• University of Leeds
  • International Baccalaureate

The IB Extended Essay: Managing your Research Project

Get expert guidance on writing your IB Diploma Programme extended essay with this course designed for IB students and teachers.

21,106 enrolled on this course

IB Extended Essay
  • Duration

    2 weeks
  • Weekly study

    2 hours

Develop the research skills needed for a successful IB extended essay

This course has been created to support International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme students who are writing an extended essay. You will get advice on choosing a topic and framing a research question, and learn how to identify suitable sources and analyse them to create strong arguments.

You will also learn how to structure your essay, write in an academic style and manage your time effectively so your project runs smoothly. Ultimately, the course will help you understand the importance of critical thinking and academic rigour as you plan and write a successful extended essay.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 8 seconds The course is designed to help guide International Baccalaureate students, who are working on their extended essay. You’ll develop skills which you can apply to your extended essay, to help you succeed in this area of the IB.

Skip to 0 minutes and 19 seconds These skills include: choosing and narrowing down a topic, identifying and analysing sources, developing an argument and time management. This course is aimed at being really useful for students embarking on the extended essay. But we’ve also designed it to be helpful for teachers who are supporting those students. Often, the skills of supervising an extended essay are different to the ones that we use every day in the classroom. This online course is going to help you think about and develop the skills that you need to produce an amazing extended essay. You can complete this course in your own time, at a pace that’s convenient for you. Wherever you are in the world, you can access this course online at any time.

Skip to 1 minute and 1 second There are helpful videos and visuals to guide you through all the different sections and illustrate key concepts. There’s also plenty of downloadable documents, which go into more depth and help consolidate your learning. The course is highly interactive. You’ll be encouraged to test your own understanding and apply what you’ve learned to your own work as you go along. What’s special about this course is that it’s been developed by University staff, who are experienced in teaching research skills and working with International Baccalaureate schools and students. We wanted to create a useful course that meets the needs of students writing their extended essay.

Skip to 1 minute and 35 seconds So we’ve been working alongside experts, such as the International Baccalaureate Organisation, and talking with past and present IB students, to make this course as relevant and as useful as it can be.

What topics will you cover?

  • Choosing a topic and a research question
  • Finding sources
  • Time and project management
  • Critical thinking
  • Writing effectively
  • Preparing to write

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Develop transferable study skills that can be directly applied to the IB extended essay (and later to UG study)
  • Explore techniques by which to narrow an area of interest into research questions
  • Describe how to evaluate the suitability of a range of sources and research material
  • Demonstrate how to accurately reference sources
  • Apply simple project management techniques to manage your time effectively
  • Explain how to plan, structure and write an extended research project
  • Produce a reflective log throughout the process of planning, writing and managing a research project.

Who is the course for?

This course is for students who are starting their extended essay as part of the International Baccalaureate ( IB) Diploma Programme. It will also be helpful for teachers supporting their students as they complete this process.

The course is also suitable for people completing independent research projects as it aims to develop essential research project skills, such as critical thinking, research and academic writing.

Who will you learn with?

Senior Education Outreach Officer at the University of Leeds

Senior Education Outreach Officer - Research and Study Skills
The University of Leeds

Who developed the course?

University of Leeds

As one of the UK’s largest research-based universities, the University of Leeds is a member of the prestigious Russell Group and a centre of excellence for teaching.

International Baccalaureate

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.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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