Extended Essay – Grade 12 notes & checklist

1. Extended Essay – Grade 12 notes & checklist

2. What the extended essay is… • Independent research supervised by a teacher • In a topic YOU choose from one of the IB subject areas • On a question YOU develop • Presented in 4000 words • In accordance with IB requirements

3. What the extended essay is not… • It is NOT a review of the literature • It is NOT a book report or plot summary • It is NOT everything you ever learned about your subject • It is NOT your opinion, your thoughts, or your beliefs

4. Supervisors will not… • Tell you what to do • Give you an RQ • Give you research resources • Edit your work • Remind you of the deadlines • Chase you down • Sign your cover page and complete a supervisor’s report if they have not seen you throughout the process and receive a rough draft by Nov 1.

5. Writing the Paper • If you have done thorough research, and thought about your thesis and argument, papers tend to write themselves. Make your case and integrate your evidence. • Use scholarly sources and evidence from experts • Be able to justify why you used the evidence you did to support each point you make • It is not about what you think but what you can prove • Integrate your evidence smoothly and cite everything! • It is a persuasive essay not a descriptive piece.

6. Using Evidence • Like in English…Point; Proof; Explanation! • State your claim. Include your evidence and relate it to your claim. • Comment on the evidence to show how it supports your claim. • Include counter-argument evidence.

7. Evidence • Without a claim… • Evidence is not persuasive! • Without evidence… • A claim is not persuasive!

8. Evidence example • To support an RQ: “do teens who multi-task perform less well academically in high schools in Ontario?”

9. Evidence Claim: students who listen to music while studying do less well on tests. (this is my thought based on what I have read and it supports my thesis) It is nothing without some evidence.

10. Evidence • Find an expert or a researcher who has studied this. • Use databases…you know like Questiaschool or the Virtual Library DAFR4553@hwdsb.on.ca Pw: Ancaster (case sensitive)

11. Evidence to support claim • Although many students may believe they can switch back and forth between different tasks with no serious consequences to their academic performance, multitasking has been shown to dramatically increase the number of memory errors and the processing time required to "learn" topics that involve a significant cognitive load (Rubenstein, Meyer, and Evans, 2008). Found on Questiaschool Critically evaluate: • Who are these people? • Have they written on it before? • Are they experts? • The study is older? Has research changed since? • Was this a peer-reviewed journal? • Can their findings be related to my topic? Is it externally valid? • Was the study well done? • If I get satisfactory answers to these questions, then I move on with this as a piece of evidence.

12. Integrating evidence The older, but still important study by Rubenstein et al. (2008) of university students and their abilities to focus while using laptops at the same time, clearly showed evidence that students are not effectively able to switch between tasks and still perform at their highest level. This study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, while looking at university-aged students, was performed under conditions currently found in Ontario high schools and therefore, is evidence that similar limitations exist in our high school students attempting to multi-task.

13. Scholarly writing • Scholarly writing is hard… • You have to have the best expert evidence • You have to analyse it • You have to tie everything together to make a compelling argument around your thesis • Your voice has to shine through

14. The Extended Essay It is about the rules! • Read the EE Guide • Make sure your RQ is in the right Subject – your essay will be submitted to an examiner in YOUR subject • This is NOT the place for interdisciplinary topics • Did we mention? Read the EE Guide

15. It’s about the sources! • Do not rely uncritically on Internet sources • Analyze your sources IN your essay • Primary sources over secondary sources • No encyclopedia-like sources • No textbooks • No Wikipedia!! • Range and balance of sources Critically evaluate! See Guide 3 for help!

16. Let’s talk Plagiarism • EACH fact, idea, quote, chart, graph, picture, number not your own must be sourced (with page number) • The direct or indirect use of the words of another person MUST be sourced. (paraphrasing doesn’t mean no citation) • Restating someone’s ideas EVEN IF not copied is plagiarism! • The solution: CITATIONS • Be consistent in citation style • Manage sources as you do your research: research notes

17. Where do I get help? • EE Guide 2 & 3 • On the Library website under Extended Essay • From EE Coordinator (questions about submission, format etc) • From your Supervisor (questions about topic, sources etc.) • From Librarians everywhere! (help with finding good sources) • Forms http://schools.hwdsb.on.ca/ancasterhigh/library-2/extended-essay/ee-forms/

18. Important Dates • Rough draft through turnitin.com Nov 1 • Rough draft complete by Nov 1 • Submission of rough draft to Supervisor for review Nov 1 with Originality report from turnitin.com • Meeting with Supervisor for feedback (nothing written, you must take notes!) by Nov 30 • Improvements, changes, re-writing, fixing problems Done by Dec 10 • Submit final essay Dec 13 (see next slide)

19. Submitting your essay • Final draft due – Friday December 13, 2013 by 2:45 pm • One electronic copy sent to Ms. Swackhammer • 3 hard copies • 1 for your Supervisor • 1 for the IB-appointed examiner • 1 for the library/Ms. Swackhammer • To turnitin.com class ID: 5724364 class name: EEClass2014 enrollment password: EEssay

20. But before you submit…when you think you’re done! • Check your notes from the Supervisor meeting…did you fix everything? • Use the Essay Checklist (EE Guide 3) • Proofread carefully and critically • Content – how clear are my ideas and arguments • Mechanics – grammar, spelling, formatting of references, etc.

21. I think I’m done?! Now you need to write an abstract: • An overview of your essay in 300 words or less • Should be written last, but comes immediately after the title page, on its own page • The abstract needs to state clearly: • The research question being investigated • How your investigation was conducted • The conclusion(s) of your essay • Purposes: • To encourage you to check the development of your analysis and arguments • To allow readers and potential readers to get a quick overview of your research

22. There’s more??? Formal presentation • Word count • Examiners are not required to read past 4000 words • Overall presentation and neatness (font restrictions, page numbers, title page, table of contents etc.) See Guide 3 for details • Illustrative material is relevant and properly labeled/captioned • Contents page is clear and correct • Pages are numbered throughout • References • In a style appropriate to your subject • Used consistently • Used whenever appropriate for academically honest research • Bibliography • [Appendices] • Don’t put anything crucial in an appendix – examiners don’t have to read these, either!

23. Am I done yet?? Assembling your EE • Title page • Abstract • [Acknowledgments] • Contents page • Introduction • Body (development/methods/results) • Conclusion (Intro, body, conclusion do not have to be separately labeled.) • References and Bibliography • [Appendices ]

24. Title page • Title • Should provide a clear idea of the focus of the essay • Does not have to be in the form of a question • Candidate name • Candidate number • Ancaster High School • Examination Session: May 2014 • Subject • Word count (see next slide)

25. Word count • Includes introduction, body, conclusion (and quotations) • Does NOT include: • Abstract • Acknowledgments • Contents page • Charts, tables, diagrams, illustrations, tables, equations • References • Bibliography • Appendices • Save a version of your EE without these items to get the word count

26. Binding & Submission • Do not hole-punch or staple your paper. • It will be bound by a “treasury clip” • Submit three copies, plus your turnitin Originality report • Complete and sign the cover sheet • You are declaring the work to be your own and that you have cited all ideas used throughout.

27. Concluding interview w/your supervisor (viva voce) • Strongly recommended • To take place between December 13 and Jan. 31 • 10-15 minutes • Reflect on successes and difficulties in the process, and on what you’ve learned • Helps your supervisor write his/her report

28. Assessment of EEs • EEs are externally assessed on a scale from 0 to 36. • Probable grade boundaries • A: 30-36 • B: 25-29 • C: 17-24 • D: 9-16 • E: 0-8 • In combination with TOK, the EE contributes up to 3 points to the total score for the IB Diploma.

29. TOK/EE points matrix * 28 points required for IB Diploma, instead of 24

30. A: Research question

31. B: Introduction

32. C: Investigation

33. D: Knowledge and understanding of the topic

34. E: Reasoned argument

35. F: Application of analytical and evaluative skills

36. G: Use of language appropriate to the subject

37. H: Conclusion

38. I: Formal presentation

39. J: Abstract The requirements for the abstract are for it to state clearly the research question that was investigated, how the investigation was undertaken and the conclusion(s) of the essay.

40. K: Holistic judgment The purpose of this criterion is to assess the qualities that distinguish an essay from the average, such as intellectual initiative, depth of understanding and insight. While these qualities will be clearly present in the best work, less successful essays may also show some evidence of them and should be rewarded under this criterion.

41. Anything else? • See your supervisor to schedule a concluding interview (viva voce) NOW, you’re done! Congratulations!