Extended Essays

Dressing up as your Essay

Grade 12 parents will be very familiar with the Diploma Programme Extended Essay  - but for those of you who don't know - this is coming your way in future years!  The EE is an independently-written, in-depth 4,000 word research piece into an area of the student’s own interest.  Written to full academic standards in terms of referencing, abstracts, language and presentation, students started it last November, and handed in their completed work last week.

While some students have loved the whole process, there’s no denying that it has been a painful process for some.   Students are used to ‘essays’ but the ‘extended’ part - nearly a year - is a new challenge and a significant one at that; and when you look at the sorts of investigation our students undertook, it’s no surprise.  Here’s a sample of titles:

●      To what extent do taxi firms price discriminate in Singapore?

●      Evaluating the environmental sustainability of the UWCSEA East Campus’s bus transportation system through measuring its carbon footprint

●      Just Do It! The influence of Nike on adolescent ‘athletes’ around The World from a economical and psychological perspective.

●      Does online communication affect face-to-face communication and interaction? If so, how and what are its effects?

●      Marxism, State Capitalism and the Transition to Socialism: To what extent was Lenin’s New Economic Policy implemented to smoothen the ideological transition from Imperialism to Communism in Russia between 1917-21?

●      Analyze the role of different tactics suffragettes used to obtain franchise for women during the First Wave of Feminism in the USA (1848-1920)

●      ¿Ha sido Cien Años de Soledad de Gabriel García Márquez algo más que una inspiración para Isabel Allende al escribir La Casa de los Espíritus?

●      To What Extent Has Neuroplasticity Research Affected the Development of Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy in the Treatment Of Cerebral Palsy?

●      Is It beneficial for women to do their national service in Israel?

●      How does the timeless story of Snow White retain its power over our imagination?

●      How successful has the government been in addressing the rise of obesity levels in Singapore?

●      To what extent does negative childhood affect youth males to commit a violent crime?

●      To what extent can optimism be used to increase academic achievement?

●      村上春樹『ノルウェーの森』、吉本ばなな『キッチン』の二作品の比較による男性作家と女性作家の「死」に関する伝え方の違い

●      To what extent do western fashion advertisements affect young females self esteem?

●      How hazard perception and responses vary between two districts in Jakarta, Kampung Melayu and Pondok Indah.

You can, I hope, see locally and culturally specific ideas located in these titles.  From classic academic inquiry, to personal passion, to ethically-driven search, these are the sorts of ideas more often pursued at undergraduate level (our students are even doing viva voces as per university practices), and give an insight into the depth and ambition shown by our students.  You can imagine how impressive these Extended Essays are to universities!  The EEs will, in due course be collated into a most impressive book: here is the link to see the one from last year.

The long-term value of the Extended Essay is rooted in the skills it teaches and the enthusiasm for learning that it (perhaps surprisingly) engenders.  So a huge ‘well done’ to the students, their supervisors, and to Guy Roberts, who has led this process.

Have great week

Nick