meeting.
Think about several potential research questions to discuss with your supervisor.
Read the subject-specific section of the Extended essay guide for the subject they are interested in, paying particular attention to the nature of the subject and the treatment of the topic.
Undertake further background reading and begin to gather information around their area of interest. This exploration should give rise to a variety of topics and questions that you can consider for further research. At this stage it is important that you consider the availability of reliable and valid sources for the topic under consideration. All of this should be recorded in their Researcher’s reflection space.
Begin developing an annotated article or preliminary bibliography. Additionally, you must already be thinking in terms of the following questions.
- Is my topic appropriate for the subject I am considering?
- Why am I interested in this area and why is it important?
- What possible questions have emerged from my initial reading?
- Are there any ethical issues that I need to consider?
- What possible methods or approaches might be used for research in this area and why?

source from: IB

Reflecting throughout the research process

Reflection is a continual process. If you are constantly considering the decisions you are making in the extended essay (EE) process, you are better able to avoid the common pitfalls of independent research. Reflection also helps you plan, allowing you to monitor your progress.

The following table identifies three stages in the review process and the kinds of questions you can usefully consider at each. It also suggests what evidence you might use in your reflection sessions to demonstrate your progress and learning.

source from: IB

Stage	Types of questions you may ask yourself	Evidence from my researcher’s reflection space
Initial: Planning stages	What am I interested in researching and why? What are my motivations for undertaking research in this area? How will I begin the research process? Is my chosen topic appropriate for the subject I have chosen to complete it in? Do I have sufficient knowledge of the subject area to fulfill the criteria of an EE? What possible question(s) might I research? How might I go about undertaking this research? Do I have access to appropriate sources? Are my chosen research methods appropriate for the subject I have chosen to complete it in? Are there any ethical issues I need to consider before pursuing this area of research? Is there sufficient focus to my research area?	Mind map® Annotated section of the Extended essay guide Annotated bibliography Annotated photograph, newspaper article, and so on
Background reading stage	What have I learned about my subject area so far? What questions are emerging? Are these similar or different to my initial questions? Given the initial reading I have undertaken on the subject, is my research question appropriate for the subject I am submitting my EE in? Is my research question manageable within the word limit of the EE? Will my research question allow me to think critically about the topic I am researching? If it suggests a descriptive response, how might I need to change it to allow for more critical thinking? Are there any challenges that I need to overcome in order to achieve my desired outcomes?	Notes Annotated article Brainstorm of questions Mind map® of potential challenges and possible strategies

Reflections on planning and progress form

The Reflections on planning and progress form enables examiners to gain an insight into students’ thinking processes while researching and writing the EE. The examiners are looking to see how students’ thinking and skills have developed during this time.

The assessment criterion E (engagement) will be applied in the assessment of students’ reflections. Representing 18% of the total grade, this is an extremely important part of the overall EE assessment.

It is important to stress with students that examiners want to gain an insight into their thinking processes throughout their experience with the EE. Criterion E assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, after considering the student’s RPPF.

This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, and is based solely on the candidate’s reflections as detailed on the RPPF, with the supervisory comments and extended essay itself as context. Only the first 500 words are assessable.

Level	Descriptor of strands and indicators
0	The work does not reach a standard outlined by the descriptors, an RPPF has not been submitted, or the RPPF has been submitted in a language other than that of the essay.
1–2	Engagement is limited. Reflections on decision-making and planning are mostly descriptive. These reflections communicate a limited degree of personal engagement with the research focus and/or research process.
3–4	Engagement is good. Reflections on decision-making and planning are analytical and include reference to conceptual understanding and skill development. These reflections communicate a moderate degree of personal engagement with the research focus and process of research, demonstrating some intellectual initiative.
5–6	Engagement is excellent. Reflections on decision-making and planning are evaluative and include reference to the student’s capacity to consider actions and ideas in response to challenges experienced in the research process. These reflections communicate a high degree of intellectual and personal engagement with the research focus and process of research, demonstrating authenticity, intellectual initiative and/or creative approach in the student voice.

What's Expected?

E: Engagement

Handy Links:

Criterion E: Engagement

What It Means: This criterion assesses the student’s engagement with their research focus and the research process. It will be applied by the examiner at the end of the assessment of the essay, after considering the student’s RPPF (Reflections on planning and progress form).

Questions to ask:

Have you demonstrated your engagement with your research topic and the research process?
Have you highlighted challenges you faced and how you overcame them?
Will the examiner get a sense of your intellectual and skills development?
Will the examiner get a sense of your creativity and intellectual initiative?
Will the examiner get a sense of how you responded to actions and ideas in the research process?

(Source: IBO.org)

To-dos at this stage

Schedule the 1st formal reflection meeting with your supervisor by March 1

Go through this webpage and review the PPT titled 'How to Write the Best EE Reflections' on MB

Complete first reflection in RPPF and submit on MB by March 4

Post your Reflections on Managebac:

3 Total Reflections

Total word count for all 3 Reflections (1st Meeting, Interim Meeting, and Viva Voce) = 500 Words

Must have met with your Supervisor prior to writing/posting your reflection to Managebac

Suggestion: Write them on a Microsoft Word so you can use the Word Count, Formatting, and Editing tools you need then copy/paste to Managebac.

Reflections are graded using criterion E: Engagement, earning you a maximum of 6 points for your EE.

Language: Complete your 3 reflections in the same language as the EE

Examples of the RPPF

Reflection Prompts

While these suggestions aren’t fail-proof, these sentence starters might helps to encourage more reflection and evaluation, rather than description:

This topic about _________ interests me because
I chose to write about _________ because
I have now modified my research question because__________
When researching for secondary source material, I found that
When citing secondary sources, I have learned that
When structuring my essay, I know I need to
At first, I_____however, now I _______
Now that I have written a first draft, I understand that
So far, my organisational skills have been _____ because
I am developing my analytical skills by
After my supervisor suggested that I ______ I am now intending to
After receiving feedback, I have decided to
Next, I intend to
Before my final submission, I need to
One challenge I have faced is
I have had difficulty
When editing my essay, I noticed that
My time-management skills have
One limitation of my essay is that
I believe one successful aspect of my essay is that
If I were to do the essay again, I would
If I had more time, I would have

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Extended Essay 专题论文: STEP 4. First Formal Reflection Session