Ia.docx

Clarification of the IA from different official IB sources Rationale for this page Many of the questions I receive on this website and indeed many of the issues discussed at workshops and on the OCC forum are concerned with the new IA. This is understandable as there are considerable changes from the internal assessment of the whole Practical Scheme of Work that took place under the old programme.

One of the problems that teachers are facing is that the “official” IB information seems to come from a variety of different sources. Most of these are essentially repeating the same thing but in others there appears to be some differences of interpretation and in some cases actual disagreement. It seems to me unreasonable that teachers should be expected to be completely familiar with all the statements in all of these different sources. I cannot help wondering if the processes of the IB are becoming so complicated that they are beginning to obscure the teaching and learning. For example, this is the first time to my knowledge that the IB has had to issue a document entitled

“Frequently Asked Questions” which attempts to answer 70 different questions relating to a new programme. The relevant sources giving the “official” IB information include: The Subject Guide The Teacher’s Support Material The Information Handbook (for IB Coordinators) The document titled “Group 4 Sciences - Frequently Asked Questions” IB Diploma Coordinator’s notes (these are published every three months) Official statements given via the Moderators on the OCC discussion forum All of these are available on the OCC.

The Chemistry Guide (First Assessment 2016) In the past the guide has always been seen as the definitive document. “If it is not in the guide then it cannot be examined etc.” Several versions of The Chemistry Guide (First Assessment 2016) have appeared with each one correcting errors in the earlier versions. The latest version is dated February 2015. It still contains several errors. Two of these have been announced on the OCC discussion forumand will be confirmed in the February 2016 IB Diploma Coordinator’s notes. These were announced officially on 8 October 2015 by one of the OCC moderators, Maria Muniz Valcarcel. Although these are not related to the IA they are: 

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In D.4, under the section on guidance, the correct version on HTML reads: Structures for ranitidine and omeprazole can be found in the data booklet in section 37. The pdf version is incorrect and reads Structures for ranitidine and esomeprazole can be found in the data booklet in section 37. Topic 20.1 Reduction Reactions. Writing reduction reactions of carbonyl containing compounds: aldehydes and ketones to primary and secondary alcohols and carboxylic acids to alcohols, using suitable reducing agents. (This replaces "Writing reduction reactions of carbonyl containing

compounds: aldehydes and ketones to primary and secondary alcohols and carboxylic acids to aldehydes, using suitable reducing agents.") The Guide does state how the new Internal Assessment should be organised and how it will be assessed. It states clearly that only the ten hour individual investigation will be assessed, how it will be assessed (the five criteria), and that the write-up should be “about 6 to 12 pages long” but it does not elucidate further as to what constitutes a page etc. It also lists the mandatory practical areas, which will not be assessed as part of the IA (although there will be some questions on practical work in Section A of Paper 3), and states that only one completed form 4/PSOW is required for each class and level (previously each student required a completed 4/PSOW). It makes no mention of the fact that students must also cover the same five areas of the use of ICT that were required for the old programme and which still need to be indicated as completed on the new form 4/PSOW. A chemistry data booklet is also provided. It is worth noting that at least six different versions of this have appeared on the OCC. The latest version is Chemistry data booklet - First assessment 2016 - Fourth edition - Published June 2014 - Updated January 2017.

The Teacher’s Support Material This provides useful information and examples of student work to aid the teacher. Although it expands upon the five areas of ICT it still does not state explicitly that students must experience each one at least once during the two year Practical Scheme of Work. It also lists the mandatory practical areas but omits “15.1 Perform lab experiments which could include single replacement reactions in aqueous solutions” from the list." The TSM again repeats that the individual investigation write-up should be 6-12 pages long but gives no further guidance on font size, size of paper or whether an abstract is required etc.

Group 4 Sciences - Frequently Asked Questions

This document first appeared on the OCC during September 2015. It gave helpful information as what should and what should not be included in the 612 pages of the individual investigation write-up. Note that it was updated in January 2016 and it is important that you read this thoroughly as it has clarified many of the issues (see the bottom of the page). In the answer to question 40 the Spetember 2105 version stated, “There are no formal guidelines with regard to font size or style, margins or paper size. Teachers and students are expected to use common sense and follow the style that they normally adopt in school. This would usually mean a font size of between 10 and 12 pt, and a style that can clearly be read by teachers and moderators. The student does not need to include a cover page because the form 4/ICCS exists to provide all the relevant information. In addition, no abstract, nor table of contents is required.” In the above statement it makes no reference to an appendix. However in the response to question 33 it stated, “There is a 12 page limit for the internal assessment report and an appendix must not be included." This would also seem to imply that there is a 12 page limit, which cannot be exceeded. In the answer to question 35 the reply was, “There is a 12 page limit but there is no automatic penalty for going over. However, the communication criterion specifies the report must be concise to obtain the highest grades.” This is confirmed by a statement made on the OCC discussion forum by the other chemistry moderator, Catrin Brown, who wrote on 18 September 2015, “We have been given the following information: As stated in the Guide, the report should be limited to around 6-12 pages, without automatic penalties for a report that is slightly longer, as long as the report remains relevant and concise. The Communication statement: "The report is relevant and concise thereby facilitating a ready understanding of the focus, process and outcomes of the investigation", is more likely to be met by a report of about this length. A sensible stance in relation to presentation with regard to font size and margin width should be held; to ensure that good communication skills are demonstrated. In the same way, graphs should not be reduced to such

a size that they become uninformative, simply to stay within the page limit. Candidates should not add on appendices in addition to a write up of about 12 pages and should not send in excessive quantities of raw data from data loggers (although showing an example of how raw data have been processed will be helpful to the moderator). Reams of extra work should not be submitted; teachers marking the work should annotate it if they judge the processed results to be a true reflection of the raw data from, for example, a data logger. Full calculations are not expected to be shown, examples will suffice and a worked example from a calculation carried out on a spread sheet or a programmable calculator will not be expected." The Frequently Asked Questions document is the only document that clearly states that students must have experience of using all five types of ICT at least once during the two year Practical Scheme of Work. In answer to question 19 which asks about whether data logging is required for the IA it still states in the updated version, “No, as stated in the group 4 subject guides, data logging software may be used in assessed investigations, although it is not mandatory and so students will not be penalised. However, in order to implement aim 7 in practice, students are required to use a data logger in an experiment at least once during the course, which is authenticated by means of entries on the 4/PSOW. Note that data logging software is available for mobile devices and for some graphing calculators, so a school that does not have traditional data loggers can seek cheaper ways to fulfil this requirement. The above guidance also applies to graph plotting software, spread sheets, databases and simulations.” The 2015 version of the Frequently Asked Questions document was very helpful but in one area it is now completely out of date. Question 53 asks. "Is there a plan to upload IA samples?" The answer was: “Not at the moment. For the time being sample work will still be sent to the moderator as a hard copy. There are plans to upload more student work electronically and IB DP Coordinators will be informed of any changes.” Just one month later this instruction changed. In the IB Diploma Coordinator’s notes dated September 2015 it clearly states that biology, chemistry, physics and computer science internal assessment sample work will need to be uploaded from May 2016. The IB has also recently (November

2015) changed the form 4/ICCS to reflect this. The form did consist of two pages. On the second page the teacher had to give the marks awarded for each of the five criteria and sign to state that it is all the student’s own work. Now it is only one page and only needs to be completed by the student (although currently it still states that both the student and teacher need to complete it). The marks and the statement of authenticity will be given by the teacher directly onto IBIS when uploading the documents so there is no need for the second page of form 4/ICCS. Note that although this instruction to change to digital upload appeared in the September IB Coordinator's notes and was subsequently confirmed by Maria Muniz Valcarcel on the OCC discussion forum on 23 November 2015 the 2016 Handbook of Procedures for IB Diploma Coordinators published in October 2015 still implies (although does not actually state) on page 244 in Section B 4.3 that hard copies of the students' IA work will need to be sent to the moderator and gives out-of-date information about Form 4/ICCS. On 27 November 2015 on the OCC discussion forum Maria Muniz Valcarcel stated that officially neither the form 4/IA nor the 4/PSOW will need to be uploaded with the samples. The form 4/IA is now redundant and the form 4/PSOW needs to be filled in and kept for reference for school visits etc. As I see it, if teachers read carefully all the documents mentioned so far above then it is now reasonably clear what is required, although it would make everyone’s life a lot easier if it was all stated clearly in one definitive official document easily available to both chemistry teachers and IB coordinators. Hopefully the IB will do this in the very near future before the actual date that the work needs to be uploaded. There is however still one other piece of official information which might cause a problem.

The Information Handbook of Procedures for IB Diploma Coordinators Under Section A 8.2.1 of the 2016 Information Handbook of Procedures on page 112 it states,

"To make marking easier for examiners it would be extremely helpful if candidates used double line spacing when producing work that will be uploaded. This will enable examiners to more easily read the work candidates have submitted. Coordinators are asked to bring this to the attention of all subject teachers who should instruct candidates, for their own benefit, to use both double line spacing and a font size of at least 10 when word processing their IB work." This means that although it is not mandatory, now that the individual investigation write-up is to be uploaded digitally, the IB would prefer students to write their IA report double-spaced. If this is the case presumably the limit should be increased from 6-12 single-spaced pages to 12-24 double-spaced pages but nowhere yet have I seen this stated. Although at the moment it is fine to use single-spacing, it may well be that in the future double-spacing will become mandatory. In the May 2015 IB Diploma Coordinator’s notes it states, “From November 2016 all Extended Essays should be formatted using Arial font, font size 12, double-spaced and numbered pages."

Update to Frequently Asked Questions Many of the points raised above have now been clarified in a new version of Frequently Asked Questions dated January 2016 which can be downloaded from the OCC (although note that since September 2017 the OCC has been replaced by My IB, which can be accessed through the ibo website. This should be read before recording the IA marks on IBIS and before uploading the samples for moderation.

Probably the two most important clarification points are the updated answers given to questions 35 and 40. 35. "There is a 12 page recommendation but there is no automatic penalty for going over. However, the communication criterion specifies the report must be concise to obtain the highest grades."

40. "There are no formal guidelines with regard to font size or style, margins or paper size. Teachers and students are expected to use common sense and follow the style that they normally adopt in school. This would usually mean a font size of between 10 and 12 pt. and A4 portrait format and a style that can clearly be read by teachers and moderators. The student does not need to include a cover page because the form 4/ICCS exists to provide all the relevant information. In addition, no abstract, nor table of contents is required. The IA does not have to be double-line spaced and candidates will not be penalised

if it is not double-line spaced. The IB has put out a general request for double-line spacing for all IA components in the diploma programme that are being uploaded as this will potentially make it easier for examiners to moderate and include comments on the work where appropriate. There are no plans to make double-lined spacing mandatory in the sciences IA. If that was to be considered in the future, the recommended page limit (6 to 12 pages) would also be reviewed at the same time and a fair lead time would be given."

What is Communication? Communication in this context refers to the written presentation of the investigation. This should be reported such that the focus, process and outcomes are all clearly structured and expressed according to established scientific terminology and conventions.

Achieving the maximum mark To score the maximum of four marks for Communication the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to:

Be written and presented clearly so that any errors do not hinder the understanding of the focus, process and outcomes. Be well structured so that the necessary information relating to focus, process and outcomes is presented coherently. Be concise and relevant so that the focus, process and outcomes can be readily understood. Use correct chemical terminology and conventions and attribute all sources in a recognised manner.

1. Clear presentation The IB recognises that many students writing their report will be using English as a second language. The report does not have to be grammatically correct and spelling mistakes of non-scientific words will not be penalised. However it does need to be of a suitable standard so that it does not hinder the understanding of the research question, the methodology and the conclusion.

2. Structure There is no absolute structure that the report should follow but it should flow logically and coherently. After the title page the report will normally start with an introduction that contains the research question. It should explain why the research question was deemed worthy of investigation and provide the background to set it into a scientific context. This will be followed by the methodology leading to the collection of raw data. After the raw data has been processed a discussion will follow relating the findings to the research question. The report will conclude with a conclusion and evaluation. The referencing of sources can either be given as footnotes on the pages where they occur or listed in a bibliography at the end of the report. The whole report should be between 6 to 12 sides of A4 paper. The report does not need an abstract and an appendix should not be included. This is stated clearly in the

document Frequently Asked Questions available to be downloaded on the chemistry page of the OCC). There is some debate about what is meant by 6-12 sides. It might be helpful to quote what is written in the 2015 IB Handbook of Procedures for the Diploma Programme and repeated in the 2016 edition. In Section A.10.2.1 (2015) / A.8.2.1 (2016) it states: "To make marking easier for examiners it would be extremely helpful if candidates used double line spacing when producing work that will be uploaded. This will enable examiners to more easily read the work candidates have submitted. Coordinators are asked to bring this to the attention of all subject teachers who should instruct candidates, for their own benefit, to use both double line spacing and a font size of at least 10 when word processing their IB work." Although this is not mandatory, double spacing, Arial font and font size 11 should help to put any external moderator into a good frame of mind! The 6 12 pages does to refer to single-spaced pages.

3. Concise and relevant Students need to be economical with their words and choose them carefully. Sweeping statements and repetition should be avoided. Everything contained within the report should be directly relevant to the research question, which should remain the focus of the report throughout. Enough detail of the methodology should be given so that the work could be reproduced and the report should demonstrate that the student understands the theory behind the methodology and the processing of raw data.

4. Correct terminology This is a report on a chemistry investigation. It must use correct and consistent chemical terminology. All graphs, tables and images should be labelled correctly. Use of scientific notation is encouraged to ensure the

correct use of significant figures. Appropriate units should be used. All statements of fact, images, diagrams or quotations etc. attributable to others should be referenced in a consistent and recognised format.

Evaluation  

Practical scheme of work & IA

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Internal Assessment

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Evaluation

What is Evaluation? Evaluation is the appraisal of the investigation and the results obtained relating to the research question. It should be set in a scientific context. For those who really want to understand how evaluation works in a scientific context I recommend reading The Science of Evaluation: A Realist Manifesto by Ray Pawson. However this goes way beyond the demands of the IB Diploma Programme.

Achieving the maximum mark Before they can address this criterion fully, students should have had practice at evaluating some of the scaffolding practicals performed prior to the Individual Investigation. Suitable practicals include, Determining the formula of magnesium oxide, Determining the Mr of an unknown gas, Determining the percentage of CaCO3 in egg shells and Enthalpy changes for example.

To score the maximum of six marks for Evaluation the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: 

Present a detailed conclusion that is consistent with the facts presented and is completely relevant to the research question.

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Justify the conclusion by relevant comparison to the accepted scientific context.

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Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the investigation and the methodology used. This should include limitations associated with the data and sources of error and show a clear understanding of the factors affecting the validity of the conclusion.

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Discuss relevant and realistic ways in which the investigation might be improved and extended.

1. Conclusion The conclusion given must be fully justified from the processed data and needs to be completely relevant to the research question. If the conclusion is quantitative then the total uncertainty of the value(s) should be included together with the appropriate units and correct number of significant figures. The result(s) obtained should be compared to the literature value(s) wherever possible and the percentage error calculated and stated.

2. Strengths and weaknesses The percentage error should be compared with the total uncertainty to determine whether the result(s) obtained lie(s) within the tolerance of the uncertainties. Distinction should be made between random errors and systematic errors. Those uncertainties that may have a considerable effect on the final result should be identified and distinguished from uncertainties of lesser importance. The effect of all the underlying assumptions made in reaching the conclusion should be evaluated.

3. Improvements and extensions Having identified the sources of major uncertainties, realistic improvements should concentrate on minimising these. Examples could include using more accurate measuring apparatus to record data (e.g. a digital thermometer compared to an alcohol in glass thermometer) or by improving the technique to eliminate side-reactions or minimise heat loss etc. Be specific and avoid simplistic and irrelevant suggestions. Suggestions as to how the investigation could be extended should also be specific, realistic and relevant. Examples could include using a different method to arrive at the result or widening the investigation to include more examples.

Analysis  

Practical scheme of work & IA

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Internal Assessment

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Analysis

What is Analysis? Analysis effectively assesses data processing. It concerns the extent to which the report provides evidence that the data selected and recorded have been processed and interpreted in ways that are directly relevant to the research question and provide the basis for a conclusion.

Before they can address this criterion fully students need to understand the importance of the correct use of significant figures. They also need to understand the difference between error and uncertainty and how the total uncertainty associated with a result obtained from using several different pieces of apparatus can be calculated. This information is provided in the two linked pages Significant figuresand Error & uncertainty.

Achieving the maximum mark To score the maximum of six marks for Analysis the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: 

Include sufficient relevant quantitative and qualitative raw data that is able to support a detailed and valid conclusion to the research question.

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Show that the recorded data has been sufficiently processed in an appropriate and accurate manner so that a conclusion can be drawn which is fully consistent with the experimental data.

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Show clearly the impact of the uncertainties associated with measured data on the processed results and how they affect the conclusion.

1. Quantitative and qualitative data All raw quantitative data should be recorded, usually in an appropriate tabulated form, together with the associated uncertainties. The correct units should be clearly shown (often by the heading at the top of each column) and the data expressed consistently to the correct number of significant figures. Relevant qualitative data (change in colour, smell etc.) should also be recorded. If the student is using a data logger the raw data should be given in tabular form in addition to any graph produced directly by the data logger. Ensure that the data is relevant and that sufficient readings have been recorded to produce a conclusion with scientific validity that directly relates to the research question.

2. Processing of data The raw data needs to be processed accurately and in an appropriate way. This can take a variety of forms. If it is graphical then a suitable graph should be plotted ideally to give a straight line of best fit, if appropriate. Some of the data may be manipulated beforehand to produce a straight line (e.g. by taking the inverse, squaring or taking the logarithmic form of one of the variables etc.). Alternatively the raw data may be plotted in the form that it was measured and then the graph manipulated by, for example, taking the gradient or interpolating or extrapolating to find a new value. If the processing is non-graphical then it is important that any equation used is properly derived and not just taken from material published elsewhere.

3. Overall uncertainty Each measurement is associated with an uncertainty. When the data is processed the total uncertainty inherent in the calculated result(s) should be determined, usually by summing up all the percentage uncertainties for each measured value to give the total percentage uncertainty. Students should also list any assumptions made which can affect the validity of their result. For example, how pure were all the chemicals involved, did the reaction go to completion, were

other possible reactions also taking place which might affect the final result, did the solution have the same specific heat capacity as pure water etc. etc.?

Exploration  

Practical scheme of work & IA

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Internal Assessment

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Exploration

What is Exploration? Exploration refers to the establishment of a clear and focused research question that is set in a scientific context and which uses appropriate concepts, techniques and methodology. This criterion also assesses whether the investigation shows appropriate awareness of environmental, ethical and safety considerations.

An experiment on a bird in the air pump by Joseph Wright of Derby (This was painted in 1768 - before ethical and safety considerations were seen as important)

Achieving the maximum mark

To score the maximum of six marks for Exploration the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: 

Identify the topic and describe a relevant and fully focused research question.

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Contain entirely appropriate and relevant background information that enhances the scientific context of the investigation.

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Use highly appropriate methodology to address the research question that takes into account all, or nearly all, of the factors that have a significant influence on the relevance, reliability and sufficiency of the data collected.

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Show full awareness of any significant environmental, ethical and safety issues that are relevant to the methodology used, if appropriate.

1. Fully focused research question Identifying a topic and formulating a fully focused research question is the key to a successful investigation. The way to go about selecting a research topic is addressed in the separate page, Choosing the research question. This criterion assesses whether the research question as expressed in the written report is relevant and fully focused. Even when students have 40 hours to carry out an Extended Essay it is surprising how many do not start with a fully focused research question. For the Individual Scientific investigation, where there are only ten hours, it is even more vital that the research question, as stated, is sharply focused. Teachers need to train their students to break down their initial idea themselves using further questions until it is completely focused. For example, "Is there more caffeine in tea or coffee?" seems a reasonable question to ask but on reflection it cannot be answered in 10 hours (or even 40 hours) because it is far too broad. Students needs to reflect and ask themselves, do I mean in a cup of tea or coffee (if so, how large is the cup and how long has the drink been brewed for etc.?) or do I mean in 100g of tea leaves or coffee beans? What type of tea and coffee are being referred to (beans, leaves, instant, country of origin etc. etc.)? They should continue this process of deconstruction until a very precise and sharp research question remains that can be addressed in ten hours. This process for obtaining and stating a fully focused research question and its subsequent assessment is virtually the same as for the Extended Essay. You can read much more about this, together with examples, on the EE page Framing the Research Question together with the problems when it comes to its assessment on the EE page Research question.

2. Background information This is one of the factors that distinguish the Individual Scientific Investigation from Design practicals on the old programme. The investigation should not be done in isolation, it must be put into context with existing scientific knowledge. Students do not have a lot of time to do this thoroughly but nevertheless they should endeavour to access a variety of different and relevant sources. Most students will probably use the Internet as their starting point as it is quick and generally efficient. However they need to investigate and confirm the reliability of any web sources. I would recommend that they also include at least one source from a reputable scientific journal as this will have been peer reviewed and also perhaps a text book. It would be unreasonable to expect many sources given the time frame but an investigation that relies purely on secondary data should probably access that data from at least five different sources in the same way that a graph requires a minimum of five data points to have much validity. There is a similarity again with the Extended Essay here as the sources should be acknowledged in a consistent and recognised way. Information on how to list reference sources can be found on the EE pages on Correct referencing and Writing a bibliography.

3. Appropriate methodology The methodology will depend very much upon whether primary or secondary data is being generated. If the student is doing 'hands on' practical work then the method used or designed must ensure that all the variables are controlled except the dependent variable. The independent variable will of course be changing as the experiment proceeds. It is important that the method used, adapted or designed does actually generate either primary or secondary data that is directly relevant to the research question. The method chosen must be able to produce sufficient data from which a reliable conclusion can be deduced. The uncertainties associated with the measurements taken should be recorded and evaluated so that all the factors that might affect the reliability of the data are assessed.

4. Environmental, ethical and safety issues There may be a tendency to think that this heading only refers to 'hands on' experimental work. However environmental and ethical issues could also be relevant to the collection of secondary data. For 'hands on' practical work students should include a 'risk assessment'. This should look at both the possible short-term and long-term adverse effects of any chemicals used. It should record the measures used to minimise any risk either from the chemicals or apparatus used and

also cover the safe disposal of any chemicals after the experimental work has been completed. Information about possible risks for school science experiments can be obtained from CLEAPSS in the UK and from The School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide in the USA for example. It is useful to have a set of HAZCARDS available in your lab for students to refer to. Ethical issues concerning experimental work with animals are dealt with in the IB publication 'Guidelines for the use of animals in IB World Schools'.

Personal engagement  

Practical scheme of work & IA

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Internal Assessment

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Personal engagement

What is Personal engagement? The first assessment criterion covers ‘Personal engagement’. This concerns the extent to which the student makes the investigation ‘their own’. Personal engagement can be recognised in several different ways. For example, addressing a personal interest, showing creativity, initiative or independent thinking. This might be in the choice of research question, the designing or in the implementation of the investigation. It has some similarities with the 'holistic criterion' for the Extended Essay.

Achieving the maximum mark To score the maximum of two marks the Individual Scientific Investigation needs to: 

Show clear evidence of significant independent thinking or creativity.

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Demonstrate personal significance, interest or curiosity in the choice of research question or topic under investigation.

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Provide evidence of personal input and initiative in the design, implementation or presentation.

1. Choice of research question

(Image from http://www.cutestpaw.com/images/the-gorilla-the-thinker/)

No one expects a student to come up with something new to mankind in ten hours. Students can show personal engagement in their choice of research question in several different ways. It may be that the topic is related to their own or a family member’s interest. For example, a particular drug someone has been prescribed, a possible pollution problem in the neighbourhood etc. They may take a standard approach but apply it to a novel situation or they may wish to extend or examine something they have met in their theory lessons, during their practical programme or read about or seen elsewhere (e.g. chemistry journals, Internet etc.). What is clearly important is that in their written investigation they clearly state why they chose the research question and explain its significance.

2. Design and implementation Students should avoid simplistic investigations where a ‘recipe’ is followed and the results are obvious. Some of the ways in which personal engagement can be shown include: 

Modifying apparatus or a standard method in order to fit the research question,

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Designing a novel method using simple materials or ideas,

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Combining seemingly unrelated areas to make connections

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Extending a known method to previously untried examples.

3. Presentation The presentation of the investigation is also assessed under the Communication criterion. What is required under ‘Personal engagement’ is whether the presentation is intellectually neat in the way that it addresses the research question and how it shows and presents evidence of personal input. For example, it might include a drawing or photograph of how equipment has been modified or explain how simple materials have been adapted to help solve the problem.

Choosing the research question  

Practical scheme of work & IA

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Internal Assessment

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Choosing the research question

Choosing the research question Whose responsibility is it? The key to the Individual Scientific Investigation is the research question. Without a good research question the student will be unable to address the internal assessment criteria effectively. Many IB chemistry teachers will have supervised Extended Essays in chemistry so will have experience in dealing with research questions. One of the roles of the EE supervisor is to “Discuss the choice of topic with the student and give particular help in formulating the precise research question so that it is sharply focused.” Students choosing to do their Extended Essay in Chemistry are usually motivated with an enthusiasm for the subject. Even so it is

sometimes difficult for EE students to formulate a good research question (see the EE page on framing the research question) and the supervisor only has to deal with a relatively small number of students. With a whole class of students, some of whom may not be as motivated as your EE students, it may be a real challenge to ensure that all your students come up with their own research question for the Internal Assessment and yet that is exactly what the IB requires. The official IB teacher’s support material (TSM) (available from the OCC) clearly states that the formulation of the research question for the Individual Scientific Investigation is the student’s responsibility. Teachers may suggest possible topics and approaches to formulating questions but cannot allocate specific research questions to study.” What teachers are expected to do is guide their students to ensure that their research questions are commensurate with the level of the course and are compatible with the assessment criteria.

Advice to give You will need to advise them carefully about how to choose a suitable research question. I think the best approach is not to leave it until the start of the ‘ten hours' allocated specifically for the Internal Assessment but to instil in them in what will be required right at the start of their twoyear course. As they cover the practical scheme of work they will need to know: 1. When they eventually do the Internal Assessment they will be required to come up with an investigation that matches the assessment criteria. This effectively means that: 

it should show personal significance, interest or curiosity.

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the research question can be clearly described

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it will produce sufficient relevant quantitative and qualitative raw data to support a detailed and valid conclusion.

2. The investigation can take many forms. It can include, for example: 

a practical laboratory investigation

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use of a spreadsheet to analyse and model

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extraction of data from a database and then analysing it graphically

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combination of spreadsheet/database work with a practical laboratory investigation

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use of an interactive and open-ended simulation

As your students learn the necessary skills through the practical scheme of work discuss with them how each practical might be used to provide the basis for an investigation. Get them to consider unresolved questions and/or ways in which the techniques could be altered or extended to cover other possible areas to explore. For example, when calculating ΔH⦵ for the redox reaction between zinc and copper(II) sulfate it is usual to assume that the solution has the same specific heat capacity as pure water. How valid is this assumption? A student could investigate this by using an ordinary household microwave oven. They would need to pass the same amount of energy through the same mass of solutions containing different concentrations of a salt (independent variable) and measure the temperature rise (dependent variable) and hence determine whether the specific heat capacity changes. This example also illustrates that many of the best investigations can be done relatively quickly using simple apparatus.

A microwave oven provides a simple, quick and efficient way to perform experiments on the polarity of molecules and on specific heat capacities.

‘Hands on’ or ‘hands off’?

1. ‘Hands on’ If a student chooses to do traditional practical work then it may be worth looking at the techniques that are readily available in a school laboratory and giving one example of a topic that could be investigated using each technique. I have in fact already made a list on page 179 of my Study Guide, as this is an approach sometimes used for Extended Essays. Some typical techniques (or equipment that could be used) include: Titration – acid-base and redox Extension or refinement of a standard practical Chromatography Calorimetry Use of a pH meter Electrolysis Voltaic cells Microwave oven Polarimeter Data logging probes Visible spectrometer Gravimetric analysis Microscale

2. ‘Hands off’ This may seem an easier option for students but may in fact be more difficult as it is harder (but not impossible) to show personal engagement. They should probably try to find their secondary data from a variety of sources (rather than a single source) and then process it in a way that has not been done before. For example, students will have learned that they should compare the values they obtain in their own experiments with the literature values. They are encouraged to give their own values together with the degree of uncertainty and yet when they look in the data book no uncertainties are given. If they look in a different data book often a different 'literature value' is quoted also with no associated uncertainty – so which is the ‘true’ value and how accurate is it? An interesting investigation might be to compare values from different data

sources (see Measuring energy changes for an example) to determine how reliable ‘the literature values’ actually are.

3. ‘Hands on and off’ Possibly the most satisfying investigations are those that combine primary data generated by the student with secondary data that the student has researched from elsewhere. For example, they might determine the percentage of copper in a coin and then research the literature to find how the percentage has changed over the years as the price of copper has fluctuated.

You can get some further ideas as to the range of possibilities by looking at the ten examples given on the TSM. However remember that these are not genuine investigations as the first ones are not due to be submitted for assessment until the May 2016 session.

Timing & organisation  

Practical scheme of work & IA

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Internal Assessment

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Timing & organisation

Timing & organisation There are obviously several models as to how the Individual Scientific Investigation can be managed. Some teachers may have to cope with perhaps two Higher Level classes and one Standard Level class making a total of perhaps about 60 students. This may take a good deal more organisation than in smaller schools, or schools where the IB Diploma cohort is small, where teachers may only have to deal with a handful of students.

It is worth bearing in mind what the Guide says should be covered in the “approximately” ten hours allocated to the investigation. It should include 

  

An explanation by the teacher about the requirements of internal assessment. Work by students on the IA and time to ask questions. Consultation between the teachers and each student. Reviewing and monitoring the progress and checking authenticity.

What is does not seem to include is the time spent writing up the final version of the investigation nor of course the scaffolding required beforehand preparing your students in the skills needed for the investigation. The first question to consider is when in the two year programme it might be undertaken.

Timing The Individual Scientific Investigation counts 20% towards the final mark. Considering it is only ten hours work it is a high proportion of the marks and it is easy to see that both students and teachers will feel under pressure to gain as high a mark as possible. For example, it could make a significant difference between getting a Grade 6 or 7 for those students who want to go on to study Medicine. Students need to be well-prepared beforehand so it makes sense to leave it until sometime in the second year when they have already learned many of the skills required both in their chemistry lessons and perhaps from their Extended Essay work as well. This will also help those students for whom English is a foreign language. However, the demands elsewhere on students are high during the second year so you need to be sensitive to this and ensure that your IB coordinator draws up a timetable of individual deadlines for course requirements (TOK essay, EE and other subject internally assessed work etc.). Ideally some time in the first term of the second year would seem to be best. In fact most of the work will be done during the 150 h (SL) or 240 h (HL) allocated class time. The only time required outside of this will be for the students to write their final version after you have commented on their first draft.

The 10 hours The following is a suggestion as to how the ten hours work might be broken down into roughly three different phases. There should be considerable flexibility and possible overlap of the phases to accommodate the fact that different students work at different speeds and some may require more assistance than others.

First phase (approximately 2 hours) I would allocate about two hours for the initial planning of the investigation. This will include an explanation by you of the requirements of the internal assessment. Make sure they are fully conversant with the assessment criteria. It will also give time for each student to come up with their own research question that is approved by you and time for them to plan how they will undertake their individual investigation. I would suggest that there is then a week or so before the next stage. This will give you enough time to help any student who is struggling and also time for you and/or your technician to sort out particular apparatus and make sure that all chemicals required are to hand.

Second phase (approximately 6 hours) Students then have about six hours of class time to gather their data. This may be primary data from their own experimental work or secondary data obtained from other sources. It will also include background information to put the topic into context. To be sure of authenticity you should insist that all data, whether primary or secondary, is obtained by all the students under your supervision. If students are allowed to gather data at home or elsewhere then you will have no way of knowing for certain that it is all their own work. Ideally students should work on their own but they are permitted to carry out practical work in pairs or in a group if necessary. However they must collect their own data and do all the processing etc. on their own.

Third phase (approximately 2 hours) During the third and final phase students should complete the analysis and processing of their data to produce a draft version of their findings. They

should discuss this with you and you should give advice and make appropriate comments but not correct errors or ‘tell them how to do it’. The final version should be handed in by an agreed date; probably no more than one week after the ten hours has finished.

After you have marked the Individual Scientific Investigations you will then need to standardize internally if there are other chemistry teachers in your school who also have students completing chemistry investigations so that the same standard of marking is being applied to all chemistry students.

At some stage students will also need to complete the cover sheet, form 4/ICCS (available from the OCC), to which they also have to add an approximately 50 word reflective statement about their involvement in the Group 4 Project.

Scaffolding' the investigation  

Practical scheme of work & IA

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Internal Assessment

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'Scaffolding' the investigation

'Scaffolding' the Individual Scientific Investigation Some schools may find the time to do two investigations and then choose the best one. However the programme only really allows for one ten-hour slot so the majority of students will only do

their Individual Scientific Investigation once and therefore it is crucial to prepare them thoroughly beforehand. This can be done by scaffolding, i.e. introducing and familiarising them in the skills needed during their first year so that when they start the actual investigation they are already fully prepared.

One of the best ways to do this is through the experiments that cover the mandatory areas and also through other practicals that provide training or exposure to those skills not covered elsewhere. I have provided questions at the end of each practical to test the students understanding. Remember that apart from the Individual Scientific Investigation, the IB does not require you to mark any of the experiments carried out in the practical scheme of work including the ones covering the mandatory areas. However in certain experiments it may well be worth you marking specific parts to check that they are acquiring and applying the skills learned correctly. For example, in the experiments to determine Enthalpy changes and Determining Ea for a reaction, can students construct the appropriate graph? In the enthalpy experiment are they then able to extrapolate correctly to compensate for heat loss and in the Ea experiment are they able to measure and use the gradient?

Skills required So what skills are required? A good way to approach this is to look at the five different assessment criteria and extract what students need to achieve to attain high marks. Remember too that many of these skills will also be required for their Extended Essay (even if it is not in Chemistry) and later when they continue their studies at university or other forms of higher education. The IB is about life-long learning!

General skills including communication 

Accurate and careful note taking

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Essay or extended laboratory report writing

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Consistent use of accurate and scientific terminology (i.e. IUPAC and SI units)

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Academic honesty, use of citations and referencing sources

Personal engagement and exploration 

Research skills (library, Internet, journals etc.)

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Awareness and adherence to Health and Safety considerations (risk assessment)

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IB ethical experimentation policy

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Stating a sharply focused research question

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Choice of appropriate apparatus/secondary sources together with associated uncertainties

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Identification and use of independent, dependent and controlled variables

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The collection of relevant, reliable and sufficient data

Analysis and interpretation 

Correct use of labels, units and decimal points applied to tables of data

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Estimation of total uncertainties in measurements

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Setting out the data processing in a logical coherent way

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Use of conventions in graph plotting

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Accurate and appropriate analysis

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Justifying a trend or hypothesis from analysed data

Conclusion and evaluation 

Explaining a trend using underlying scientific concepts

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Considering the impact of total uncertainty in measurements

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Relating a trend or experimental result to the research question

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Identifying limitations in recorded data

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Identifying limitations of the method and apparatus

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Suggesting realistic improvements

What is worth noting is that virtually all these skills apply irrespective of whether the student designs and carries out their own practical work or relies on secondary data obtained from elsewhere. The only two exceptions are the choice of suitable apparatus and awareness of Health and Safety considerations.