It’s Extended Essay marking time again. Although the essays do not actually have to be with the examiner until 15 March many have already arrived. One aspect that is very noticeable is the quality of the comments written by the supervisor on the inside of the cover sheet. The worst are where there is no comment and I feel sorry for the student who has been supervised by someone who cannot even be bothered to comment on their work. Many of the best supervisor’s comments refer to the viva voce and give some of the questions asked and the student’s responses.  It is not a requirement that a viva voce is given but I feel it makes for a good closure to the whole Extended Essay process. Unless the supervisor is concerned that the work has been plagiarised or that the student does not understand what they have written it should not be a formal oral examination – more an opportunity for the student to reflect on what they have learned. Perhaps the name viva voce is unfortunate as normally it is applied to the oral defence of a thesis such as a Ph.D (unless it refers to the American Indie Rock band from Portland – see image). I was rather concerned to find one school treating it exactly like a Ph.D oral. Before the supervisor’s written report there was a statement to the effect that the viva voce takes the form of a ten minute public defence of the Extended Essay  in front of ‘a team of EE Examiners’, invited guests, other Diploma students etc. The student has to outline the steps taken to decide the research question, how the sources of information were identified, how the data used in the EE was obtained, the results of the research, the conclusion drawn and the bibliography of sources used. At the end of the process the ‘team of EE examiners’ has to be satisfied that it is the candidates own work. I pity the students in this school. They already have enough pressure on them to complete the IB Diploma – extra pressure like this is totally unnecessary and goes against the spirit of what is intended by an EE viva voce – that is, a one to one discussion with the supervisor.