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IB Personal Project Guide First Assessment May 2022

This document provides guidance for students completing their Middle Years Programme (MYP) personal project at the IB from September 2021. It outlines the nature, aims, objectives, and requirements of the MYP personal project. It also provides guidance on organizing, completing, and assessing the personal project, including timeframes, the inquiry process, approaches to learning, and the assessment criteria. The personal project is a culminating experience for MYP students to demonstrate their approaches to learning skills and help prepare them for further study in the IB continuum.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
45 views45 pages

IB Personal Project Guide First Assessment May 2022

This document provides guidance for students completing their Middle Years Programme (MYP) personal project at the IB from September 2021. It outlines the nature, aims, objectives, and requirements of the MYP personal project. It also provides guidance on organizing, completing, and assessing the personal project, including timeframes, the inquiry process, approaches to learning, and the assessment criteria. The personal project is a culminating experience for MYP students to demonstrate their approaches to learning skills and help prepare them for further study in the IB continuum.

Uploaded by

Arnav Singhvi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Personal project guide (for use from September

2021/January 2022)
First eAssessment May 2022/November 2022
Personal project guide (for use from September
2021/January 2022)
First eAssessment May 2022/November 2022
Middle Years Programme
Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)

Published February 2021


Updated May 2021, May 2022

Published on behalf of the International Baccalaureate Organization, a not-for-profit


educational foundation of 15 Route des Morillons, 1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Geneva,
Switzerland by the

International Baccalaureate Organization (UK) Ltd


Peterson House, Malthouse Avenue, Cardiff Gate
Cardiff, Wales CF23 8GL
United Kingdom
Website: ibo.org

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2021

The International Baccalaureate Organization (known as the IB) offers four high-quality
and challenging educational programmes for a worldwide community of schools, aiming
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produced to support these programmes.

The IB may use a variety of sources in its work and checks information to verify accuracy
and authenticity, particularly when using community-based knowledge sources such as
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and IB logos are registered trademarks of the International Baccalaureate Organization.
IB mission statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who
help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop
challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong
learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
IB learner profile
profile IB learner
arner profile IB le
ile IB learner prof
IB learner profile H E IB L E AR
N

ER
er profile IB learn

PROFILE
IB learner profile
The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common
humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
As IB learners we strive to be:

We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories,
research. We know how to learn independently and with others. as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate
We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the
throughout life. experience.

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a
knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference
and ideas that have local and global significance. in the lives of others and in the world around us.

We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination;
responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas
making reasoned, ethical decisions. and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the
face of challenges and change.
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one
language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of
carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups. our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve
well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interde-
pendence with other people and with the world in which we live.
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of
fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and expe-
of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions rience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in
and their consequences. order to support our learning and personal development.

The IB learner profile represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools. We believe these attributes, and others
like them, can help individuals and groups become responsible members of local, national and global communities.

© International Baccalaureate Organization 2017


International Baccalaureate® | Baccalauréat International® | Bachillerato Internacional®
Contents

Introduction 1
Purpose of this guide 1
Programme model 2

MYP projects 4
Nature of the MYP projects 4
Nature of the MYP personal project 5
Culminating experiences across the IB continuum 6
Aims 8
Objectives 10
Requirements 12
The role of staff 13

Organizing the MYP personal project 16


Time frames for completing the personal project 16
The language of MYP projects 19
Academic honesty 20

Pedagogy of MYP projects 21


Inquiry in the MYP personal project 21
Approaches to learning 22

Completing the MYP personal project 23


Objectives 23
The process 24
Reporting the MYP personal project 28
Using assessment criteria 31
MYP personal project assessment criteria 32
MYP personal project moderation 35

Appendices 37
Glossary 37
Command terms 38
Bibliography 39

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Introduction

Purpose of this guide

Please note that the assessment criteria used in this material correspond to this Middle Years Programme
(MYP) Personal project guide (published in 2021), and are for first use in final assessment in the 2021–2022
academic year (northern hemisphere) and the 2022 academic year (southern hemisphere).

This document provides the framework for the personal project in the MYP and must be read and used in
conjunction with the document MYP: From principles into practice (May 2014), which includes:
• general information about the programme
• detailed information about approaches to learning
• advice that supports access and inclusion (including accommodations for students with learning
support requirements)
• a statement on academic integrity.

In MYP publications, requirements appear in a text box like this one.

Additional resources
Teacher support materials (TSMs) are available in the programme resource centre. The TSM for the MYP
personal project contains support for planning, organizing and completing the project. It provides
examples of good practice, including information for supervisors and students, and timelines as well as
student work with supervisor comments.
A range of publications that supports the MYP is available at the International Baccalaureate (IB) store.

Acknowledgments
The IB gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions of IB World Schools and a global community of
educators who collaborate in the development of the Middle Years Programme.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 1


Introduction

Programme model

The MYP is designed for students aged 11 to 16. It provides a framework of learning that encourages
students to become creative, critical and reflective thinkers. The MYP emphasizes intellectual challenge,
encouraging students to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world.
It fosters the development of skills for communication, intercultural understanding and global engagement
—essential qualities for young people who are becoming global leaders.

Figure 1
The MYP model

The MYP is flexible enough to accommodate the demands of most national or local curriculums. It builds on
the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed in the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and prepares
students to meet the academic challenges of the IB Diploma Programme (DP) and the IB Career-related
Programme (CP).
The MYP:
• addresses holistically students’ intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being
• provides students opportunities to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need in order
to manage complexity and take responsible action for the future
• ensures breadth and depth of understanding through study in eight subject groups

2 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Programme model

• requires the study of at least two languages to support students in understanding their own cultures
and those of others
• empowers students to participate in service with the community
• helps to prepare students for further education, the workplace and a lifetime of learning.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 3


MYP projects

Nature of the MYP projects

In this programme, the MYP community project and the MYP personal project are known together as MYP
projects. MYP projects are student-centred and age-appropriate, and they enable students to engage in
practical explorations through a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection. MYP projects help students to
develop the attributes of the IB learner profile; provide students with an essential opportunity to
demonstrate approaches to learning (ATL) skills developed through the MYP; and foster the development
of independent, lifelong learners.
At schools where the MYP ends in year 3 or 4, students must complete the community project.
At schools where the MYP includes year 5, students must complete the personal project.
However, schools offering a MYP programme including years 3, 4 and 5 may choose to offer students the
opportunity to engage in both the community project and the personal project.
The MYP community project is dealt with in the Community project guide.

4 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


MYP projects

Nature of the MYP personal project

As today’s MYP students mature, they will be increasingly called on to shape the world that they inhabit. To
prepare students for this responsibility, middle level education must cultivate students’ motivation, agency
and capacity for lifelong learning, as shown in the table:

Table 1
The elements that a middle level education should cultivate
Motivation Students explore an area that motivates and interests them.
Agency Students set their own goal and choose how to achieve it.
Students create their own articulation of what success will look like.
Lifelong learning Students demonstrate and develop ATL skills.
Students reflect on the impact that the personal project has had on
themselves and/or their community.

The personal project provides an opportunity for students to undertake an independent and age-
appropriate exploration into an area of personal interest. Through the process of inquiry, action and
reflection, students are encouraged to demonstrate and strengthen their ATL skills.
The personal nature of the project is important; the project allows students to explore an area that
motivates and interests them. Students choose what they want to focus on, which can be an existing or a
new interest, choose how to achieve their goal, and create their own success criteria for the product. The
project provides an excellent opportunity for students to produce a truly personal and often creative
product and to demonstrate a consolidation of their learning in the MYP.

Figure 2
The elements that make up the MYP personal project

The personal project provides students with an essential opportunity to demonstrate ATL skills developed
through the MYP and to foster the development of independent, lifelong learning. The independent nature
of the project equips students to pursue meaningful goals in life, education and the workplace.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 5


MYP projects

Culminating experiences across the IB continuum

The IB continuum of international education provides a progression of learning for students aged 3 to 19.
Figure 3 shows the IB continuum pathways to projects or culminating experiences across the four IB
programmes.

Figure 3
IB continuum pathways to projects in the IB

Students completing the PYP will have experienced a broad and engaging curriculum that culminates with
the PYP exhibition. This is an age-appropriate demonstration of learning involving inquiry into the world
around them.
MYP projects prepare students for further education projects and presentations, such as those in the CP and
DP. There are strong links between the MYP projects and subject-specific assessments in the DP, such as the
global politics engagement activity, through the nature of the task and the presentation style of the report;
however, MYP projects relate most directly to the cores of the CP and the DP.
The CP core comprises personal and professional skills, a reflective project, language development and
service learning. The MYP community project supports raising awareness needs in the community, the
application of ATL skills, the reflective nature of inquiry as the project progresses, and the language
development required for an oral presentation as the culminating activity.
The DP core comprises the extended essay, theory of knowledge (TOK) and creativity, activity, service (CAS).
The focus on service in CAS and the style of the TOK presentation are both mirrored in the service as action
and the presentation of the MYP community project.

6 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Culminating experiences across the IB continuum

While the personal project enables students to pursue their personal interests further in the MYP, the DP
extended essay enables students to pursue an academic interest through a research essay. The personal
project is not necessarily a research essay; however, personal projects usually involve research, including
the use and collection of information and sources.
The community project and personal project emphasize experiential learning, which is developed further in
community and service in both the CP and DP. Through MYP projects, students experience the
responsibility of completing a significant piece of work over an extended period of time, as well as the need
to reflect on their learning and the outcomes of their work—key skills that prepare students for success in
further study, the workplace and the community.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 7


MYP projects

Aims

The aims state what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims suggest how the student
may be changed by the learning experience.
The personal project is an opportunity for students to:
• inquire
◦ explore an interest that is personally meaningful
◦ take ownership of their learning by undertaking a self-directed inquiry
• act
◦ transfer and apply skills in pursuit of a learning goal and the creation of a product
• reflect
◦ recognize and evidence personal growth and development.

Figure 4
The aims of the MYP personal project

The personal project consists of a process, a product and a report. Collectively, these interrelated
components allow students to meet the aims of the project. Through the process of creating a product,
students explore an area that is personally meaningful, take ownership of their learning in a self-directed
inquiry, and transfer and apply skills in pursuit of a learning goal and the creation of a product. The product

8 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Aims

provides a focus for exploring an interest that is personally meaningful, and a basis for recognizing and
evidencing personal growth. Finally, preparing the report is an opportunity for students to engage in a
structured reflection on the process and the product, allowing them to recognize and evidence their
growth and development. While the report is the only component that is assessed, the report reflects both
the process and the product.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 9


MYP projects

Objectives

The objectives state the specific targets that are set for learning. They define what students will be able to
accomplish as a result of their studies.

MYP personal project objectives


The objectives of MYP projects encompass the factual, conceptual, procedural and metacognitive
dimensions of knowledge. Listed below are the objectives of the personal project specifically.

Objective A: Planning
Students should be able to:
i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal
ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product
iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.

Objective B: Applying skills


Students should be able to:
i. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal
ii. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product.

Objective C: Reflecting
Students should be able to:
i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.

10 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Objectives

Visualizing the MYP personal project objectives

Figure 5
Visualizing the MYP personal project objectives

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 11


MYP projects

Requirements

In schools in which the MYP finishes with year 5 of the programme, all students must complete the personal
project, with the majority of their work undertaken in the final MYP year. Students are expected to spend a
minimum of 25 hours on their personal project.

Schools must register all students in MYP year 5 for external moderation of the personal project. Schools
may choose to offer students the opportunity to participate in both the community project and the
personal project.

Schools must ensure that:


• the project does not form part of the curriculum for any subject group, although subjects may support
the completion of the project
• all supervisors of the project are familiar with this guide and understand their roles and responsibilities
• the project is assessed and internally standardized by the supervisors in the school according to the
criteria stated in this guide.

In addition, many MYP schools find it helpful to:


• communicate the requirements and objectives of the project to parents and external community
experts
• involve the librarian or resource specialist in the organization of the project
• involve the school counsellor or mentor in facilitating the process of the project by supporting the
academic and emotional needs of students
• organize showcase events to provide students with an opportunity to present their project to peers,
teachers and parents.

12 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


MYP projects

The role of staff

Schools should provide a structure in which the roles and responsibilities of staff supervising the MYP
projects are defined.

Schools must allocate resources to supervise and coordinate the MYP projects.

The role of the project coordinator(s)


The IB recommends that one or more project coordinators be appointed within the school to lead the
implementation, organization and management of the projects in the school. This role can be fulfilled by
the MYP coordinator or the school can appoint one or more personal project coordinators. The number of
personal project coordinators appointed will depend on the size of the school and the number of students
involved with the personal project. In schools where the MYP coordinator assumes responsibility for the
personal projects, the allocation of extra time is often necessary for the role. As an alternative, schools may
choose to assign the role to a different staff member.

Figure 6
The role of the school community in the broader community

The personal project coordinator requires the support of the community in general, and the pedagogical
leadership team in particular.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 13


The role of staff

To ensure sufficient supervision for students, schools may choose to involve all teaching and professional
staff in supervising personal projects. Schools should take into consideration other responsibilities these
staff may have, such as supervision of the DP extended essay or the CP reflective project, to avoid work
overload.
Schools use a variety of methods for allocating supervisors to students, including:
• students approaching a supervisor of their own choosing
• supervisors choosing from a list of projects proposed by students
• schools assigning supervisors to students randomly or based on specific scheduling demands.
Table 2 shows the support to be given by personal project coordinators.

Table 2
The responsibilities of personal project coordinator(s) to students and supervisors
Responsibilities to students Responsibilities to supervisors
• Communicate the timeline for completing the personal project.
• Communicate expectations and provide clarification as needed.
• Facilitate the process of submitting the report, bibliography and academic integrity form.
• Assign or facilitate the selection of a supervisor. • Provide access to relevant guidance from the
• Explain the role of the supervisor in supporting personal project guide and the TSM.
the personal project. • Facilitate the process of standardization and
assessment.
• Share or provide results of subject report and
internal assessment feedback report for
samples submitted for moderation.

The role of the supervisor(s)


The purpose of the supervisor is to support the student during the personal project, as shown in table 3.
The systems that schools set in place for supervision of projects will vary according to the size of the school
and the number of students participating in the personal project.

Table 3
The responsibilities of a supervisor
The supervisor’s responsibilities are to:
• provide guidance to students in the process and completion of the project.
This includes:
• ensuring the chosen MYP project topic satisfies appropriate legal and ethical standards with regard
to health and safety, confidentiality, human rights, animal welfare and environmental issues
• giving guidelines about the MYP project
• providing a timetable with deadlines
• providing the assessment criteria for the project
• giving advice on how to keep and curate evidence of the process
• emphasizing the importance of personal analysis and reflection
• providing formative feedback
• ensuring requirements for academic integrity are met
• confirming the authenticity of the work submitted
• assessing the MYP project using the criteria in this guide
• participating in the standardization of the assessment process

14 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


The role of staff

The supervisor’s responsibilities are to:


• providing personal project teacher assessed totals to the MYP coordinator to enter in the
International Baccalaureate Information System (IBIS).
Students should receive information and guidance that includes:
• guidelines about the MYP project
• a timetable with deadlines
• the assessment criteria for the project
• advice on how to keep and use a process journal
• the importance of personal analysis and reflection
• formative feedback
• requirements for academic honesty.

Supervisors will support students throughout the personal project. The section “The process” in this guide
provides specific information about the project for both supervisors and students.

The role of the library, media or resource centre


The library, media or resource centre is a key resource for students, and the involvement of the librarian or
resource specialist in the process of completing the personal project is recommended. The librarian or
resource specialist will be able to assist students with research skills and with locating and sourcing
resources, as well as contributing in other areas such as referencing and completing bibliographies.

The role of the community


Many members of the community, both within and beyond the school, can support the personal project
(see table 4).

Table 4
The role of the school and broader community
Within the school Beyond the school
The library, media or resource centre is a Students may decide to seek out and use specialists within the
key resource for students, and the community who facilitate access to research and evidence,
involvement of the librarian or resource provide information to extend skills and knowledge, and
specialist in the process of completing the model good practice. In these cases, the community member
project is recommended. The librarian or guides and supports the students throughout the process;
resource specialist will be able to assist however, he or she does not assess the project. If schools use
students with research skills and with such a role, it is important that students still receive guidance
locating and sourcing resources, as well as from a supervisor in the school relating to the project
contributing in other areas such as objectives and assessment. Schools should refer to school
referencing and completing policies and any legal requirements when using an external
bibliographies. specialist, in the interest of student safety.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 15


Organizing the MYP personal project

Time frames for completing the personal project

Students are expected to spend approximately 25 hours on their MYP personal project. This time includes:
• meeting with supervisors
• independent learning through research, planning, development and completion of the project
• reporting of the project.
Schools should develop realistic dates that identify important stages in the development of a personal
project. Schools need to consider the balance of time needed for planning, completing the product and
producing the report.
The list in table 5 may be helpful for schools when organizing the personal project.

Table 5
School considerations for MYP personal project time frames
When organizing the personal project, schools should consider:
• the number of supervisors required
• the selection and training of supervisors
• informing students about the project
• timelines for supervisors and students
• scheduling time for supervisors to meet with students individually or in groups
• documentation for managing the project
• library or information and communication technology resources for the project
• internal standardization of the project
• informing parents of the objectives and characteristics of the project
• showcasing of the project at its conclusion.

Project supervisors will need to work with students throughout the personal project. The frequency of
meetings between students and their supervisor may change according to the type of project, the topic,
characteristics of the students involved or the stages of the project.
Because of varying scheduling demands, MYP schools may consider strategies such as:
• flexible scheduling within an extended time frame, allowing students to meet with supervisors and to
share work in progress
• organizing “drop-in” sessions for students to meet with teachers from specific subject groups at
different stages
• scheduling regular, specific times for collaborative work or meeting about the project.
Table 6 may help with the planning of the personal project.

Table 6
Planning the personal project
When What How Who
Preparation Establish interim deadlines The process Personal project
coordinator
Prepare student handbook
Assign supervisors Roles and relationships

16 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Time frames for completing the personal project

When What How Who


Implementation Introduce project to students Personal project
coordinator
Students set learning and Setting a goal Students, in consultation
product goals with their supervisor
Students establish success Creating an action plan
criteria
Students develop action plan
Registration deadline Section B1 in Middle Years Personal project
Refer to Middle Years Programme Assessment coordinator
Programme Assessment procedures
procedures for specific date
Students apply ATL skills as they Gathering and curating Students, in consultation
work towards their goal evidence with their supervisor
Students document their Applying the ATL skills
process and collect evidence of
the ATL skills employed in their
process journal
Students evaluate the extent to Evaluating the product
which they achieved their
product goal
Students select ATL evidence to Gathering and curating
include in their report evidence
Applying the ATL skills
Students reflect on the impact Reflecting on the impact
of their project of the project
Students prepare and submit Reporting the personal Students, in consultation
their report project with their supervisor and
Personal project the personal project
objectives coordinator

Personal project
assessment criteria
Assessment Standardize and assess the Video about internal Supervisors and the
personal project standardization personal project
coordinator
Prepare for submission of Section B6 in Middle Years Personal project
sample work Programme Assessment coordinator
procedures
Submission deadline for teacher Section B6 in Middle Years
assessed totals Programme Assessment
Submission deadline for procedures
criterion level totals for sample ePortfolio user guide
candidates
Submission deadline for sample
projects

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 17


Time frames for completing the personal project

When What How Who


Refer to Middle Years
Programme Assessment
procedures for specific date
Results issued Section B8 in Middle Years
Refer to Middle Years Programme Assessment
Programme Assessment procedures
procedures for specific date
Communicate results to Personal project
students and supervisors coordinator and
supervisors
Access the internal assessment
feedback report and the subject
report
Reflect on the successes and
challenges; discuss
recommendations for next year

18 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Organizing the MYP personal project

The language of MYP projects

The language of the personal project


The MYP personal project will usually be developed and presented in the school’s language of instruction.
However, students should have the opportunity to report their personal project in their preferred language,
which may or may not be their first and best language or the language of instruction of the school, when
the following conditions can be met.
• The standards used in the assessment of such projects are the same as those applied to all personal
projects in the school.
• The school develops a meaningful process for internal assessment and standardization.
If no professional in the school is able to supervise the student in the language of his or her choice, the
school can choose a supervisor from the community. The health and safety of the student is paramount,
and local regulations may impact supervisor contact time with students. When supervisors are based
outside the school community, they must receive the same information as school staff. The external
supervisor should meet with the student regularly and work under the direction of school staff.
How the school assigns supervision to students for the personal project should be decided within a context
of long-term planning that is informed by the expertise of school staff and parents. Communication with
parents on language planning and development should be part of ongoing school practice.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 19


Organizing the MYP personal project

Academic honesty

For MYP projects, students and their supervisors must use the MYP projects academic honesty form provided
by the IB to note their meeting dates and the main points discussed and to declare the academic honesty of
work.

The form can be found here.


Only three meeting dates need to be entered; in most cases, meetings selected for entry are at the start of
the project, in the middle of the project and at completion of the project. The final declaration must be
signed by the student and the supervisor on submission of the final report or presentation.

20 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Pedagogy of MYP projects

Inquiry in the MYP personal project

The MYP personal project is a culminating example of inquiry because it reflects students’ abilities to
initiate, manage and direct their own inquiries.
The inquiry process in MYP projects involves students in a wide range of activities to extend their
knowledge and understanding and to develop their skills and attitudes. These student-planned learning
activities include:
• deciding what they want to learn about, identifying what they already know, and discovering what
they will need to know to complete the project
• creating proposals or criteria for their project, planning their time and materials, and recording
developments of the project
• making decisions, developing understandings and solving problems, communicating with their
supervisor and others, and creating a product
• evaluating the product and reflecting on their project and their learning.
As students become involved in the self-initiated and self-directed learning process, they will find it easier
to construct in-depth knowledge on their topic as well as to develop an understanding of themselves as
learners.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 21


Pedagogy of MYP projects

Approaches to learning

MYP projects are culminating activities through which students present, in a truly individual way, their
development of ATL skills.
ATL skills that students have developed in subject groups will prepare them for working more
independently and developing a MYP project over an extended period of time. Projects, essays and
investigations carried out in the subject groups are important vehicles for helping students to develop the
skills and attitudes needed to complete MYP projects.
ATL skills provide a solid foundation for learning independently and with others, demonstrating learning,
and reflecting on the process of learning. They help students to become more autonomous, strategic and
self-motivated and ultimately prepare students for responsible participation in local and global contexts.
Students will demonstrate how they have met the objectives through their report at the end of the
personal project. They will be expected to communicate clearly, accurately and appropriately, utilizing
communication, organization and reflection as ATL skills.
Students have the opportunity to develop affective skills—mindfulness, perseverance, emotional
management, self-motivation and resilience—throughout the entire process. This skill set contributes to
managing state of mind and a healthy, balanced approach to the projects.

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Completing the MYP personal project

Objectives

MYP personal project objectives


The objectives of the MYP personal project state the specific targets that are set for learning. They define
what students should be able to accomplish as a result of completing the project.

Students must address all strands of all three objectives in the MYP personal project.

These objectives relate directly to the assessment criteria found in the “MYP personal project assessment
criteria” section of this guide.

Objective A: Planning
Students should be able to:
i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal
ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product
iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.

Objective B: Applying skills


Students should be able to:
i. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal
ii. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product.

Objective C: Reflecting
Students should be able to:
i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 23


Completing the MYP personal project

The process

Gathering and curating evidence


Students are expected to document their process. In this way, students demonstrate their working
behaviours and academic integrity. Students are not restricted to any single model for gathering evidence
of their process; however, they are responsible for producing pieces of evidence that correspond to each
strand of the three objectives (see table 7 for examples). Students may:
• use a process journal to document the development of their personal project but they are not required
to do so. Students will be familiar with the practice of documenting the development of a project and
can draw on techniques used to document the arts process journal, the design folder or similar
workbooks in other subject groups, and may choose to employ some of those strategies to gather
evidence
• use a range of tools, therefore generating evidence across a variety of platforms as they develop their
project
• develop their own format and design, although schools can provide templates, such as those in the
TSM, to support students’ work.
The media for documenting the process can vary depending on student preferences. It can be written,
visual, audio or a combination of these, and it may include both paper and electronic formats. If students
choose to use a process journal, they are strongly advised to make digital copies of their journals or to
transmit copies of their journals to an online storage site.

Table 7
Guidelines for collecting evidence of the MYP personal project
Evidence of the process is: Evidence of the process is not:
• gathered throughout the project to document • collected on a daily basis (unless this is useful
its development for the student)
• an evolving record of intents, processes, • written up after the process has been
accomplishments completed
• a collection of initial thoughts and • additional work on top of the project; it is part
developments, brainstorming, possible lines of of and supports the project
inquiry and further questions raised • a diary with detailed writing about what was
• a record of interactions with sources, for done (unless this is useful for the student)
example, teachers, supervisors, external • a single, static document with only one format
contributors (unless this is useful for the student).
• a record of selected, annotated and/or edited
research and to maintain a bibliography
• a collection of useful information, for example,
quotations, pictures, ideas, photographs
• a means of exploring ideas and solutions
• a place for evaluating work completed
• reflection on learning
• devised by the student in a format that suits his
or her needs

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The process

Evidence of the process is: Evidence of the process is not:


• a record of reflections and formative feedback
received.

Students show their supervisors evidence of their process at meetings. Although legibility is important, the
recording of critical and creative thinking and reflection is more important than neatness and presentation.

Setting a goal
The personal project is truly personal because each student sets their own goal based on something that
they find interesting. Students may draw inspiration from their prior experience in the MYP, such as:
• a global context that they find particularly compelling
• a service as action experience that they would like to build on
• a unit of inquiry that they would like to explore further.
Similarly, students may set a goal based on an interest or hobby that they pursue (or would like to pursue)
outside school. Students should set an overall goal that can be achieved within 25 hours.
The overall goal for the personal project consists of two interrelated parts: a product and a learning goal.
The product is what students will create and the learning goal is what they want to learn. While some
students might begin the goal-setting process with a product in mind, other students will begin with a
learning goal from which they will decide what kind of product to pursue. The learning goal that students
begin with could lead to a variety of different products, just as a product could relate to a variety of learning
goals (see figure 7 for an example).

Figure 7
An example of starting with a learning goal to guide the creation of the product

Note that the product may be a tangible artifact such as a sculpture, film, story or model, or it could be a
non-tangible result such as an awareness-raising campaign, learning to play a new piece of music or
improving athletic performance. Students should be able to achieve the goal, including the learning goal
and the product, and prepare the report in 25 hours. As such, students may need to revise their goal as they
develop their action plan.

Creating an action plan


Students will create an action plan for achieving their chosen product. This process is iterative: as students
create their action plan, they will gain a sense of whether they can achieve the product within a reasonable
time frame and they may revise their learning goal and/or product accordingly.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 25


The process

To create a detailed action plan, students should develop success criteria for their product and determine
the necessary steps or actions that will be required to meet those criteria. This will also establish a
foundation to explain whether or not the goal was achieved in the report.
The process of developing success criteria and establishing an action plan to meet the success criteria is
likely to require some research. Similarly, students may need to carry out research related to their learning
goal, which could be included as part of their action plan.

Applying the ATL skills


Throughout the personal project, students should collect evidence of how they have applied the ATL skills.
This evidence may include:
• visual thinking diagrams
• bulleted lists
• charts
• short paragraphs
• notes
• timelines, action plans
• annotated illustrations
• annotated research
• pictures, photographs, sketches
• screenshots of a blog or website
• self- and peer-assessment feedback.
At the end of the personal project, students will select pieces of evidence to demonstrate the ATL skills
that have had the most impact on their project. One piece of evidence must support their analysis of how
ATL skill(s) were applied to extend their learning goal, and another must support their analysis of how ATL
skill(s) were applied to achieve their product.
Students may find it helpful to evaluate their product before selecting the examples of the ATL skills to
include in their report.

Evaluating the product


When students have completed their product, they use the success criteria that were developed early in the
personal project to evaluate the extent to which they achieved their product goal.
This evaluation forms the basis for explaining the impact of the project and can also help students to select
the evidence of the ATL skills to include in their report.

Explaining the impact of the personal project


Because the personal project consists of a learning goal and a product, it can result in a variety of impacts
on the student and/or the community (see table 8).

Table 8
The possible impacts of the learning goal and product
Possible impacts of the learning goal Possible impacts of the product
Develops specific ATL skills Meets a need in the community
Extends knowledge about an area of interest Showcases the students’ skills or abilities
Gains confidence by completing an independent
project

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The process

When reflecting on the personal project, it is important to remember that the process can have a positive
impact even if the product is not successful.

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Completing the MYP personal project

Reporting the MYP personal project

A report is a spoken or written account of something observed, heard, done or investigated. A report aims
to inform as clearly and succinctly as possible. The MYP personal project report demonstrates a student’s
engagement with his or her personal project by summarizing the experiences and skills recorded
throughout the process.
The report should be presented in identifiable sections following the MYP personal project objectives—
planning, applying skills, and reflecting, as shown in table 9. The report must include evidence for all the
strands of all criteria.

Table 9
The personal project objectives and how they might be evidenced in the product
Objective A: Planning Objective B: Applying skills Objective C: Reflecting
Students present what they did in Students show how ATL skills Students report on why they did
their project. contributed to the learning goal their project.
and product.
Students: Students: Students:
• state a learning goal for the • explain how the ATL skill(s) • explain the impact of the
project and explain how a was/were applied to help project on themselves or
personal interest led to that achieve their learning goal their learning
goal • explain how the ATL skill(s) • evaluate the product based
• state an intended product was/were applied to help on the success criteria
and develop appropriate achieve their product • support their comments with
success criteria for the • support the explanations specific evidence or detailed
product with detailed examples or examples.
• present a clear, detailed plan evidence.
for achieving the product
and its associated success
criteria.
Examples of supporting evidence Examples of supporting evidence Examples of supporting evidence
could include: could include: could include:
• a list and/or diagram of • a series of inquiry questions • evaluation of the product
interests and related learning (research skills) against the success criteria
goals • sample correspondence with • images showing key features
• a list of possible strategies to the project supervisor of the product
achieve personal and (communication skills) • analysis of the causes for
academic goals • screenshot of daily reminders success and/or failure
• a diagram showing the or alerts to complete • summary of new knowledge
connections between the personal project tasks (self- or insights related to the
learning goal and the management) learning goal.
product • reflection about resolving a
• a series of steps leading to conflict (social skills)
the completion of the • summary of prior learning
product that is relevant to the project
(thinking skills).

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Reporting the MYP personal project

Objective A: Planning Objective B: Applying skills Objective C: Reflecting


• a timeline for completing
short- and long-term tasks.

Please note that examples of supporting evidence are offered as suggestions and should not be
understood as prescriptive or exhaustive. Students are encouraged to gather a variety of evidence
throughout the development of their project so that they can select the evidence that best supports the
claims that they make in the report.
The format of the report for the personal project can vary depending on the resources available and the
interests of the students. Students should take into consideration learning preferences, personal strengths
and available resources when deciding on the best format for the report. The ability to communicate clearly
and concisely is essential to demonstrate the elements of the report and reach the highest levels of the
criteria. The student’s supervisor is responsible for providing guidance on the format of the report.
Students may submit their report and evidence in any combination of documents and recordings that fits
within the limits outlined in the table below. Table 10 shows the maximum length of students’ submissions.

Table 10
The maximum length of student submissions
Document Recording
File types: .doc, .docx, .pdf (non- File types: .mp3, .m4a, .mp4, .mov (codec
editable), .rtf H264), .m4v
15 pages and no recording
14 pages and 1 minute
13 pages and 2 minutes
12 pages and 3 minutes
11 pages and 4 minutes
10 pages and 5 minutes
9 pages and 6 minutes
8 pages and 7 minutes
7 pages and 8 minutes
6 pages and 9 minutes
5 pages and 10 minutes

When preparing documents and recordings, the following specifications should be noted:
1. To ensure that the written part of the report is clearly legible, each page must have a minimum:
• 11-point font size
• 2 cm margins.
2. Where a spoken report is submitted, the only evidence that will be considered for assessment is the
audio itself, plus any supporting pages of documents. Visual aids (such as PowerPoint slides) may be
used to support a spoken presentation, but these will not be considered as a constituent part of the
submission for assessment purposes.
3. Evidence presented in images must be clearly visible at the size submitted.
4. The bibliography is uploaded separately and is not included in the page limit.
5. Please do not include a title page; if included, it will count towards the page limit.

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Reporting the MYP personal project

Oral, visual and multimedia reports must be recorded for internal standardization purposes and for possible
submission for moderation. Supervisors must ensure that the quality of the recording is sufficient for
submission to the IB.

Students should be able to achieve the goal, including the learning goal and the product, and prepare the
report in 25 hours. Planning, drafting, rehearsing and preparing materials are all necessary steps, and
students should be aware of the amount of time required to complete the report. Students should be
careful to ensure that their report is a distinct component of the MYP personal project and is not simply a
collection of evidence.
If a personal project involves group work, each individual student must create his or her own report, clearly
demonstrating his or her contribution in all stages of the personal project. Further, each student must
collect his or her own evidence of the process.
When submitting the report for assessment, students must also include the completed academic integrity
form. This is not included in the page limit.

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Completing the MYP personal project

Using assessment criteria

Assessment for the MYP personal project is criterion-related, based on three equally weighted assessment
criteria (table 11).

Table 11
The relationship between assessment criteria, objectives and marks
Criterion Objective Maximum weighting
Criterion A Planning 8
Criterion B Applying skills 8
Criterion C Reflecting 8

MYP personal projects must assess all strands of all three assessment criteria.

In the MYP, objectives correspond to assessment criteria. Each criterion has eight possible achievement
levels (1–8), divided into four bands that generally represent limited (1–2); adequate (3–4); substantial (5–6);
and excellent (7–8) performance. Each strand within each band has its own unique descriptor that teachers
use to make “best-fit” judgments about students’ progress and achievement.
This guide provides the required assessment criteria for the personal project developed in year 5 of the
MYP. Schools must use the appropriate assessment criteria as published in this guide to report students’
final achievement in the programme.
The personal project coordinators and supervisors clarify the expectations for the MYP personal project
with direct reference to the assessment criteria. Reference to the command terms and their definitions will
help coordinators and supervisors to explain clearly what students are expected to know and do. This can
be addressed in forms such as:
• a face-to-face or virtual discussion
• an information day
• detailed advice pages on the school intranet
• reference to assessed student samples of the personal project and/or other tasks.

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Completing the MYP personal project

MYP personal project assessment criteria

Criterion A: Planning
Maximum: 8
In the personal project, students should be able to:
i. state a learning goal for the project and explain how a personal interest led to that goal
ii. state an intended product and develop appropriate success criteria for the product
iii. present a clear, detailed plan for achieving the product and its associated success criteria.

Achievement Descriptor
level
0 The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1–2 The student:
i. states a learning goal
ii. states their intended product
iii. presents a plan that is superficial or that is not focused on a product.
3–4 The student:
i. states a learning goal and outlines the connection between personal interest(s) and
that goal
ii. states their intended product and presents basic success criteria for the product
iii. presents a plan for achieving the product and some of its associated success criteria.
5–6 The student:
i. states a learning goal and describes the connection between personal interest(s)
and that goal
ii. states their intended product and presents multiple appropriate success criteria for
the product
iii. presents a detailed plan for achieving the product and most of its associated
success criteria.
7–8 The student:
i. states a learning goal and explains the connection between personal interest(s) and
that goal
ii. states their intended product and presents multiple appropriate, detailed success
criteria for the product
iii. presents a detailed plan for achieving the product and all of its associated success
criteria.

Definitions
Learning goal What students want to learn as a result of doing the personal project.
Product What students will create for their personal project.
Presents Offer for display, observation, examination or consideration.

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MYP personal project assessment criteria

Definitions
State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.
Outline Give a brief account or summary.
Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.

Criterion B: Applying skills


Maximum: 8
In the personal project, students should be able to:
i. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal
ii. explain how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product.

Achievement Descriptor
level
0 The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1–2 The student:
i. states which ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal
ii. states which ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product.
3–4 The student:
i. outlines which ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal,
with superficial examples or evidence
ii. outlines which ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product, with
superficial examples or evidence.
5–6 The student:
i. describes how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal,
with reference to examples or evidence
ii. describes how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product, with
reference to examples or evidence.
7–8 The student:
i. explains how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their learning goal,
supported with detailed examples or evidence
ii. explains how the ATL skill(s) was/were applied to help achieve their product,
supported with detailed examples or evidence.

Definitions
Learning goal What students want to learn as a result of doing the personal project.
Product What students will create for their personal project.
ATL skill(s) One or more of: communication, collaboration, organization, affective, reflection,
clusters information literacy, media literacy, critical thinking, creative thinking, transfer.
State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.
Outline Give a brief account or summary.
Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 33


MYP personal project assessment criteria

Definitions
Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.

Criterion C: Reflecting
Maximum: 8
In the personal project, students should be able to:
i. explain the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluate the product based on the success criteria.

Achievement Descriptor
level
0 The student does not achieve a standard described by any of the descriptors below.
1–2 The student:
i. states the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. states whether the product was achieved.
3–4 The student:
i. outlines the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. states whether the product was achieved, partially supported with evidence or
examples.
5–6 The student:
i. describes the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluates the product based on the success criteria, partially supported with
evidence or examples.
7–8 The student:
i. explains the impact of the project on themselves or their learning
ii. evaluates the product based on the success criteria, fully supported with specific
evidence or detailed examples.

Notes about Impact of the project:


• could refer to any aspect of having done the project: inquiry, action and/or reflection
• could include progress made towards the learning goal
• could include ways in which the student has grown as a learner, such as improvement in the ATL skills
or learner profile attributes
• could include ways in which the student has grown or changed as a result of the project.

Definitions
Product What students will create for their personal project.
State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.
Outline Give a brief account or summary.
Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Evaluate Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.

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Completing the MYP personal project

MYP personal project moderation

The official validation of personal project grades is mandatory for all MYP schools ending in year 5, and
requires a process of external moderation of the supervisor’s internal standardized assessment.

The term moderation refers to the checking and standardization of assessment. Adjustment of the results
may or may not be required following the process, depending on the supervisors’ understanding and
application of MYP personal project assessment criteria.

Requirements for assessment


The personal project report is assessed against the personal project criteria published in this guide.
The personal project must be the student’s own work but the student’s supervisor should play an
important role supporting the student through the minimum of three meeting sessions that will be
reported on the academic honesty form. It is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure that students are
familiar with the requirements of the project and the assessment criteria at the strand level.
Supervisors should provide appropriate formative feedback that guides students in developing and
improving their work. Supervisors are responsible for using principled professional judgment when
determining the nature and extent of feedback they provide on students’ personal project reports. As a
shared standard of good practice, supervisors must provide only one round of formal feedback on
candidates’ project reports. It is appropriate to provide general guidance rather than extensive annotations,
detailed edits or extended critiques.
To ensure fairness and to prevent undue influence, supervisors’ feedback on personal projects must only
advise students generally on how to approach and complete their work. Once students have submitted the
final versions of their project materials for school-based assessment, they cannot be retracted or redone.
Supervisors must ensure that all student work submitted for external assessment is prepared according to
IB requirements. In particular, students and supervisors are responsible for understanding all IB academic
integrity requirements, especially those relating to authenticity and intellectual property. Supervisors must
explain clearly to students and parents that all work submitted for school-based assessment—including
MYP personal projects—must be the candidate’s own authentic and individual work. Supervisors must use
appropriate means to ensure that each candidate’s work is, in their professional judgment, authentic. If a
candidate does submit work for assessment that is not authentic, the school must follow its internal policy
for dealing with academic integrity issues.
Plagiarism and collusion are serious breaches of IB regulations, potentially subjecting candidates to
consequences for academic misconduct. In addition, inauthentic student work can distort assessment
results and potentially disadvantage all students in the school’s cohort by unfairly skewing its moderation
sample.
When awarding criterion level totals, supervisors must base their judgment of student achievement entirely
on the completed candidate work that is to be presented for moderation. Reported achievement levels
should not be influenced by the supervisor’s previous experience with the candidate or by work that is not
represented in the candidate’s materials submitted for the personal project.
If more than one supervisor is responsible for assessment, an internal standardization process should be
used to ensure that all candidates are marked to the same standard. Supervisors are encouraged to keep a
record of their comments about the candidate’s project to explain the levels they have awarded—
especially where marginal judgments are made—as they help the examiner support the supervisor’s
judgments. Supervisor comments should be uploaded with projects that are selected as part of the
moderation sample.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 35


MYP personal project moderation

Personal project subject-specific grade descriptors


Subject-specific grade descriptors serve as an important reference in the assessment process. They are the
result of careful analysis of subject-group criteria and the general grade descriptors, and they have been
written to capture and describe in a single descriptor the performance of students at each grade for MYP
projects.
Subject-specific grade descriptors are also the main reference used to select grade boundaries for the
personal project in each assessment session. During this process, the grade award team compares student
performance against descriptors of achievement at grades 2 and 3; 3 and 4; and 6 and 7 (other boundaries
are set at equal intervals between these key transitions). The grade award process sets boundaries for the
personal project for each examination session, with reference to real student work.
Subject-specific grade descriptors tie eAssessment to criterion-related assessment and to MYP assessment
criteria and level descriptors, which put the programme’s criterion-related assessment philosophy into
practice. These are shown in table 12.

Table 12
MYP personal project grade descriptors
Grade Descriptor
1 Produces work of a very limited quality. Conveys many misunderstandings of the process of
learning independently. Very rarely demonstrates critical thinking. Very inflexible, rarely
shows evidence of knowledge or skills.
2 Produces a report of limited quality. Communicates limited understanding of the process
of learning independently. Demonstrates limited evidence of critical thinking. Limited
evidence of transfer of knowledge or approaches to learning skills into the project.
3 Produces an acceptable report. Communicates basic understanding of the process of
learning independently through the project. Begins to demonstrate some basic critical
thinking. Begins to transfer knowledge and approaches to learning skills into the project.
4 Produces a good-quality report. Communicates basic understanding of the process of
learning independently through all stages of the cycle of inquiry. Often demonstrates
critical thinking. Transfers some knowledge and some approaches to learning skills into the
project.
5 Produces a generally high-quality report that demonstrates a thorough process.
Communicates good understanding of the process of learning independently through all
stages of the cycle of inquiry. Demonstrates critical thinking, sometimes with
sophistication. Usually transfers knowledge and approaches to learning skills into the
project.
6 Produces a high-quality report that demonstrates a thorough process. Communicates
extensive understanding of the process of learning independently through all stages of the
cycle of inquiry. Demonstrates critical thinking, frequently with sophistication. Transfers
knowledge and approaches to learning skills into the project.
7 Produces a high-quality report that demonstrates a thorough process. Communicates
comprehensive, nuanced understanding of the process of learning independently through
all stages of the cycle of inquiry. Consistently demonstrates sophisticated critical thinking.
Successfully transfers knowledge and approaches to learning skills into the project with
independence.

36 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Appendices

Glossary

Terms Definitions
Bibliography An alphabetical list of every source used to research the project.
Criteria Specific elements the personal project product must meet to be a quality outcome,
as defined by the student.
List of references An alphabetical list of only those sources that are cited in the project presentation or
report.
Product What students will create for their personal project. The product may be a tangible
artifact such as a sculpture, film, story or model. The product may also be a non-
tangible result or result that has various aspects to it, for example, an awareness-
raising campaign.
Report A spoken or written account of something observed, heard, done or investigated,
which aims to inform as clearly and succinctly as possible.

Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022) 37


Appendices

Command terms

Terms Definition
Describe Give a detailed account or picture of a situation, event, pattern or process.
Develop Improve incrementally, elaborate or expand in detail. Evolve to a more advanced or
effective state.
Evaluate Make an appraisal by weighing up the strengths and limitations.
Explain Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Outline Give a brief account or summary.
Present Offer for display, observation, examination or consideration.
State Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without explanation or calculation.

38 Personal project guide (for use from September 2021/January 2022)


Appendices

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