Assessment - Personal Project
The following assessment criteria have been established by the IBO for the
personal project in the MYP. The final assessment required for IBO-validated
grades and IBO certification at the end of the MYP must be based on these
assessment criteria.
The assessment criteria and markband descriptors appear below.
-
For each assessment criterion,
a number of markband descriptors, describing a range of achievement levels,
are defined. The lowest level of achievement is represented as 0.
-
The criteria are equally
weighted.
-
The descriptors concentrate on
positive achievement, although for the lower levels failure to achieve may
be included in the description.
Criterion A: Planning and Development
Maximum 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 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 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 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 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 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 students 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 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. |
Top
