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EDIT700 Instructional Design Project

Report 3
Shannon Stone

I. Characteristics of Learners
The summative assessment is the essay assignment described in the Instructional
Goal Statement of Report 1. The learners are academically gifted students and
intrinsically motivated in general. The learners find personal satisfaction in
learning, and they have additional motivation to succeed in the Theory of
Knowledge course because successful completion of this course is a central
requirement to qualifying for an International Baccalaureate diploma. Since the
essay assessment counts for two thirds of their overall mark, the students are very
motivated to succeed on this summative evaluation. The needs of students are in
line with the needs of the organization, as their meeting the requirements to obtain
an IB diploma is also a principle goal of the International Baccalaureate program at
Socastee High School.

The learners display a positive attitude toward learning in general, and are very
engaged in the Theory of Knowledge curriculum. They are determined to succeed
and willing to work to achieve this end. Their positive attitude is complemented
by their prior experiences in their previous classes, particularly the IB classes. The

IB classes not only focus traditional content, but also take opportunities to examine
the nature of the knowledge making up the classes. These academic experiences
have direct bearing on the Theory of Knowledge class and the essay assessment in
particular. The learners experiences in their upper level English classes have
provided them with training and experience in writing essay-type assessments,
though they have never written for a rubric of the type particular to this class.

II. Summative Assessment

The summative evaluation consists of an essay on a prescribed title. A different list
of prescribed titles is given each year. The students choose one essay title to write
for the evaluation. The evaluation document given by the International
Baccalaureate on the Online Curriculum Centre (2015) follows:

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Theory of knowledge prescribed titles
May 2016 examination session
Instructions to candidates
Your theory of knowledge essay for examination must be submitted to your teacher for
authentication. It must be written on one of the six titles (questions) provided overleaf. You may
choose any title, but are recommended to consult with your teacher. Your essay will be marked
according to the assessment instrument published in the theory of knowledge guide. The focus of
your essay should be on knowledge questions. Where appropriate, refer to other parts of your IB
programme and to your experiences as a knower. Always justify your statements and provide
relevant examples to illustrate your arguments. Pay attention to the implications of your
arguments, and remember to consider what can be said against them. If you use external sources,
cite them according to a recognized convention.
Note that statements in quotations in these titles are not necessarily authentic: they present a real
point of view but may not be direct quotes. It is appropriate to analyse them but it is unnecessary,
even unwise, to spend time on researching a context for them.
Examiners mark essays against the title as set. Respond to the title exactly as given; do not alter
it in any way.
Your essay must have a maximum of 1600 words, it must be double spaced and typed in size 12
font.
1.

In gaining knowledge, each area of knowledge uses a network of ways of knowing.

Discuss this statement with reference to two areas of knowledge.

2.

Knowledge within a discipline develops according to the principles of natural selection.

How useful is this metaphor?

3.

The knowers perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge. To what extent do you
agree?

4.

Without application in the world, the value of knowledge is greatly diminished. Consider
this claim with respect to two areas of knowledge.

5.

To what extent do the concepts that we use shape the conclusions that we reach?

6.

In knowledge there is always a trade-off between accuracy and simplicity. Evaluate this
statement in relation to two areas of knowledge.

III.

Evaluation Materials

The evaluation of the essay employs Global Impression Marking which judges
each essay in relation to written descriptions of performance. The assessment is a
holistic process of global judgement. Assessors do not total up points from
separate parts, but rather they choose the level which best describes the essay
overall, via the following rubric from the International Baccalaureates Online
Curriculum Centre (2015).

(p.62)
IV.Procedures Used in Evaluation Process
The essay topics are given to the students in mid December, and the essays are
finalized and submitted during the first week of January. The students are given

opportunities in class to work on the essays, and they are invited to make
individual appointments with the teacher to discuss their progress on the essay.
The essays are submitted to the teacher via the Google classroom, and the essays
are submitted to the International Baccalaureate via a secure internet site. The
teacher assess the essays as a step in verifying their authenticity and as a part of the
process of determining a predicted mark for the Theory of Knowledge class. The
teachers evaluation of the essay is recorded in the school grade book as part of the
students final exam marks for the class. Evaluation of the essays will also prove
informative to the teacher, who is the instructional designer for the course.

The external evaluator for the International Baccalaureate assesses the essays and a
score is reported. No other information is reported with the score that would
enable the teacher/ instructional designer to evaluate the success of the
instructional design. Each fall the IB does publish a Subject Report that
describes world wide results. The report highlights trends and examiners
observations from the entire evaluation process, making recommendations on
where teachers should focus their efforts to improve in the coming year.

Most of the summative evaluation of the students comes from the teachers
assessing the essay. Useful information in evaluating the instructional design
comes from the annual Subject Reports.
References
Prescribed essay titles May 2016. (2015). International Baccalaureate Online
Curriculum Centre. Retrieved from
http://occ.ibo.org/ibis/occ/Utils/getFile2.cfm?
source=/ibis/occ/home/subjectHome.cfm&filename=dp%2Fdrq%2Ftok%2Fd
%5F0%5Ftokxx%5Fprt%5F1605%5F1%5Fe%2Epdf
Theory of knowledge guide (first assessment 2015). (2015). International
Baccalaureate Online Curriculum Centre. Retrieved from
http://occ.ibo.org/ibis/occ/Utils/getFile2.cfm?
source=/ibis/occ/home/subjectHome.cfm&filename=dp%2Fdrq%2Ftok%2Fd
%5F0%5Ftokxx%5Fgui%5F1304%5F2%5Fe%2Epdf