Value of the Extended Essay

Value of the Extended Essay The Extended Essay is a 400-word dissertation style essay, which forms part of the core of the IB Diploma, along with TOK and CAS. Following a course teaching research and essay writing skills, the Essay is written on a topic of the student’s choosing. Completing the Extended Essay (EE) gives students the opportunity to produce a unique piece of work on a subject of interest to them, as well as to develop skills which will be extremely useful when they reach University.

The Extended Essay is a 400-word dissertation style essay, which forms part of the core of the IB Diploma, along with TOK and CAS. Following a course teaching research and essay writing skills, the Essay is written on a topic of the student’s choosing. Completing the Extended Essay (EE) gives students the opportunity to produce a unique piece of work on a subject of interest to them, as well as to develop skills which will be extremely useful when they reach University.

Students are able to develop many transferable practical research skills. For example, how to locate and assess the reliability of sources, how to make research notes, and how to reference accurately – all of which are essential skills for University. In addition, the EE also provides an opportunity to develop their soft skills. The reflective nature of the process encourages students to consider the effectiveness of their own ways of working, in order to find solutions and refine their ways of working. Successfully completing their projects requires students to develop their self-management skills, including; managing their workload effectively, and maintaining motivation. This leads to the development of strategies which they can employ in the future, throughout their educational journeys. Finally, the process offers students the opportunity to experience working with a supervisor in a collegiate style, encouraging them to take a mature approach to communicating and working with others.

This time of year marks the beginning of the EE process for our Year 12 students, Year 13 having finished before Christmas. Students have now selected a topic which interests them and have been allocated a supervisor who will support them in transforming this into a finished research question. At this stage, students are busily researching their chosen topics, in order to provide the knowledge to underpin their essays. The process is broken down into many stages, in order to help students maintain their motivation and enthusiasm. This year looks set to be our most diverse range of essay titles yet, with topics widely spread across the IB Diploma subjects.

Simon Hoare

English Teacher / Extended Essay Leader