Internal+Assessment

toc Purpose of the internal assessment Internal assessment is an integral part of the course and is compulsory for both SL and HL students. It enables you to demonstrate the application of your skills and knowledge, and to pursue your personal interests, without the time limitations and other constraints that are associated with written examinations. You will be given some of the normal classroom teaching over a period of time to help you in the project. The internal assessment requirements at SL and at HL are the same. However, it contributes to a different percentage of the overall mark. Students are required to produce a project that consists of a cover page, the product (IT solution) and documentation. The focus of the ITGS project is on providing an original IT solution for a client.

** Overview of internal assessment **
= Stages in the process = Five stages are suggested here as essential procedures. = Stage 1: Planning and preparation = There are a number of steps in stage 1. Background reading Before starting the project, you need to read the //Information technology in a global society guide//, referring specifically to the “Internal assessment” section. These pages give essential information on the nature of the internal assessment. In addition, you need to:
 * = Summary of the internal assessment task ||
 * = 30 hours of class time ||
 * = Individual collaboration with specified client ||
 * = Individual documentation ||
 * = 2,000 words (maximum) ||
 * = Marked by the teacher ||
 * = Externally moderated ||
 * 30% of total marks for SL; 20% of total marks for HL ||
 * **Read this wiki:**which provides all the information needed
 * **Have a copy of the checklist (It is given to you in class), make sure to follow it appropriately.**

**Integrating the project into the course for SL and HL students**
The project is common to both SL and HL students. 30 hours of teaching time is devoted to the project for both SL and HL students. This will enable adequate supervision and reduce the pressure on students in out-of-school hours.

**Other demands of the Diploma Programme**
You will submit the first draft of the project by the end of year 1.

The topics on multimedia/digital media, databases and spreadsheets within the ITGS syllabus lend themselves to the development of practical IT skills and it may be helpful for students to be given the opportunity to practise these IT skills before embarking upon the project that will be used for final submission and assessment.

**Choice of client**
The choice of a suitable client is a major contributing factor to the final success of the project. It is recommended that the client is either a teacher, with the exception of the ITGS teacher, within the school, a friend or member of the student’s family. Further information is available in the “Choice of topic” section of the guide.

**Selecting a topic for the project**
It is important that students, with the teacher’s guidance, choose an issue that:
 * engages their interest
 * meets the criteria for assessment
 * involves a client who is accessible and can provide feedback within the required time frame
 * is realistic in terms of resources, their technical ability and the time frame for completion.

= Stage 2: Gathering information for the project = Meeting with the client The student should ensure that the first, and any subsequent, meetings with the client are in an environment that is conducive to gathering the relevant information. The meetings should be scheduled at mutually convenient times.

Method(s) of information collection
Students may use a range of methods to gather information from the client. It must be remembered that evidence of the consultation must be included in the final submission of the project. Additional information may need to be collected in the development of the project. For example, this may relate to hardware, software or techniques required to develop the product.

= Stage 3: Preparing to develop the product = Follow-up work in class should be used to ensure that students have an opportunity to:
 * check they have sufficient data from their client to develop the product
 * check they have the hardware, software and practical skills to develop the product
 * check that the timeline proposed is realistic
 * use the checklists in this publication to provide a framework for the development of the project.

= Stage 4: Creating the project = There are a number of steps in stage 4.

**Using the criteria**
Students need to follow closely all seven assessment criteria (A–G).

**Individual work and authenticity**
The project must be entirely the work of the individual student. Students should be given a strict timetable and internal deadline for the submission of the rough draft of the project.

Supervision by the teacher should be on an individual basis and the rough draft **checked once only**. Repeated submission, redrafting and remarking of the project is not permitted. Where there is evidence of collaboration and where there are strong similarities in the appearance of projects, the work should not be accepted in rough draft. The final draft should only be accepted if the teacher is convinced of its authenticity. If teachers suspect that the student’s work is not individual or authentic and they have reasonable evidence, they should make the student redo his or her project.

Students and teachers must ensure that the word limit is not exceeded. If a student does exceed the word limit of 2,000 words, the moderators are instructed not to read beyond this point. This means that students could potentially lose marks from the last sections of the project, such as in criteria E and F (potentially worth 12 marks). Regulations regarding the use of annotations and tables should be closely followed. During the writing of the report, students should bear in mind the suggested word length for each section provided in this publication. Students should include the total number of words on the coversheet. See the table in the section “Word count and format”.
 * Word limit**

**Sources**
Students must acknowledge all of the secondary sources they have used in the project in criterion E. These can include websites and any other published material. Students who fail to cite any of the sources they have used will lose some of the marks available in criterion E. If students do not reference their work, they could be accused of malpractice. Sources should be referred to in the text and a standard referencing format (title, author and date) should be used for bibliographies and footnotes. Students should ensure that their method of referencing is consistent throughout, that all relevant information is provided, and that their system enables the reader to locate their original sources. Guidance on how to reference is provided in the section “Information sources for the project”.

**Use of appendices**
Appendices are not required.

Stage 5: Completion and submission
This is done by the teacher.

= Information Sources = = Guidance for the development of the project = = Additional guidance for developing the product = = Assessment criteria = = More instructions from OCC =

=Resources:= ITGSOPEDIA- Project examples

[|PLAGIARISM IS A CRIME MAKE SURE NOT TO FALL INTO IT]

http://itgsopedia.wikispaces.com/3.9+Introduction+to+project+management+and+Project