Uploading the IA eCoursework

Friday 19 February 2016

It will soon be time for teachers to submit their predicted grades and IA marks to the IB. They will then be told which students' investigations need to be uploaded for moderation. There has been considerable confusion over exactly how this should be done and what exactly is required, see the page on Clarification of IA procedures.

Earlier this month the IB attempted to clarify all this. David Faure, the author of the InThinking Biology site, has made this useful summary and given me permission to adapt it and use it. So here it is:

Summary of changes:

  • There is no need to upload 4/PSOW any more - but you should keep a version of this in case the IB asks to see it (for example during the five year review).
  • There is no need to upload the 4/IA form - the tick boxes are now replaced by something on the eCoursework upload system.
  • The form 4/ICCC has been changed. There is now a new form on the OCC. It has no second page, and the student signature box is gone. (Note however that it still currently says that it should be completed by the teacher and the student even though there is nothing for the teacher to complete).
  • The candidate name or number should not be visible on the students work - for anonymity of marking.
    (The file name can include the student's name / number as moderators can't see file names.)
  • Candidate details will be attached to uploaded files on the eCoursework upload.
  • Chemistry teachers / IB coordinator are asked to authenticate student work during the upload process which replaces the need for the student to sign the 4/ICCC form. 
  • It is the responsibility of schools to keep signed declarations of authenticity from each student for every item of coursework submitted. (see IB Coordinator's notes, February 2016 )
  • Marks for each student's IA Investigation are uploaded onto the IB 'IBIS' website and then 'dynamic sampling' takes place which selects the student work required for a moderation sample. 
  • After generating the sample the breakdown of the score for each student in the sample is entered in a form.
  • Only the moderation samples needs to be uploaded.  For a class of 6 to 20 students this will be 5 investigations.
  • Scripts can be annotated using visible comments. Hidden boxes should be avoided.
  • Word comments, PDF comments, written annotations or a table justifying the grades can be added to the student script. 
  • It doesn't matter if these comments take the number of pages over 12.
  • For the current session the written account of the investigation can be single-spaced or double-spaced.

There are several places to find this information directly from the IB: I strongly advise you look at these.

NEW information released mid Feb 2016 - for summer 2016.
Upload details for Group 4 science subjects for the May 2016 examination session – Internal Assessment (Feb 2016)

IB Coordinator's notes, February 2016 - has a long section on group 4 uploading and checking authenticity

Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme 2016

May 2016 - eCoursework user guide (for teachers)

Frequently asked questions updated January 2016

Be warned that there are a few places (as at 19 February 2016) where the information had not yet been changed:
  • In the Chemistry teacher support material
  • In the Chemistry guide for 2016 exams