Extended Essay
I have had some really interesting research projects (extended essays) from students who have gone on to study a variety of subjects at university. As they chose a research topic which interested them, they all managed to maintain (more or less) the momentum in their essays and produced good essays. The IB's Extended Essay website is an excellent source of information about every aspect of the Extended Essay. It provides pedagogical advice as well as student-focused information. I will concentrate on giving advice that is pertinent to ESS.
What is an Extended Essay?
An extended essay is a 4000 word essay focusing on academic research in a specific discipline.
What are the changes in the new iteration (from May 2027)
The biggest change for ESS is that it can no longer be one of the choices of the interdisciplinary essay. It is now only to be used as a subject specific essay (a cross-disciplinary essay). It still should take a systems approach and focus on the relationships and issues between an environmental issue and it's impact on ecosystems and societies. Indeed, the IB states, “Ensure that the research question focuses on an environmental issue with a social impact context.”.
What is my role as a Supervisor?
I like to think of the supervisor as a guide and mentor through the process. For me, the start of the process is where the supervisor is most crucial. Once the student has a topic, it is your conversations during the "check-ins" which will help them shape their thinking develop a research question. Getting the research question right is essential for a successful essay. I also believe that the research question can be developed right up the last drafting round.
Why write an ESS Essay?
An ESS essay is an opportunity for a student to investigate an environmental problem in a unique way. ESS essays are very diverse with some rooted in scientific practice and others exploring ideas using a more geographical approach. I encourage students to study a local problem and this is often what stimulates their interest in the first instance. Perhaps they have heard me talk about the pollution from sewage overflow, eutrophication in the local lake, water quality in Zurich or the carbon footprint of the school. ESS essays give the opportunity for data collection using a variety of methods with comparisons to secondary data if possible.
Some of my students have taken a case study in a distant location and used lab experiments to model the problems. This can also be a successful strategy.