The personal project is a significant body of original and creative
work which is the product of the student’s own initiative. Students
focus on two areas of interaction to establish an appropriate
context for their project idea in keeping with the IBMYP Philosophy.
The personal project involves extensive research, planning and
analysis which is largely done outside of school hours. Each student
is assigned a mentor to support and guide them throughout the
process. Students begin the project in secondary four and complete
it approximately a year later. The personal project provides an
excellent opportunity for students to produce a truly personal piece
of work and is intended to be the culmination and reflection of the
student’s five year involvement in the IBMYP.
Assessment Criteria
|
Criterion A |
Planning and Development |
Maximum level: 4 |
|
Criterion B |
Collection of Information/Resources |
Maximum level: 4 |
|
Criterion C |
Choice and Application of Techniques |
Maximum level: 4 |
|
Criterion D |
Analysis of Information |
Maximum level: 4 |
|
Criterion E |
Organization of the Written Work |
Maximum level: 4 |
|
Criterion F |
Analysis of Process and Outcome |
Maximum level: 4 |
|
Criterion G |
Personal Engagement |
Maximum level: 4 |
Criterion A: Planning and Development
Maximum level: 4
Students should be aware that it is
essential to define a clear goal before starting
detailed research and work. A goal can be defined as a
statement, or one or more key questions, which identify
the focus of the personal project based on one or more
areas of interaction. The goal may alter during the
course of the personal project but students need to
state and explain clearly the reason(s) for a change in
goal.
Evidence of students’ achievement in
this criterion will be found in the introduction, the
body of the work and the conclusion.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student has not reached a
standard described by any of the descriptors
given below. |
|
1 |
The student
identifies the goal
of the personal project but
does not provide an outline
of how he/she aims to achieve this goal. |
|
2 |
The student identifies and
describes
the goal of the personal project,
states the focus on the chosen
area(s) of interaction
and
provides a simple outline
of how he/she aims to achieve this goal. |
|
3 |
The student identifies and
clearly
describes the goal of the personal project,
describes
the focus on the chosen area(s)
of interaction and
provides a coherent account
of how he/she aims to achieve
this goal. The development of the personal
project
is
generally consistent
with this description. |
|
4 |
The student identifies and
clearly describes the goal of the personal
project
within a context,
develops and justifies
the focus on the area(s) of interaction and
provides a coherent
and thorough
description of how he/she aims to achieve this
goal. The development of the personal project
is
totally
consistent with this description. |
Criterion B: Collection of
Information/Resources
Maximum level: 4
This criterion allows the student to
demonstrate the ability to collect relevant information
from a variety of sources and to compile a bibliography
of sources used in the project. Students should select
sufficient information and appropriate resources to
substantiate all arguments and/or to support the
project. Students should also acknowledge their sources
of information clearly in the body of their text through
clear referencing.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student has not reached a
standard described by any of the descriptors
given below. |
|
1 |
Few
sources of information and resources have
been collected, or the majority is
irrelevant
to the goal of the personal project. The
student has provided a
summary bibliography,
where many elements are missing.
Few references
are made in the text to sources of
information used. |
|
2 |
The student has chosen and
used a
limited amount
of
relevant
information and resources, from a
limited
number
of appropriate sources. A bibliography has
been compiled with
most elements present and/or
appropriately presented.
Some references
are made in the body of the text and
appendices, where appropriate. |
|
3 |
The student has chosen and
used a
good
amount
of relevant information and
resources, from a
fairly extensive number
of appropriate sources. A bibliography has
been compiled with
all important
elements present and/or
appropriately presented.
Detailed references
are made in the body of the text and
appendices, where appropriate. |
|
4 |
The personal project contains
excellent,
relevant information and
resources from a
wide
variety
of appropriate sources. The bibliography is
complete and well presented,
with
clear references
to sources in the body of the text and
appendices, where appropriate. |
Criterion C: Choice and Application
of Techniques
Maximum level: 4
This criterion assesses students’
abilities to choose techniques relevant to the personal
project’s goal, as defined by the key questions, or
statement of intent of the personal project. Students
should justify this selection and apply the chosen
techniques consistently and effectively.
Students should choose a goal that is
achievable. Because of circumstances that may be beyond
their control, students may find unforeseen difficulties
prevent successful completion of ambitious projects.
These types of ambitious personal project may still
result in a good level of achievement for this
criterion.
|
Level of
Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student has not reached a
standard described by any of the descriptors
given below. |
|
1 |
Large parts
of the project are
not relevant
in terms of the goal that had been
identified by the student. The techniques
used are
largely inappropriate
and
inadequately applied. |
|
2 |
The techniques chosen
vary in their appropriateness with some
being applied to an acceptable standard
in order to contribute to the achievement of
the goal. The student
begins to provide
justification
for the use of the chosen techniques. |
|
3 |
The techniques chosen are
generally appropriate
and well applied
to contribute to the achievement of the
goal. The student provides
some justification
for the use of the chosen techniques. |
|
4 |
The student has chosen
absolutely
appropriate
techniques, provided
specific justification
for their choice and applied them
effectively
to achieve the stated goal. |
Criterion D: Analysis of Information
Maximum level: 4
This criterion measures students’
abilities to analyse information in terms of the
personal project’s goal and focus on the chosen area(s)
of interaction. Students should express personal
thoughts and support arguments with evidence.
|
Level of Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student has not reached a standard described
by any of the descriptors given below. |
|
1 |
The personal project contains
little reflection
in terms of the goal and focus on the chosen
area(s) of interaction, and is
largely narrative/descriptive.
The student misses many opportunities for
personal treatment of the topic/theme. |
|
2 |
The personal project contains
some
reflection in terms of the goal and focus on the
chosen area(s) of interaction. Personal thought
is
mostly supported
with arguments and evidence. |
|
3 |
The personal project contains
significant
reflection in terms of the goal and focus on the
chosen area(s) of interaction. The student
generally
supports personal thought with arguments and
evidence. However, some opportunities for
analysis are
not
pursued. |
|
4 |
The personal project
clearly shows
the depth of reflection and vitality of the
student’s own
ideas and vision.
The student consistently supports a
truly personal response
to the topic with arguments and evidence. |
Criterion E: Organization of the
Written Work
Maximum level: 4
This criterion focuses on the
presentation of the written work (including title page,
contents page and page numbering, overall neatness, the
appropriate use of graphs, diagrams and tables, where
appropriate). It also assesses the internal structure
and coherence of the work.
|
Level of Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student has not reached a standard described
by any of the descriptors given below. |
|
1 |
The written work is
poorly organized,
lacking a sensible order and coherent structure.
The presentation of the work (for example, table
of contents and page numbering) is
lacking
in several respects. |
|
2 |
The student has made
some attempt at logical organization
and an attempt to respect the
required structure
of the personal project. There are some coherent
links between parts of the personal project, and
the presentation of the work is
often appropriate. |
|
3 |
The student has made a
good
attempt at logical organization, respecting the
required structure
of the personal project. There are some good
links between parts of the personal project, and
the presentation of the work is
almost always
appropriate. |
|
4 |
The organization of the work is
completely coherent
with the required structure. Ideas are sequenced
in a
consistently
logical manner with appropriate transitions.
Overall presentation and neatness of the work
are
excellent. |
Criterion F: Analysis of Process and
Outcome
Maximum level: 4
Evidence of students’ achievement in
this criterion will be found in the conclusion and also
in the body of the structured piece of writing. Students
are expected to describe, and reflect on, the stages of
development of the personal project and the thought
processes followed. Students should reflect on the ways
in which the personal project has fulfilled the initial
goal. In this reflection, students should review the
ways in which the project has been focused on the chosen
area(s) of interaction, and on how dimensions of the
area(s) have been explored and developed. Students
should attempt to define new perspectives that could be
investigated further through future inquiry into the
topic/theme. Using their process journals as a prompt
for reflection, students will provide comments on such
questions as:
|
Level of Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student has not reached a standard described
by any of the descriptors given below. |
|
1 |
The student’s review is simply a
narrative summary
or a
superficial review
of the development of the personal project in
terms of the goal set at its start. There is
little understanding
of the dimensions of the area(s) of interaction
that were stated as the focus for the personal
project. |
|
2 |
The student
adequately
reviews his/her personal project in terms of the
goal set at its start. The student’s review
shows
some reflection
on different stages of the process including an
adequate analysis
of the quality of the product. The student’s
review shows
some
understanding of the dimensions of the chosen
area(s) of interaction that served as a focus
for the personal project. |
|
3 |
The student
consistently
reviews his/her personal project in terms of the
goal set at its start. The student’s review
shows
significant reflection
on different stages of the process. The
evaluation includes a
good analysis
of the quality of the product, and shows a
clear
understanding of the dimensions of the chosen
area(s) of interaction that served as a focus
for the personal project. |
|
4 |
The student consistently and
thoroughly
reviews his/her personal project in terms of the
goal set at its start. The student’s review
shows
excellent reflection
on different stages of the process. The
evaluation includes an
excellent
analysis of the quality of the product and
reveals a
thorough
understanding of the dimensions of the chosen
area(s) of interaction that served as a focus
for the personal project. The student presents
new perspectives
emerging from the chosen topic. |
Criterion G: Personal Engagement
Maximum level: 4
This criterion focuses on an overall
assessment of students’ engagement and application of
approaches to learning skills during the planning and
development stages of the personal project. Qualities
such as organization and commitment to the task should
be considered. By their very nature these are difficult
to quantify and the assessment should take into account
the context in which the personal project was
undertaken.
The assessment should also take
account of working behaviours such as the amount of
encouragement required by students, the interaction
between students and supervisors, the attention to
deadlines and procedures, as well as the appropriate use
of supporting documentation such as log books and
process journals.
The levels of achievement awarded
should be based on a holistic judgment of the degree to
which these qualities and working behaviours are evident
in the personal project.
|
Level of Achievement |
Descriptor |
|
0 |
The student has not reached a standard described
by any of the descriptors given below. |
|
1 |
The personal project shows
little evidence
of any of the required qualities and working
behaviours. |
|
2 |
The personal project is judged to be
satisfactory
in terms of most of the required qualities and
working behaviours. |
|
3 |
The personal project is judged to be
good
in terms of most of the required qualities and
working behaviours. |
|
4 |
The personal project is judged to be
outstanding
in terms of the required qualities and working
behaviours. |
