The Elements of the International Baccalaureate Diploma

The above diagram illustrates the compact and integrated nature of the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme.

Students of the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme select six subjects for a two year (Year 12 and 13) course. The philosophy of this programme requires students to take courses which respect and appreciate the different areas of learning in order to provide a holistic concurrent education.

The areas of learning are divided into six components with the Extended Essay, the Theory of Knowledge Course and the CAS programme as essential elements of the course, and the thrust of the Theory of Knowledge course is evident in each subject, not just in the course itself. This helps to produce students who are independent thinkers.

The extended essay

Students may choose their own topic related to any subject offered within the IB Diploma Programme. This offers the opportunity to investigate a topic in depth and to research independently. The detailed structure of this essay follows the expectations of similar work undertaken at university. The prescribed limit is a maximum of 4000 words, and teacher supervision and guidance is provided throughout. The first draft is started towards the end of the first year and the final version is completed in the second year of study, when the student is at their most mature. Many exemplars are available for inspection from the Queen Margaret College library and from the Diploma Coordinator.

The theory of knowledge (TOK) course

The interdisciplinary TOK course is designed to provide coherence by exploring the nature of knowledge across disciplines and by encouraging an appreciation of other cultural perspectives. In simple terms, students attend these biweekly lessons where they have an opportunity to explore and reflect on the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing. Students reflect on the knowledge, beliefs and opinions that they have built up from their years of academic studies and their lives outside the classroom. Assessment is undertaken through an exhibition - assessing the ability of the student to show how TOK manifests in the world around us and an essay – engaging students in a more formal and sustained piece of writing in response to a title focused on the areas of knowledge.

The creativity, activity, service (CAS) programme

Participation in the school’s CAS programme encourages students to be involved in artistic pursuits, sports and community service work, thus fostering a student’s awareness and appreciation of life outside the academic arena. A reflective journal is kept in which a student indicates individual growth and awareness. Whilst there is no definitive assessment for this part of the Diploma, all three components must be satisfactorily completed in the student’s own time. Students are timetabled for CAS as part of their regular schedule and teachers provide guidance and mentoring.

Assessment

Throughout the programme, students are assessed both internally and externally in ways that measure individual performance against stated objectives for each subject.

Internal assessment

In nearly all subjects at least some of the assessment is carried out internally by teachers, who mark individual pieces of work produced as part of a course of study. Examples include oral exercises in language subjects, projects, student portfolios, class presentations, practical laboratory work, mathematical investigations and artistic performances. All such work is moderated by the IBO to maintain world-wide standards.

External assessment

ϐ Some assessment tasks are conducted and overseen by teachers without the restrictions of examination conditions but are then marked externally by examiners. Examples include the TOK essay and the Extended Essay.

ϐ Because of the greater degree of objectivity and reliability provided by the standard examination environment, and the fact that standards of marking must remain the same on a world-wide basis, externally marked examinations produce very credible and fair results.

ϐ The grading system is criterion based (results are determined by performance against set standards, not by each student’s position in the overall rank order): validity, reliability and fairness are the watchwords of the Diploma Programme’s assessment strategy.