| Students are required to undertake original research and write an extended essay of 4,000 words. This essay offers the opportunity to investigate a topic of special interest and to develop the kind of independent research and writing skills expected at university level. Students devote approximately 40 hours of private study and writing time to the essay. A student may choose to write on a topic in one of 23 subjects. The extended essay can serve to deepen a student’s existing programme of study, or add to the breadth of their academic experience by writing on a subject they do not study. |
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Supervision: Students are appropriately supervised as they write their essays. The supervisor will be a staff member able to provide academic guidance in the subject chosen. Supervisors also provide guidance on time management and overall structure and presentation of the paper, and ensure that the essay is the candidate’s own work.
Assessment: Extended essays are assessed according to both general and subject-specific criteria. The general criteria relate to the appropriateness of the research question, the way in which the material is handled, the level of analysis and the quality of the argument. Subject-specific assessment criteria relate to how candidates manage their chosen topic within the context of the subject in which the essay is registered. |
| Essays are printed, bound and kept as part of the reference section of the school library. Topics from past students have included such titles as:
“Man’s Impact of the Clutha River Environment”
“Battle Tactics & Strategies for Stalingrad”
“Incorporating Music in the Therapeutic Treatment of Psychiatric Patients”
“Anaerobic Biodegradation of Non-ionic Surfactants”
“A Comparison of the Perceptions of Absinthe in Victorian Poetry”
“The Effect of Computer Piracy on the Music Industry” |
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