Who's who?

The Supervisee (the student)

All the following text is taken directly from the IB EE Guide

• Choose a subject from the available extended essay list. See Diploma Programme coordinator or extended essay coordinator for details. 

• Ensure that the starting point for your essay is a subject that is available, or in the case of the world studies extended essay, an issue of global, contemporary significance within one of the six world studies themes. 

• Observe the regulations with regard to the extended essay, including the IB’s  ethical guidelines. 

• Read and understand the subject-specific requirements for the subject in which you intend to complete your extended essay, including the interpretation of the assessment criteria. 

• Meet all internal deadlines set by your school in relation to the extended essay. 

• Understand concepts related to academic honesty, including plagiarism and collusion, for example, and ensure that you have acknowledged all sources of information and ideas in a consistent manner. This also includes understanding the implications of the General regulations: Diploma Programme should there be a breach of these. 

• Attend three mandatory reflection sessions with your supervisor, the last of which is the viva voce. 

• Record your reflections on the Reflections on planning and progress form for submission as part of the assessment of criterion E (engagement). 

Students are recommended to: 

• develop a Researcher’s reflection space as a planning tool 

• use the Researcher’s reflection space to prepare for reflection sessions 

• share excerpts from the Researcher’s reflection space with the supervisor during the reflection sessions 

• choose a subject, followed by a topic, and then think carefully about the research question for their essay 

• plan how, when and where they will find material and sources for their essay before deciding on the final topic and research question 

• plan a schedule for both the researching and writing of their extended essay, including extra time for delays and unforeseen problems 

• record sources as their research progresses using their Researcher’s reflection space rather than trying to reconstruct a list at the end 

• make the most of their supervision and reflection sessions by arriving prepared to discuss their work 

• have a clear structure for the essay before beginning to write 

• check and proofread the final version of their extended essay 

• make sure that the version they submit for assessment is the final version with all sources correctly and consistently referenced 

• ensure that all requirements are met. 

The Supervisor

All the following text is taken directly from the IB EE Guide.

Supervisors are required to:

• undertake three mandatory reflection sessions with each student they are supervising 

• sign and date each reflection summarized on the Reflections on planning and progress form and provide comments at the end of the process. If the form and essay are submitted via the eCoursework system, then it is deemed signed and authenticated. A blank or unsubmitted RPPF will score a 0 for criterion E. 

• provide students with advice and guidance in the skills of undertaking research 

• encourage and support students throughout the research and writing of the extended essay 

• discuss the choice of topic with each student and, in particular, help to formulate a well-focused 

• research question which is suitable to the subject of registration and ensure that the chosen research question satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with regard to health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues 

• is familiar with the regulations governing the extended essay and the assessment criteria, and gives copies of these to students monitor the progress of the extended essay to offer guidance and to ensure that the essay is the student’s own work (this may include presenting a section of the essay for supervisor comment)

• read and comment on one draft only of the extended essay (but do not edit the draft); this should take place after the interim reflection session, but before the final reflection session, the viva voce 

• ensure that the final version of the essay is handed in before the final reflection session (viva voce) takes place, and that no changes are made to it subsequently

• read the final version and, in conjunction with the viva voce, confirm its authenticity. 

The EE Coordinator

At ISB this is Mrs McCosh

All the following text is taken directly from the IB EE Guide

• Ensure that extended essays conform to the regulations outlined in the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme. 

• Ensure that students select the subject for their extended essays from the list of available subjects for the May or November session in question (in the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme) before choosing a topic. Ensure that each student has an appropriately qualified supervisor, who is a teacher within the school.

• Introduce, explain and support the reflection process.

• Provide supervisors and students with the general and subject-specific information and guidelines for the extended essay contained in this guide and the accompanying teacher support material.

• Ensure that the Reflections on planning and progress form (RPPF) is completed and signed by the student and supervisor and submitted to the IB with the essay for assessment under criterion E by the deadline stated in the Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme.

• Provide exemplars of extended essays to supervisors and students. 

• Ensure that supervisors and students are familiar with the IB documents 

• Academic honesty in the IB educational context and Effective citing and referencing. 

• Explain to students the importance of the extended essay in the overall context of the Diploma Programme, including the requirement to achieve a D grade or higher in order to be awarded the Diploma. 

• Explain to students that they will be expected to spend up to 40 hours on their extended essay.