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Insight Loops

Insight loops are an powerful way to score points in your IB assessments.

They work especially well in situations like IOs and exam essay questions where you're trying to quickly develop relevant insights (showing course knowledge) and develop as many points as you can.

How insight loops work

In short, the idea is that you take a piece of evidence and then link it to a key word (or a concept, model, literary device, framework, diagram, or idea) from the course. You can think of this as just labelling the evidence, showing us what we call this in this IB subject.

Then, you develop the idea further, making it clear how this labelling that you just did helps us answer the question in some way.

What do we mean by evidence?

In your English IO, the evidence could be words in your excerpt, "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun", which you label: This is a metaphor, but is also a use of dramatic irony. And then, you can further clarify this. Juliet is lighting up the window, the way...

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The May 2024 TOK Essay Titles

Below are the Theory of Knowledge Essay prescribed titles for the May 2024 session.

The video analysis of these titles is available in the member's area--which you can watch using a free trial. (Just click the "subscribe" tab at the top of this page). Click here to watch it now (just login first).

Our just updated TOK Essay Video Course (11 helpful videos) is ready for you as well

 

The May 2024 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

 

  1. Is subjectivity overly celebrated in the arts but unfairly condemned in history? Discuss with reference to the arts and history.

  2. How can we reconcile the opposing demands for specialization and generalization in the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

  3. Nothing is more exciting than fresh ideas, so why are areas of knowledge often so slow to adopt them? Discuss with reference to the human sciences and one other area of knowledge.

  4. Do we underestimate...

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The Brondy’s PLC Case Analysis - November 2023 - IB Business Management

The Brondy’s PLC Case Video Analysis is ready! (Business Management, Paper 1)

We've gone through the case and created an exhaustive video analysis, to help you prepare for the Business Management Paper 1 exam in November 2023. (If you're a member already you can click here and you'll be taken directly to the resources.)

The video will save you time and stress and of course help you do a lot better. 

To subscribe: Click here and you'll get the video and access to the other resources that we've created for the case. 

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The Research Triangle

I wanted to share a model I've created for my Extended Essay students. And it's been working really well. In fact, all of my EE students got A's this year and they found this framework helped them do that. 

 Below I'll run-through the model briefly, in a general way. If you want some more help, I would be very happy to talk it through with you

If you're finding that your EE doesn't seem to be working, this model will help you diagnose the issue.

It's useful to think of the Research Question, the Tools and the Data as the 3 main elements when you develop your question and move toward your writing. 

Great research works well when each of these elements align with each other. Every aspect needs to match with the other ones. When they do, once there is alignment between these 3 aspects, the writing and marks are much easier to achieve.  

  • Question + Data
    • The question needs to match with the data you're able to find.
    • Sometimes,...
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The November 2023 TOK Essay Titles

Here you'll find the Theory of Knowledge Essay prescribed titles for the November 2023 session.

The video analysis of these titles is also available already in the member's area.--which you can watch using a free trial. (Just click the "subscribe" tab at the top of this page. Once you're signed up and signed in, the video link will work for you). You can also find our entirely new TOK Essay Video Course (11 helpful videos) here

 

The November 2023 TOK Essay Prescribed Titles

1. Are facts alone enough to prove a claim? Discuss with reference to any two areas of knowledge.

2. If “the mathematician’s patterns, like the painter’s and the poet’s, must be beautiful” (G.H. Hardy), how might this impact the production of knowledge? Discuss with reference to mathematics and the arts.

3. In the acquisition of knowledge, is following experts unquestioningly as dangerous as ignoring them completely? Discuss with reference to the...

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The Skandvig Terra PLC Case Analysis - May 2023 - IB Business Management

The Skandvig Terra PLC Case Video Analysis is ready. (Business Management, Paper 1)

We've gone through the case and created an exhaustive video analysis, to help you prepare for the Business Management Paper 1 exam in May 2023.

It will save you time and stress and of course help you do a lot better. 

To subscribe: Click here And then (members can) click here to go directly to the video and the other resources that we've created for the case. 

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The Business Management IA Structure (May 2024 Onward)

You're in the right place. 

Most of the online resources with IB Business Management IA advice are not up to date, but this one is. Here you will find all of the best tips for the Business IA, as well as exactly how to structure your work. This page is up-to-date for students graduating on May 2024 or later. We'll show you step-by-step, exactly what to do

First, we'll go through all of your initial decisions, so you'll have a good question and resources. Then I'll go through the actual structure of your IA and show you what to write in each section. You can always use the 'Jump to' links below to move to the part you need. 

...

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The TOK Essay Video Course

 

 

The all-new Theory of Knowledge Essay Video Course is ready for you!

These 11 short videos talk you through every step of the TOK Essay Writing process, from choosing your Prescribed Title to Final Checks before you upload it. I've been teaching, tutoring, and marking TOK essays for 12 years, in the Americas, Europe and South-East Asia and I've put almost all of my TOK essay-writing secrets in these videos for you.

Existing Members: You can access it by clicking this direct link. 

New Members: If you're not a member yet, you can access the entire TOK Essay Video Course with a free trial, by clicking here

  

The New TOK Essay Video Course includes: 

 

   Very clear instructions on what matters in the TOK Essay, so you can start your essay early (if you want to) and do well, even if TOK isn't your strongest subject. 

   Detailed analysis and thorough discussions of all of the latest November and May...

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The ELE PLC Case Analysis - November 2022 - IB Business Management

The full IBMastery analysis of the ELE PLC case (November 2022 - Paper 1) is ready for you now in the member's area. 

We've gone through the case and created an exhaustive video analysis, to help you prepare for the November Business Management exam. This video will save you time and stress and of course help you do a lot better. 

To subscribe: Click here And then, once you're logged in click here to watch the video and get the resources. 

Here is an excerpt for you, the key term definitions. The full analysis for our members contains much more analysis. 

 

ELE PLC Case Key Words

 

Internal sources [of finance] (19) - Internal sources of finance refer to money that comes from within a business. There are several internal sources a business can use, including owners capital, retained profit and selling assets.

 

Long-term [supply] contracts - (20) - An agreement between the companies wherein the buyer agrees to purchase...

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The Secret to a Top Scoring IB Essay

 

As a teacher and tutor I specialize in helping students write top-scoring essays. I wanted to share with you a helpful way to think about this, which will help you show strong critical thinking --something that often counts for close to 50% of your essay grade, so you can do well, even if you don’t work with me as your tutor. 

First, let’s notice that there are 3 very different actvities required to create a great analytical essay. You need to: 

  1.  Gather relevant evidence, 
  2.  Present an argument, grounded in that evidence. And then 
  3.  Weigh up those arguments to write a judgement that seems very well-supported. 

If you do those 3 things thoughtfully you can definitely get a 7 (or an A, if it's TOK or your EE). 

We can think of those 3 activities as relating to 4 different roles you need to play: You need to

  1. Be a Detective,
  2. Be a Lawyer,
  3. Be a second Lawyer, who disagrees with the first one....
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