DULWICH COLLEGE SHANGHAI
The extended essay cover: the supervisor's responsibilities
"Supervisors who do not comment on their candidates' essay do them a disservice . . . In approximately 50% of cases supervisors did not provide any comments to inform the examiner about matters not clearly evident from the essay."
Extended essay report
The final submission: the supervisor's responsibilities
Supervisor's Report
The inside of the extended essay cover is to be filled out by the supervisor as the final step before handing the extended essay over to the IB coordinator. You should clearly print your name in capital letters.
Supervisor's comments
The main area is reserved for you to write comments. It is strongly recommended that you do so.These comments are most helpful for the examiner and should refer to process-related comments. They can point out difficulties, such as second language, or difficulty with sources. They can praise the efforts, determination and achievements of the candidate as well as "unusual intellectual inventiveness or persistence in the face of unexpected difficulties" (Guide, Viva Voce p. 20)
How important are these comments?
Put simply, examiners do read them and use them in their assessment.
It is especially useful for supervisors to cover themselves where a candidate has not taken advice or met the supervisor, between the original acceptance and handing in the essay. It does happen!
For a more concrete discussion of the importance of these comments, see the section below on criterion K: holistic judgment.
How many hours - what does this mean?
Teachers are often confused about this. It is often interpreted as the total amount of time spent on the extended essay but this is not entirely the case. You are required to state how many hours you spent with the candidate discussing the progress of the essay. This does not include the time you have spent reading and commenting on the essay. However, it does include time spent in group meetings when you are going over specific concepts like the abstract, the bibliography or the meaning of specific criteria.
Your declaration
There are three declarations that require confirmation by the supervisor by their signature.
* You have read the final version (you know what is being submitted)
* You are confident that the essay is the student's own work (refer to topics on plagiarism and so on)
* You spent the stated hours with the student
Reflect upon them and be sure you are happy to confirm them.
Dulwich Word blank.doc