Protocols for completing and submitting the Reflections on planning and progress form

Completing the Reflections on planning and progress form (RPPF) is a requirement for the submission of the extended essay. It plays an important role in the assessment of the final essay and of the student’s engagement with the process of independent research.

The maximum total word limit for the three reflections on the RPPF is 500 words. Examiners will not read or assess beyond the maximum limit. Students whose word count exceeds this will compromise the assessment of their reflection as higher order reflections are be more likely to be present in the latter stages of the reflection process.

It should be noted that the RPPF must be completed in the language of the student’ s extended essay submission for assessment by the allocated examiner.

The follow chart from the IB manual is offered as guidance:

An important note:

Once students have written their reflection and have been signed and dated by their supervisor they must not make changes to these comments. Examiners want to see the progression of ideas through the three reflection comments and if students make amendments at a later stage of the process this will undermine the authenticity of their experiences and affect the way in which examiners apply criterion E.

In appropriate circumstances, the reflection statements are not qualitatively changed, supervisors may oversee and authorize the deletion of content from the first and interim reflections in order to enable a student to include sufficient words in his/her final reflection. It is, however, expected that early in the extended essay process students will receive appropriate guidance regarding the allocation of words to the three reflection statements.

Before the student begin the student EE….

• Did the student choose a topic and undertake some background reading in it?
• Does the student have a preliminary research question?
• Did the student incorporate an IB command term in the research question if possible?
• Does the student have an outline plan for the research and writing process?
• Did the student include a timeline and the due dates for the EE?
• Did the student start to identify how and where the student will gather source material for the student research?
• Identify which system of academic referencing/citing (MLA, APA, etc.)?
• Does this meet the minimum requirements for the EE in the student selected subject area?
• Did the student set deadlines for self that are realistic and take into consideration the internal deadlines set by the EE Coordinator at Ironwood?
• Does the student have an outline for the essay? This may change as the research Is gathered, but it is useful to have a sense of direction from the start.

If the student discovers that it will not be possible to obtain the evidence needed in the time available, the research question should be changed.

• Continue to gather the student data for the research. The material collected should be assembled in a logical order, linked to the structure of the essay and clearly focused on the research question posed. When the student know that the student has enough evidence for each stage of the argument so that the student can proceed with the student essay.
• Be prepared for things to occasionally go wrong.
• If the student discovers that the research gathered does not support the student research question, the student research plan and question needs to be revised.