Find out more about our IB Career-related Programme. Learn what the programme is, where it fits into the IB Diploma Programme, and how it can help you achieve your goals in life.
The IB Career-related Programme has four elements: Language Development, Service Learning, Personal and Professional Skills, and the Reflective Project. These elements are known as the CP Core.
What is the Reflective Project in reality?
The Reflective Project is a 3,000-word assignment focusing on an ethical dilemma within the student’s career-related study. As our Grade 12 students finalize these projects, our Grade 11 students prepare for them by learning about ethics in their Personal and Professional Skills class.
Students begin by analyzing, debating, and discussing hypothetical ethical dilemmas. These topics are often difficult to analyze as there is usually no correct answer. Topics can also be sensitive, so students are naturally stimulated to think outside the box and intuitively discuss, considering multiple perspectives. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to show the open-mindedness and risk-taking skills that they have developed throughout their time at WISS while learning within the IB framework.
Once they have studied ethics and explored multiple theoretical and real-world examples, students progress to more specific dilemmas within their chosen field of study. This requires extensive research and an excellent understanding of current issues within their subject area and potential future issues which could affect their lives as they progress to studying and working in this field. Students will spend a lot of time getting their question just right so that it is specific enough to approach with breadth and depth within the limit of 3,000 words. The challenge is rarely having enough words and often being precise and concise enough to fully explore an ethical dilemma in so few words.
Parents Engagement Workshops
The Western International School of Shanghai recently hosted a Parent Engagement Workshop: IB Middle Years Programme, Diploma Programme, and Career-related Programme Culminating Projects. How They Showcase Student Learning Development. The workshop challenged parents to explore research questions students face as part of their studies at WISS.
Should businesses target their marketing, advertising, and branding based on stereotypes?
Should there be equal pay between men and women in the same sports?
Should photojournalists intervene in situations where the subject is in danger?
Contributed by Mr. Gary Halcrow, Career-related Programme Coordinator at the Western International School of Shanghai.
