IB Design Technology (DT) SL Extended Essay Example

The student communicates a recognisable and relevant Design Technology topic with a clear line of inquiry into biomimicry and aircraft efficiency.

The student's research question stays visible throughout the report and connects to the main examples they discuss.

The student includes some relevant comparative and case-study material that shows an attempt to structure the investigation around a method.

The question is still quite broad, which makes the investigation less sharply focused than it could be.

Key terms such as sustainability and efficiency are not defined with enough precision for a tightly controlled investigation.

The method for selecting and comparing evidence is not transparent enough, so the process feels more descriptive than systematic.

The student demonstrates sound general knowledge of aircraft design, aerodynamics, materials, and sustainability issues.

The student uses a good range of technical terms such as drag, lift-to-drag ratio, composites, CFD, and shape-memory alloys.

The student shows awareness of how engineering ideas from biology can be translated into aircraft design.

Some important claims are not supported clearly enough by reliable source use in the main body of the report.

Several terms are used imprecisely or too broadly, especially when describing what counts as genuinely biomimetic.

At points, the terminology and explanation become inconsistent, which weakens the accuracy of the student's knowledge application.