IB​ ​DIPLOMA​ ​PROGAM​ ​-​ ​15​ ​TERMS​ ​YOU​ ​SHOULD​ ​KNOW
Original​ ​Article:​ ​http://blogs.ibo.org/blog/2017/11/08/ib-terms-explained/New​ ​to​ ​the​ ​I​B​ ​Diploma​ ​Programme​ ​(DP)​?​ ​We​ ​know​ ​that​ ​understanding​ ​this​ ​IB​ ​programme​ ​isimportant​ ​for​ ​parents​ ​and​ ​guardians​ ​who​ ​want​ ​to​ ​support​ ​their​ ​child​ ​throughout​ ​their​ ​studies.
These​ ​fifteen​ ​terms​ ​will​ ​help​ ​you​ ​stay​ ​ahead​ ​of​ ​the​ ​curve.

The​ ​full​ ​IB​ ​diplomaThe​ ​IB​ ​diploma​ ​is​ ​a​ ​globally-recognized​ ​qualification​ ​awarded​ ​to​ ​students​ ​who​ ​fulfill​ ​all​ ​requiredcomponents​ ​of​ ​the​ ​two-year​ ​IB​ ​Diploma​ ​Programme​ ​(DP).​ ​To​ ​receive​ ​the​ ​full​ ​IB​ ​diploma,​ ​students
must​ ​1)​ ​take​ ​three​ ​higher​ ​level​ ​(HL)​​ ​and​ ​three​ ​standard​ ​level​ ​(SL)​ ​courses​ ​and​ ​exams,​ ​2)complete​ ​the​ ​DP​ ​core​​ ​requirements,​ ​and​ ​3)​ ​be​ ​awarded​ ​a​ ​minimum​ ​total​ ​score​ ​of​ ​24​ ​out​ ​of​ ​45
possible​ ​points.

The​ ​DP​ ​coreIn​ ​addition​ ​to​ ​completing​ ​courses​ ​in​ ​six​ ​subject​ ​areas,​ ​full​ ​IB​ ​diploma​ ​candidates​ ​are​ ​required​ ​tocomplete​ ​the​ ​three​ ​core​ ​components:​ ​creativity,​ ​activity,​ ​service​ ​(CAS)​,​ ​the​ ​extended​ ​essay(EE)​,​ ​and​ ​theory​ ​of​ ​knowledge​ ​(TOK)​.

Creativity,​ ​activity,​ ​service​ ​(CAS)For​ ​CAS,​ ​a​ ​student​ ​completes​ ​activities​ ​that​ ​allow​ ​their​ ​learning​ ​to​ ​extend​ ​beyond​ ​the​ ​classroom.
Many​ ​students​ ​choose​ ​to​ ​fulfill​ ​CAS​ ​requirements​ ​through​ ​community​ ​service​ ​or​ ​athletics,​ ​but
additional​ ​possibilities​ ​exist​ ​so​ ​long​ ​as​ ​the​ ​project​ ​includes​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​three​ ​categories:​ ​creativity,activity​ ​or​ ​service.​ ​Throughout​ ​CAS,​ ​students​ ​reflect​ ​on​ ​their​ ​experiences​ ​and​ ​explain​ ​how​ ​theiractivities​ ​help​ ​them​ ​achieve​ ​specific​ ​learning​ ​outcomes.

Extended​ ​essay​ ​(EE)
The​ ​extended​ ​essay​ ​(EE)​ ​is​ ​a​ ​written​ ​research​ ​project​ ​of​ ​no​ ​more​ ​than​ ​4000​ ​words.​ ​Students
choose​ ​their​ ​own​ ​topics​ ​and​ ​the​ ​completed​ ​essay​ ​is​ ​sent​ ​to​ ​IB​ ​moderators​ ​around​ ​the​ ​world​ ​forgrading.​ ​For​ ​additional​ ​support,​ ​students​ ​typically​ ​select​ ​a​ ​mentor​ ​to​ ​help​ ​identify​ ​a​ ​topic​ ​andprovide​ ​guidance​ ​while​ ​researching​ ​and​ ​writing.

Theory​ ​of​ ​knowledge​ ​(TOK)UWC​ ​ISAK​ ​Japan
5827-136​ ​Nagakura,​ ​Karuizawa,​ ​Kitasaku-gun,​ ​Nagano​ ​JAPAN​ ​ ​389-0111
OFFICE​ ​+81​ ​267​ ​46​ ​8623​ ​|​ ​FAX​ ​+81​ ​267​ ​46​ ​8624​ ​|​ ​Email​ ​info@uwcisak.jp​ ​|​ ​Website​ ​uwcisak.jp

TOK​​ ​is​ ​a​ ​course​ ​in​ ​which​ ​students​ ​discuss​ ​and​ ​examine​ ​the​ ​concept​ ​of​ ​knowledge–​ ​its​ ​worth,veracity,​ ​and​ ​forms.​ ​ ​TOK​ ​requires​ ​DP​ ​students​ ​to​ ​submit​ ​an​ ​essay​ ​for​ e​ xternal​ ​assessment​.

DP​ ​coursesAll​ ​IB​ ​Diploma​ ​Programme​ ​(DP)​ ​students​ ​participate​ ​in​ ​DP​ ​courses.​ ​The​ ​strength​ ​of​ ​the​ ​DP​ ​is​ ​theway​ ​in​ ​which​ ​learning​ ​is​ ​interconnected​ ​across​ ​individual​ ​subjects.​ ​Combined​ ​with​ ​the​ ​core
requirements,​ ​DP​ ​courses​ ​are​ ​one​ ​part​ ​the​ ​DP’s​ ​holistic​ ​approach​ ​to​ ​teaching.​ ​However,​ ​schoolsmay​ ​allow​ ​students​ ​to​ ​selectively​ ​complete​ ​IB​ ​courses​ ​and/or​ ​sit​ ​for​ ​individual​ ​exams​ ​rather​ ​thanopt​ ​to​ ​complete​ ​the​ ​full​ ​IB​ ​diploma.​ ​In​ ​any​ ​given​ ​course,​ ​students​ ​will​ ​complete​ ​a​ ​subject’s
coursework​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​their​ ​status​ ​as​ ​a​ ​course​ ​student​ ​or​ ​a​ ​full​ ​diploma​ ​candidate.

External​ ​assessment
These​ ​assessments​ ​are​ ​graded​ ​by​ ​trained​ ​IB​ ​examiners.​ ​External​ ​assessments​ ​include​ ​thewritten​ ​IB​ ​exams​ ​taken​ ​by​ ​the​ ​student​ ​at​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​a​ ​DP​ ​course,​ ​normally​ ​in​ ​their​ ​second​ ​year​ ​ofthe​ ​Diploma​ ​Programme.​ ​In​ ​some​ ​courses,​ ​including​ ​film,​ ​the​ ​external​ ​assessment​ ​is​ ​a​ ​textual
analysis.​ ​In​ ​visual​ ​arts,​ ​studio​ ​work​ ​is​ ​assessed.

Higher​ ​level​ ​(HL)
HL​ ​courses​ ​are​ ​taught​ ​over​ ​two​ ​years​ ​and​ ​include​ ​a​ ​rigorous​ ​study​ ​of​ ​the​ ​course​ ​material.​ ​These
courses​ ​allow​ ​students​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​areas​ ​of​ ​interest​ ​within​ ​the​ ​subject​ ​in​ ​greater​ ​depth​ ​whencompared​ ​to​ ​SL.

Standard​ ​level​ ​(SL)SL​ ​courses​ ​ensure​ ​students​ ​are​ ​exposed​ ​to​ ​a​ ​range​ ​of​ ​disciplines​ ​that​ ​they​ ​might​ ​otherwise​ ​opt
out​ ​of.​ ​These​ ​courses​ ​are​ ​designed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​taught​ ​over​ ​two-years,​ ​with​ ​some​ ​exceptions.​ ​SL​ ​exams
are​ ​slightly​ ​shorter​ ​compared​ ​with​ ​HL​ ​exams.
*​ ​HL​ ​and​ ​some​ ​SL​ ​exams,​ ​given​ ​to​ ​second-year​ ​students,​ ​may​ ​provide​ ​students​ ​with​ ​university
credit​ ​or​ ​advanced​ ​standing​ ​with​ ​an​ ​individual​ ​grade​ ​of​ ​6​ ​or​ ​7,​ ​and​ ​in​ ​some​ ​occasions​ ​with​ ​a​ ​5(see​ ​individual​ ​university​ ​websites​ ​to​ ​find​ ​out).

IB​ ​exam​ ​resultsIB​ ​exams,​ ​regardless​ ​of​ ​whether​ ​they​ ​are​ ​HL​ ​or​ ​SL,​ ​are​ ​graded​ ​between​ ​1-7,​ ​with​ ​1​ ​being​ ​thelowest​ ​and​ ​7​ ​being​ ​the​ ​highest​ ​level.​ ​Many​ ​schools​ ​and​ ​universities​ ​describe​ ​IB​ ​exam​ ​levels​ ​as​ ​IBUWC​ ​ISAK​ ​Japan
5827-136​ ​Nagakura,​ ​Karuizawa,​ ​Kitasaku-gun,​ ​Nagano​ ​JAPAN​ ​ ​389-0111
OFFICE​ ​+81​ ​267​ ​46​ ​8623​ ​|​ ​FAX​ ​+81​ ​267​ ​46​ ​8624​ ​|​ ​Email​ ​info@uwcisak.jp​ ​|​ ​Website​ ​uwcisak.jp

exam​ ​scores​,​ ​however,​ ​each​ ​of​ ​the​ ​seven​ ​grade​ ​levels​ ​offer​ ​a​ ​detailed​ ​description​ ​of​ ​student
performance​ ​and​ ​understanding.

Internal​ ​assessment​ ​(IA)An​ ​IA​ ​is​ ​an​ ​individual​ ​assessment​ ​evaluated​ ​by​ ​the​ ​subject​ ​teacher​ ​with​ ​a​ ​list​ ​of​ ​criteria​ ​and​ ​isusually​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​some​ ​subject-related​ ​work.​ ​Alongside​ ​the​ ​criteria,​ ​samples​ ​of​ ​the​ ​student’swork​ ​(oral​ ​performances,​ ​portfolios,​ ​lab​ ​reports,​ ​and​ ​essays)​ ​are​ ​also​ ​submitted​ ​to​ ​the​ ​IB.

Descriptors
These​ ​are​ ​course-specific​ ​expectations​ ​or​ ​criteria​ ​for​ ​performance​ ​evaluation​ ​used​ ​by​ ​theteacher.​ ​They​ ​exist​ ​in​ ​every​ ​subject​ ​to​ ​aid​ ​in​ ​the​ ​grading​ ​of​ ​IA​s.

Moderation
This​ ​is​ ​the​ ​process​ ​of​ ​evaluation​ ​for​ ​internal​ ​assessments​ ​(IA’s)​​ ​used​ ​by​ ​an​ ​appointed​ ​IB
assessor.​ ​Moderation​ ​ensures​ ​that​ ​the​ ​IB’s​ ​reliable​ ​global​ ​standards​ ​are​ ​maintained​ ​at​ ​all​ ​IB
World​ ​Schools.

Learner​ ​profile
The​ ​IB​ ​learner​ ​profile​ ​is​ ​a​ ​list​ ​of​ ​traits​ ​that​ ​the​ ​IB​ ​wishes​ ​to​ ​nurture​ ​in​ ​its​ ​students.​ ​These​ ​traits​ ​arecentred​ ​around​ ​international-mindedness,​ ​inquiry,​ ​and​ ​reflection.​ ​For​ ​a​ ​complete​ ​list​ ​of​ ​learnerprofile​ ​traits​ ​click​ ​here​.

Predicted​ ​grades
These​ ​are​ ​submitted​ ​scores​ ​that​ ​teachers​ ​believe​ ​each​ ​student​ ​will​ ​achieve​ ​on​ ​their​ ​DP​ ​exam​ ​in​ ​agiven​ ​subject.

UWC​ ​ISAK​ ​Japan
5827-136​ ​Nagakura,​ ​Karuizawa,​ ​Kitasaku-gun,​ ​Nagano​ ​JAPAN​ ​ ​389-0111
OFFICE​ ​+81​ ​267​ ​46​ ​8623​ ​|​ ​FAX​ ​+81​ ​267​ ​46​ ​8624​ ​|​ ​Email​ ​info@uwcisak.jp​ ​|​ ​Website​ ​uwcisak.jp