“DP-A Series of Deadlines”- Is this helpful or harmful
The IB curriculum as a whole, is rigorous not only because of the depth of understanding that it expects from the students but also due to its endless timelines. Our EEs and IAs take up our free time, leaving us with a limited amount of time to review our learning from class. Even though the IAs are just an extension of our learning, they are not representative of all of the topics that we cover in the course of two years.
Could the IB modify the program to have the IA only for Higher Level subjects? Even though it would limit the students’ personal inquiry engagements into subjects, the fewer deadlines would allow students to have an improved understanding of the courses. An alternative perspective, however, is that the ability to handle multiple deadlines while maintaining a healthy social life prepares the students with realistic life skills.
At EIS, the subject teachers set shorter targets for larger tasks, allowing students to submit small portions of work regularly. This ensures that the students do not procrastinate and are able to provide better quality work. Furthermore, they make an attempt to make some formative assessments ungraded/unmarked. The comments we receive based on our work allow students to benefit from these practice tests without the added pressure. Though the series of deadlines prepares us for life tomorrow, at certain points in the year, it does become taxing.
By Dishti Mehta, DP-2