environmental systems and societies assessments
Assessment criteria are used when the assessment task is open-ended. Each criterion concentrates on a particular skill that you are expected to demonstrate. An assessment objective describes what you should be able to do, and assessment criteria describe how well they should be able to do it.
Using assessment criteria allows discrimination between different answers and encourages a variety of responses. Each criterion comprises a set of hierarchically ordered level descriptors. Each level descriptor is worth one or more marks. Each criterion is applied independently using a best-fit model. The maximum marks for each criterion may differ according to the criterion’s importance. The marks awarded for each criterion are added together to give the total mark for the piece of work.
Your overall IB mark (the one sent to universities after the IB test) in any IB science course is based upon two kinds of assessments or grades:
External Assessment General Information
Assessment Outline
The external assessment consists of two written papers and is worth 75% of the final assessment.
Paper 1 - Duration: 1 hour; Weighting: 25%; Marks: 40
Paper 2 - Duration: 2 hours; Weighting 50%; Marks: 65
The final part of each essay in section B (9 marks) will be marked using markbands. The aim is to find the descriptor that conveys most accurately the level attained by your work, using the best-fit model. A best-fit approach means that compensation will be made when a piece of work matches different aspects of a markband at different levels. The mark awarded will be one that most fairly reflects the balance of achievement against the markband. It is not necessary for every single aspect of a level descriptor to be met for that mark to be awarded.
Using assessment criteria allows discrimination between different answers and encourages a variety of responses. Each criterion comprises a set of hierarchically ordered level descriptors. Each level descriptor is worth one or more marks. Each criterion is applied independently using a best-fit model. The maximum marks for each criterion may differ according to the criterion’s importance. The marks awarded for each criterion are added together to give the total mark for the piece of work.
Your overall IB mark (the one sent to universities after the IB test) in any IB science course is based upon two kinds of assessments or grades:
- External Assessment: Your score on end-of-course exam (75% of total IB mark)
- Internal Assessment: Your performance on in class laboratory work (25% of total IB mark)
External Assessment General Information
Assessment Outline
The external assessment consists of two written papers and is worth 75% of the final assessment.
Paper 1 - Duration: 1 hour; Weighting: 25%; Marks: 40
- You will be provided with a range of data in a variety of forms relating to a specific, previously unseen case study.
- Questions will be based on the analysis and evaluation of the data in the case study.
- All of the questions are compulsory.
- The questions test assessment objectives 1, 2 and 3.
Paper 2 - Duration: 2 hours; Weighting 50%; Marks: 65
- Paper 2 consists of two sections, A and B.
- Section A (25 marks) is made up of short-answer and data-based questions.
- Section B (40 marks) requires you to answer two structured essay questions from a choice of four. Each question is worth 20 marks.
- The questions test assessment objectives 1, 2 and 3.
The final part of each essay in section B (9 marks) will be marked using markbands. The aim is to find the descriptor that conveys most accurately the level attained by your work, using the best-fit model. A best-fit approach means that compensation will be made when a piece of work matches different aspects of a markband at different levels. The mark awarded will be one that most fairly reflects the balance of achievement against the markband. It is not necessary for every single aspect of a level descriptor to be met for that mark to be awarded.
Internal Assessment
The most important aspect of the environmental systems and societies course is hands-on work in the laboratory and/or out in the field. The syllabus not only directly requires the use of field techniques, but many components can only be covered effectively through this approach. Practical work in this subject is an opportunity to gain and develop skills and techniques beyond the requirements of the assessment model and should be fully integrated with the teaching of the course.
The individual investigation will be a single task taking about 10 hours. This time allocation includes time for consultation with me to discuss the research question before the investigation is implemented, as well as time spent developing methodology and collecting data. It should be noted that during the consultation stage, I will also provide advice to support you but I will not tell you what to investigate or how to carry it out. Before the final submission, I will provide you with feedback on one draft of the written report.
The purpose of the internal assessment investigation is to focus on a particular aspect of an ESS issue and to apply the results to a broader environmental and/or societal context. The investigation is recorded as a written report. The report should be 1,500 to 2,250 words long. You should be made aware that external moderators will not read beyond 2,250 words and I will only mark up to this limit.
The internal assessment investigation consists of:
It is important to understand that the focused research question should arise from a broader area of environmental interest (the context), so that in conjunction with evaluating the research process and findings of your study, you will be able to discuss the extent to which the study applies to the environmental issue that interests them at a local, regional or global level (the application). The discussion should lead you to develop creative thinking and novel solutions, or to inform current political and management decisions relating to the issue. For example, if you carry out a study on the impact of wind turbines that have been erected in the vicinity of their school, you may suggest solutions for the erection of wind turbines in other areas based on your findings.
A perfect score would be 42. IBCA adjusts actual marks to reflect the 25% weighting
Your laboratory work and report write-ups will be assessed (that means ‘graded’) using very strict IB criteria. All IB science teachers world-wide must use the same criteria and apply them in the same way—quite a challenge!! To ensure that everyone is following the rules and applying the criteria correctly, schools must send samples of graded student lab reports to IB for monitoring. If a teacher is being too hard or too soft, that teacher’s marks which were awarded to students will be adjusted accordingly.
All IA (Lab) assignments are to be typed and submitted electronically through ManageBac on or before the assignments due date. Please note IA submissions are to be submitted by 12AM - no exceptions. For this reason it is recommended IA assignments be submitted a day early so that any problems can be discussed BEFORE the due date and time occur.
I will decide if your research topic is like another research topic. You must get approval of your topic directly from me before you run the experiment.
All teachers and students must pay attention IB Animal Experimentation Policy document. Find out more about it on the Animal Experimentation
In line with the poster Ethical practice in the Diploma Programme, the following guidelines exist for all practical work undertaken as part of the Diploma Programme.
For internal assessment, the following assessment criteria will be used.
The most important aspect of the environmental systems and societies course is hands-on work in the laboratory and/or out in the field. The syllabus not only directly requires the use of field techniques, but many components can only be covered effectively through this approach. Practical work in this subject is an opportunity to gain and develop skills and techniques beyond the requirements of the assessment model and should be fully integrated with the teaching of the course.
The individual investigation will be a single task taking about 10 hours. This time allocation includes time for consultation with me to discuss the research question before the investigation is implemented, as well as time spent developing methodology and collecting data. It should be noted that during the consultation stage, I will also provide advice to support you but I will not tell you what to investigate or how to carry it out. Before the final submission, I will provide you with feedback on one draft of the written report.
The purpose of the internal assessment investigation is to focus on a particular aspect of an ESS issue and to apply the results to a broader environmental and/or societal context. The investigation is recorded as a written report. The report should be 1,500 to 2,250 words long. You should be made aware that external moderators will not read beyond 2,250 words and I will only mark up to this limit.
The internal assessment investigation consists of:
- identifying an ESS issue and focusing on one of its specific aspects
- developing methodologies to generate data that are analysed to produce knowledge and understanding of this focused aspect
- applying the outcomes of the focused investigation to provide understanding or solutions in the broader ESS context.
It is important to understand that the focused research question should arise from a broader area of environmental interest (the context), so that in conjunction with evaluating the research process and findings of your study, you will be able to discuss the extent to which the study applies to the environmental issue that interests them at a local, regional or global level (the application). The discussion should lead you to develop creative thinking and novel solutions, or to inform current political and management decisions relating to the issue. For example, if you carry out a study on the impact of wind turbines that have been erected in the vicinity of their school, you may suggest solutions for the erection of wind turbines in other areas based on your findings.
A perfect score would be 42. IBCA adjusts actual marks to reflect the 25% weighting
Your laboratory work and report write-ups will be assessed (that means ‘graded’) using very strict IB criteria. All IB science teachers world-wide must use the same criteria and apply them in the same way—quite a challenge!! To ensure that everyone is following the rules and applying the criteria correctly, schools must send samples of graded student lab reports to IB for monitoring. If a teacher is being too hard or too soft, that teacher’s marks which were awarded to students will be adjusted accordingly.
All IA (Lab) assignments are to be typed and submitted electronically through ManageBac on or before the assignments due date. Please note IA submissions are to be submitted by 12AM - no exceptions. For this reason it is recommended IA assignments be submitted a day early so that any problems can be discussed BEFORE the due date and time occur.
I will decide if your research topic is like another research topic. You must get approval of your topic directly from me before you run the experiment.
All teachers and students must pay attention IB Animal Experimentation Policy document. Find out more about it on the Animal Experimentation
In line with the poster Ethical practice in the Diploma Programme, the following guidelines exist for all practical work undertaken as part of the Diploma Programme.
- No experiments involving other people will be undertaken without their written consent and their understanding of the nature of the experiment.
- No experiment will be undertaken that inflicts pain on, or causes distress to, humans or live animals.
- No experiment or fieldwork will be undertaken that damages the environment.
For internal assessment, the following assessment criteria will be used.
Identifying the context (6)
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student establishes and explores an environmental issue (either local or global) for an investigation and develops this to state a relevant and focused research question.
This criterion assesses the development of the purpose of the study. The student will be expected to show an understanding of the broader environmental issue and then develop their idea for a focused research question. The essential point here is that the student is able to explain the broader issue and then distill this to create a focused research question that has relevance to the broader issue but is at a meaningful scale for the time frame of the investigation and the resources available to the student. To score highly, students will need to be able to justify the connection between their own study and the bigger problem that was the stimulus for their investigation.
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student establishes and explores an environmental issue (either local or global) for an investigation and develops this to state a relevant and focused research question.
This criterion assesses the development of the purpose of the study. The student will be expected to show an understanding of the broader environmental issue and then develop their idea for a focused research question. The essential point here is that the student is able to explain the broader issue and then distill this to create a focused research question that has relevance to the broader issue but is at a meaningful scale for the time frame of the investigation and the resources available to the student. To score highly, students will need to be able to justify the connection between their own study and the bigger problem that was the stimulus for their investigation.
Planning (6)
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student has developed appropriate methods to gather data that is relevant to the research question. This data could be primary or secondary, qualitative or quantitative, and may utilize techniques associated with both experimental or social science methods of inquiry. There is an assessment of safety, environmental and ethical considerations where applicable.
Here, the emphasis is on the development of the methodology of the investigation. ESS allows for a broad range of studies that could be scientific or social-science based. The criterion has been designed to allow for assessment of a wide range of types of study. So, for example, when justifying the choice of the sampling strategy, this could mean explaining the method of sampling recipients in a questionnaire, but could also mean the selection of the number of repeats and the control of variables in a laboratory test. The important idea is that the methodology is appropriate to the focused research question, that there is sufficient data generated to lead to a conclusion, and that the rationale is explained clearly.
Many ESS studies will involve ethical or safety considerations. The students must address this, where necessary, paying attention to the IB animal experimentation policy (which includes guidelines on working with human subjects), and should write about their strategies for upholding safety and/or ethical standards in the report.
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student has developed appropriate methods to gather data that is relevant to the research question. This data could be primary or secondary, qualitative or quantitative, and may utilize techniques associated with both experimental or social science methods of inquiry. There is an assessment of safety, environmental and ethical considerations where applicable.
Here, the emphasis is on the development of the methodology of the investigation. ESS allows for a broad range of studies that could be scientific or social-science based. The criterion has been designed to allow for assessment of a wide range of types of study. So, for example, when justifying the choice of the sampling strategy, this could mean explaining the method of sampling recipients in a questionnaire, but could also mean the selection of the number of repeats and the control of variables in a laboratory test. The important idea is that the methodology is appropriate to the focused research question, that there is sufficient data generated to lead to a conclusion, and that the rationale is explained clearly.
Many ESS studies will involve ethical or safety considerations. The students must address this, where necessary, paying attention to the IB animal experimentation policy (which includes guidelines on working with human subjects), and should write about their strategies for upholding safety and/or ethical standards in the report.
Results, analysis and conclusion (6)
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student has collected, recorded, processed and interpreted
the data in ways that are relevant to the research question. The patterns in the data are correctly
interpreted to reach a valid conclusion
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student has collected and appropriately analysed the data. If there is insufficient data then any treatment will be superficial. It is hoped that a student would recognize the potential for such a lack and revisit the method before they arrive at the data collection or analysis. Alternatively, a lack of primary data could be supplemented by the use of secondary data from data banks or simulations to provide sufficient material for analysis.
Any treatment of the data must be appropriate to the focus of the investigation in an attempt to answer the research question. Guidance for the collection and analysis of data is given in the section above. The conclusions drawn must be based on the evidence from the data rather than on assumptions. Given the scope of the internal assessment and the time allocated, it is more than likely that variability in the data will lead to a tentative conclusion and may identify patterns or trends rather than establishing causal links. This should be recognized and the extent of the variability be considered in the conclusion. Where possible, the variability should be demonstrated and explained, and its impact on the conclusion fully acknowledged. Please note, by “conclusion”, is meant a deduction based on the direct interpretation of the data such as “What does the graph show?” or “Does any statistical test used support the conclusion?” Any overview of the data in the light of the broader context will be assessed in the criterion for discussion and evaluation.
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student has collected, recorded, processed and interpreted
the data in ways that are relevant to the research question. The patterns in the data are correctly
interpreted to reach a valid conclusion
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student has collected and appropriately analysed the data. If there is insufficient data then any treatment will be superficial. It is hoped that a student would recognize the potential for such a lack and revisit the method before they arrive at the data collection or analysis. Alternatively, a lack of primary data could be supplemented by the use of secondary data from data banks or simulations to provide sufficient material for analysis.
Any treatment of the data must be appropriate to the focus of the investigation in an attempt to answer the research question. Guidance for the collection and analysis of data is given in the section above. The conclusions drawn must be based on the evidence from the data rather than on assumptions. Given the scope of the internal assessment and the time allocated, it is more than likely that variability in the data will lead to a tentative conclusion and may identify patterns or trends rather than establishing causal links. This should be recognized and the extent of the variability be considered in the conclusion. Where possible, the variability should be demonstrated and explained, and its impact on the conclusion fully acknowledged. Please note, by “conclusion”, is meant a deduction based on the direct interpretation of the data such as “What does the graph show?” or “Does any statistical test used support the conclusion?” Any overview of the data in the light of the broader context will be assessed in the criterion for discussion and evaluation.
Discussion and evaluation (6)
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student discusses the conclusion in the context of the environmental issue, and carries out an evaluation of the investigation.
This criterion requires the student to reflect on their study. In the first instance, they should evaluate the methodology of their research, discussing the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the process. Any research project at this level is likely to be influenced by limitations, and the focus here is to identify these and to reflect on how they have impacted on the conclusion of the study. It might also be that weaknesses in the experimental design that became evident as a result of carrying out the study are discussed here. It is worth noting that although there is no requirement that the report is organized according to the headings of the criteria, consideration of the validity of the data will be assessed as part of the conclusion, and evaluation of the methodology will be assessed in this discussion criterion.
The student must also reflect on the outcomes of their investigation in relation to the broader environmental issue, which was raised at the beginning of the internal assessment process. To what extent do their findings support or contrast with information available in the literature? What reasons can they suggest for any similarities or differences? It is at this stage that the focused research question is now widened to re-address the broader environmental issue or concern.
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student discusses the conclusion in the context of the environmental issue, and carries out an evaluation of the investigation.
This criterion requires the student to reflect on their study. In the first instance, they should evaluate the methodology of their research, discussing the strengths, weaknesses and limitations of the process. Any research project at this level is likely to be influenced by limitations, and the focus here is to identify these and to reflect on how they have impacted on the conclusion of the study. It might also be that weaknesses in the experimental design that became evident as a result of carrying out the study are discussed here. It is worth noting that although there is no requirement that the report is organized according to the headings of the criteria, consideration of the validity of the data will be assessed as part of the conclusion, and evaluation of the methodology will be assessed in this discussion criterion.
The student must also reflect on the outcomes of their investigation in relation to the broader environmental issue, which was raised at the beginning of the internal assessment process. To what extent do their findings support or contrast with information available in the literature? What reasons can they suggest for any similarities or differences? It is at this stage that the focused research question is now widened to re-address the broader environmental issue or concern.
Applications (3)
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student identifies and evaluates one way to apply the outcomes of the investigation in relation to the broader environmental issue that was identified at the start of the project.
For this criterion, the student is expected to reflect on the results of their study in the light of the broader environmental issue and suggest how their findings could be applied to address the environmental issue, or to propose a potential solution to one aspect of the issue. This criterion is therefore concerned with the synthesis of new ideas based on research findings. The suggestion might be based in the local context of the study itself, or might have relevance in a wider field, depending on the nature of the initial research question and the quality of the data obtained. In order to score highly, the student must justify and evaluate their suggestion rather than just stating a proposal.
This criterion assesses the extent to which the student identifies and evaluates one way to apply the outcomes of the investigation in relation to the broader environmental issue that was identified at the start of the project.
For this criterion, the student is expected to reflect on the results of their study in the light of the broader environmental issue and suggest how their findings could be applied to address the environmental issue, or to propose a potential solution to one aspect of the issue. This criterion is therefore concerned with the synthesis of new ideas based on research findings. The suggestion might be based in the local context of the study itself, or might have relevance in a wider field, depending on the nature of the initial research question and the quality of the data obtained. In order to score highly, the student must justify and evaluate their suggestion rather than just stating a proposal.
Communication (3)
This criterion assesses whether the report has been presented in a way that supports effective communication in terms of structure, coherence and clarity. The focus, process and outcomes of the report are all well presented.
This criterion assesses whether the report has been presented in a way that supports effective communication in terms of structure, coherence and clarity. The focus, process and outcomes of the report are all well presented.
LAB WRITE
LabWrite is an online tool to help structure good-quality write-ups. Work through the steps of a lab report using this resource and check your report against the checklist and rubrics above. Does it help you work towards those ‘complete’ marks?
LabWrite is an online tool to help structure good-quality write-ups. Work through the steps of a lab report using this resource and check your report against the checklist and rubrics above. Does it help you work towards those ‘complete’ marks?
The following links are from BiologyForLife. These are based on IB Biology Internal Assessment criteria. However, they are very applicable to Environmental Systems and Societies. Please feel free to use these as a guide for your Internal Assessment
This is geared for Biology but very helpful for ESS
