I teach IB MYP Individuals and Societies and have been an IB examiner for the MYP Integrated Humanities E-Assessment for the past three years. As I prepare to examine the May 2024 session, here is an introductory post on the e-assessment, covering what it is, its structure, the topics it includes, the stimuli and tools used in the exam, and my thoughts on it.
What is the IB MYP?
The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an educational framework designed for students aged 11 to 16. It emphasizes intellectual challenge, encouraging students to make connections between their studies and the real world. The MYP is structured around eight subject groups: Language Acquisition, Language and Literature, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, Physical and Health Education, and Design. Students pursuing the IB MYP certificate, which is given at the end of the five-year program, must complete an on-screen examination in a chosen selection of subjects, including Integrated Humanities.
The MYP Integrated Humanities E-Assessment Structure
The IB MYP Integrated Humanities E-Assessment is designed to align with the program's core objectives. It includes a series of tasks that mirror the tasks and assessments encountered throughout their MYP journey. The examination is out of 80 marks and has seven different questions, each with a different task that students need to complete. Questions may assess one or more of the criteria, based on the nature of the task. The exam is divided into the following four criteria, each carrying equal weight and designed to measure distinct competencies:
Criteria A: Knowledge and understanding (20 marks): This criterion assesses students' grasp of factual knowledge and conceptual understanding of the subject matter.
Criteria B: Investigating (20 marks): Here, students demonstrate their research and investigation skills through different questions.
Criteria C: Communicating (20 marks): Students are evaluated on their ability to present information and ideas effectively, engaging with the audience using appropriate formats and styles based on the posed questions.
Criteria D: Thinking critically (20 marks): This involves analyzing issues, arguments, and perspectives.
Topics Covered (taken from the IB MYP Individuals and Societies Subject Guide)
The range of topics in the Integrated Humanities E-Assessment is broad, providing a comprehensive overview of significant global themes. While schools have the flexibility to tailor their curricula, the examinable subject matter can include, but is not limited to, the following:
Superpowers, empires, and supra-national institutions
Significant individuals
Peace and conflict
Rights and social protest
Globalization: trade, aid, exchange, and flows
Economic agents and their roles
Growth and development indicators
Industrialization and technological developments
Changing population dynamics
Resource management
Sustainable urban and natural environment management
Examination Stimuli and Tools
To ensure a well-rounded assessment, the E-Assessment incorporates a variety of textual and audiovisual stimuli. Students may encounter primary and secondary texts, images, articles, videos, animations, data tables, charts, maps, and graphs. These sources are designed to test students' abilities to analyze and synthesize information from different formats, which reflect the realities of the world. Various tools are available during the assessment, such as standard text tools for most questions, along with more specific tools like creating flow charts, graphs, and data tables. This variety ensures that students can effectively demonstrate their skills across different types of tasks.
Task Details
Communicating: Tasks in this section require creative engagement with a topic, where students might produce a creative writing piece, blog, article, letter, presentation, poster/infographic, or speech. Students must communicate ideas appropriately, based on the specified formats.
Investigating: Students engage in tasks that reflect real-world research processes, such as formulating and justifying research questions, developing parts of action plans (including identifying media, stakeholders, research methods, and information sources), and evaluating investigative processes or results.
Thinking Critically: Questions assessing students may include justifying ideas and opinions, where students are challenged to think deeply about issues and arguments. The final question of the E-Assessment is an extended writing piece that reflects their analytical and evaluative skills.
My Thoughts
I used to teach MYP Individuals and Societies at an international school in Bogota, where all students were required to sit for the E-Assessment at the end of MYP Year 5. As I was new to the IB MYP back then, I found it challenging to prepare students for the E-Assessment. Students would ask me what to study for the exam, and I did not have a clear answer. With no fixed content, I was unsure of how to proceed. I was frustrated, and so were they.
However, after my first year, I got the hang of it and realized that it is an incredibly robust examination because it measures a wide range of skills, not just knowledge. It assesses both students' academic abilities and their readiness to tackle complex, real-world issues. Through the E-Assessment and the MYP Individuals and Societies course, students engage deeply with the material, practice critical thinking, and refine their communication skills. I am now very comfortable with teaching the course and preparing my students to show their knowledge, skills, and dispositions in the E-Assessment through a variety of strategies, which I will share in a later post.