Guidance for Internal Assessment and Extended Essay (Research-Based Math Courses)

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Course Concept

According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), sense making, reasoning, problem solving, connections and communication are essential for building a good foundation in mathematics, and the courses will aim to do just that.

We want to teach the students how to ask good questions, so they can formulate research questions and eventually solve them as well. Mathematical research is a dynamic field solving multidisciplinary problems, and it is never too early to start assimilating the skills required to contribute in a meaningful way.

The research-based courses at CourseLeap aim to develop a sound mathematical temper in students. The focus of the courses is not on the difficulty of mathematics used, but rather on the creative thinking behind the process, which is what we want our students to imbibe.

OFFERINGS

1) Mastering Math Exploration (Internal Assessment)

Course Concept

IB Math Internal Assessment requires a robust understanding and application of mathematical concepts into a coherent, precise and meaningful exploration task. There are several topics in mathematics that avail themselves to applications in areas that interest students. This workshop aims to improve students’ understanding of the Math Internal Assessment Criteria, work towards assimilating the manner in which mathematical concepts can be applied using exemplars, and exploring some key areas of mathematics. Collaborative workshops will include idea generation, and the instructors will work with students to refine and improve their proposals.

Classes are structured as module based sessions, each tackling a certain aspect of the Math Internal Assessment from criteria unpacking, discussing exemplars and exploration of how certain topics in math can be applied to the real world. Students are given an opportunity to complete their IA topic proposal and details of problem-solving. On the final day of the course, they will have to present their IA concept for instructor feedback.

Note: Students will be exposed to the applied math concepts to provide inspirational ideas for research for high school students but none of the concepts introduced will be taught in depth. Students should take interest to read further about topics that interest them.

Students besides all the training will also have an opportunity to have a personalized session with our expert instructors if they have very specific needs, from refining their Research Question (RQ) to methodology.

Who is this course for?

IBDP students of Math Analysis & Approaches (AA): Higher Level (HL) / Standard Level (SL)
IBDP students of Math Application & Interpretation (AI): Higher Level (HL) / Standard Level (SL)

What are the prerequisites?

Knowledge of pre-calculus topics (algebra, geometry, trigonometry & functions), as well as some basic calculus is ideal.

Course Details

Ideal for – IBDP students of Math AA/AI HL/SL | Duration – 6 days | Total Hours – 15 hours

Break-up – 10 hours of teaching session & 5 hours for assessment, feedback and progress reports

Date & Time

10th July (Sat) & 11th July (Sun)

10:00AM to 1:00PM

12th July (Mon), 14th July (Wed), 15th July (Thurs) & 16th July (Fri)

10:00AM to 11:30PM

2) Extended Essay guidance for mathematics.

Teachers at school do provide feedback on assessments like the Extended Essay and Internal Assessment. CourseLeap offers guidance within permissible ethical guidelines laid out by the IB.

* Research-Based IB Math courses are available on request.

Testimonials

Writing a Math IA was an arduous journey, but it is one that was worth it. I truly believe finding a topic is the hardest part of any IA; to say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. I had struggled with finding a topic and some of my ideas had been rejected as well. I approached Courseleap to guide me through the IA process, starting from the very beginning. They helped me deduce which topics I was interested in and guided me into formulating an exciting and unique research question. Throughout the entire process, Courseleap teachers acted as guides, showing exemplars of different IAs for reference and helping me improve my academic and writing skills in order to achieve the maximum marks in each criteria. Their helpfulness and guidance allowed me to not only learn skills that prepared me for university but also new HL mathematical concepts such as partial differentiation, which I was able to incorporate in my IA. Along with the Courseleap’s help, I was awarded a 7 in only my first draft, but even still they pushed me to make it the best it could possibly be. I am thankful to all the teachers who supported me throughout this journey.

Janine Curmally

Grade 12, Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai, IB Diploma, 2020 - 2021

Writing the Math IA is an extremely tedious procedure as one needs to have a balance of math and writing. Initially I came to CourseLeap with an idea that I had formulated for my IA, and was extremely confused about how to carry forward that idea. However, one session with Ms. Dhingra cleared everything up. She helped me narrow down my research topic to one that implemented my combined interest in math and Art by exposing me to previous explorations, new research papers and her own ideas. After the first session, I had already formulated a structure for my exploration and was clear about how to go about writing it. I used this structure to write the first part of my exploration and then got extensive feedback for it from CourseLeap. Throughout the process, Ms. Dhingra guided me using the criteria and rubric provided by IB. This helped me write an exploration that was effective, coherent and interesting. As a design student I wanted to research the combination of Math and design and because my research was connected to this, I enjoyed the entire process.

Esha Agrawal

Grade 12, Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai, IB Diploma student, 2018, currently studying at University of Chicago, USA.

How can we help

Please refer to the Contact Us page if you need help deciding courses or have any other inquiries so we can understand your needs. The appropriate team member will get in touch with you shortly.