Keeping up with the ethos of TIPS, Coimbatore IBDP program aims to equip the students with skills to participate actively and responsibly in an ever-changing and increasingly interrelated world with relevant knowledge database by offering prestigious IB Diploma Program.

The IBDP Program at TIPS represents a passage from adolescence into adulthood. Students in this age bracket have acquired a sense of personal identity and self-esteem. They are very inquisitive, eager to stretch intellectually, interested in sorting out their full potential and quite willing to assume some form of independence.

The curriculum is made up of the DP core and six subject groups.

Made up of the three required components, the DP core aims to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills.

The three core elements are:

  • Theory of knowledge, in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know, finishing with a 1600 word essay.
  • The extended essay, which is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.
  • Creativity, activity, service, in which students complete a project related to those three concepts and connect with the society.

There are different courses within each subject group.

Visit www.ibo.org for further details

The six subject groups and the courses offered at TIPS are:

  • Studies in language and literature: English A HL/SL
  • Language acquisition: French B, Ab initio SL/ HL | Telugu B HL/SL | Hindi HL/SL | Spanish Ab initio SL (online course)
  • Individuals and societies: Business Management HL/SL, Information Technology in Global Society HL/SL, Economics HL/SL,
  • Psychology HL/SL and Environmental System and Societies SL
  • Sciences: Physics HL/SL, Chemistry HL/SL, Biology HL/SL, Computer Science HL / SL
  • Mathematics: Analysis and approaches SL/ HL | Applications and interpretation SL/ HL SL
  • The arts: Visual Arts HL/ SL | Film Studies HL/ SL

The Core: TOK, EE, CAS

Made up of the three required components, the DP core aims to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills.

The three core elements are:

  1. Theory of Knowledge, in which students reflect on the nature of knowledge and on how we know what we claim to know.
  2. The Extended Essay, which is an independent, self-directed piece of research, finishing with a 4,000-word paper.
  3. Creativity Activity and Service, in which students complete a project related to those three concepts.

Theory of Knowledge:

TOK aims to make students aware of the interpretative nature of knowledge, including personal ideological biases – whether these biases are retained, revised or rejected. It enables the students to reflect critically on diverse ways of knowing and on areas of knowledge, considering the role and nature of knowledge in their own culture, in the cultures of others and in the wider world.

TOK also provides coherence for the student, by linking academic subject areas as well as transcending them. It therefore demonstrates the ways in which the student can apply their knowledge with greater awareness and credibility.

Extended Essay:

The extended essay provides practical preparation for undergraduate research and an opportunity for students to investigate a topic of special interest to them, which is also related to one of the student’s six DP subjects. Students undertake EE where students carry out an in-depth interdisciplinary or disciplinary study of an issue of contemporary global significance, across IB diploma disciplines.

Participation in this process develops the capacity to analyze, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.

Creativity Activity and Service:

CAS enables students to enhance their personal and interpersonal development by learning through experience. It provides opportunities for self-determination and collaboration with others, fostering a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment from their work

The three strands of CAS, which are often interwoven with particular activities, are characterized as follows:

  • Creativity – arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking.
  • Activity – physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the DP.
  • Service – an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity and autonomy of all those involved are respected.

In order to demonstrate these concepts, students are required to undertake a CAS Project. The project challenges students to show initiative, demonstrate perseverance and develop skills such as collaboration, problem solving and decision making. At the same time, CAS is an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the DP.

Languages

DP mandates learning of two languages at this level. One of the languages aim at attaining mastery over the language and literature (Language A) and second language requires to be learnt at the acquisition level, thus making sure that the DP student is open-minded and respects the other cultures.

As part of the Diploma Programme (DP), students take at least one subject from studies in language and literature. Taking two studies in language and literature subjects in different languages is one way of obtaining a bilingual diploma.

Studies in language and literature

TIPS offers language and literature course in English. English Language and literature course offers a broad range of texts, and students grow to appreciate a language’s complexity, wealth and subtleties in a variety of contexts. Students take their studies in a language in which they are academically competent.

Through this course, students are able to develop:

  • A personal appreciation of language and literature
  • Skills in literary criticism using a range of texts from different periods, styles and genres
  • An understanding of the formal, stylistic and aesthetic qualities of texts
  • Strong powers of expression, both written and oral
  • An appreciation of cultural differences in perspective
  • An understanding of how language challenges and sustains ways of thinking.

Through studies in language and literature, the DP aims to develop a student’s lifelong interest in language and literature, and a love for the elegance and richness of human expression.

Language Acquisition:

The main emphasis of the modern language courses is on the acquisition and use of language in a range of contexts and for different purposes while, at the same time, promoting an understanding of another culture through the study of its language.

Through this course, students are able to develop:

  • Interactive, productive and receptive skills are developed through contextualized study of language, texts and themes
  • Intercultural understanding and plurilingualism are key goals of the course
  • Students are exposed to a variety of authentic texts and they produce work in a variety of communicative contexts

The course is organized into themes to ensure overall perspectives. Three core themes are required: communication and media, global issues, and social relationships.

Human & Social Sciences

Students are required to choose one subject from each of the six academic areas, including one from Individuals and societies. They can choose a second subject from each academic area except the arts.

Studying any one of these subjects provides for the development of a critical appreciation of:

  • Human experience and behaviour
  • The varieties of physical, economic and social environments that people inhabit
  • The history of social and cultural institutions.

In addition, each subject is designed to foster in students the capacity to identify, to analyse critically and to evaluate theories, concepts and arguments relating to the nature and activities of individuals and societies.

At TIPS we offer Business Management, Economics and Information in Global Society courses to choose from. These courses develop leadership, managerial and technological skills amongst students reinforcing the aim of making them world citizens.

Sciences

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one subject from group 4. Students explore the concepts, theories, models and techniques that underpin each subject area and through these develop their understanding of the scientific method.

Through studying a science subject students become aware of how scientists work and communicate with each other. While the scientific method may take on a wide variety of forms, the emphasis is on a practical approach. In addition knowledge and skills are put into the context of the way science and scientists work in the 21st Century and the ethical debates and limitations of creative scientific endeavor.

The sciences are taught practically. Students have opportunities to

  • Design investigations,
  • Collect data,
  • Develop manipulative skills,
  • Analyse results,
  • Collaborate with peers and
  • Evaluate and communicate their findings

The investigations may be laboratory based or they may make use of simulations and data bases. Students develop the skills to work independently on their own design, and also collegiately, including collaboration with schools in different regions, to mirror the way in which scientific research is conducted in the wider community.

A compulsory project encourages students to appreciate the environmental, social and ethical implications of science. This exercise is collaborative and interdisciplinary and provides an opportunity for students to explore scientific solutions to global questions.

Mathematics

It is a requirement of the programme that students study at least one course in mathematics; computer science is an elective.

These four courses serve to accommodate the range of needs, interests and abilities of students, and to fulfill the requirements of various university and career aspirations.

The aims of these courses are to enable students to:

  • Develop mathematical knowledge, concepts and principles
  • Develop logical, critical and creative thinking
  • Employ and refine their powers of abstraction and generalization.

Students are also encouraged to appreciate the international dimensions of mathematics and the multiplicity of its cultural and historical perspectives.

Arts

The subjects in the arts allow a high degree of adaptability to different cultural contexts. The emphasis is on creativity in the context of disciplined, practical research into the relevant genres.

In addition, each subject is designed to:

  • Foster critical, reflective and informed practice
  • Help students understand the dynamic and changing nature of the arts
  • Explore the diversity of arts across time, place and cultures,
  • Express themselves with confidence and competence.

All these are practical subjects that encourage discovery through experimentation, the taking of risks and the presentation of ideas to others. It results in the development of subject areas and life skills; the building of confidence, creativity and working collaboratively. Students may opt to study an additional sciences, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.

Physical Education/ Sports

For DP students sporting activities come in the variety of forms in their core component of the curriculum in the form of Creativity, Activity and Service. CAS’s Activity components give each student an opportunity to learn and teach any sport which brings meaning to their lifestyle.

This physical exertion of the curriculum actively engages the students towards contributing to a healthy lifestyle. Pursuits may include:

  • Individual and team sports,
  • Dance, outdoor recreation,
  • Fitness training, and
  • Any other form of physical exertion that purposefully contributes to a healthy lifestyle.

These activities aim at:

  • Increasing their awareness of their own strengths and areas for growth – They are able to see themselves as individuals with various skills and abilities, and understand that they can make choices about how to move forward.
  • Undertaken new challenges – A new challenge may be an unfamiliar activity, or an extension to an existing one.
  • Planned and initiated activities – Planning and initiation is often in collaboration with others. It can be shown in activities that are part of larger projects, as well as in small student-led activities.

At TIPS students learn new games to challenge themselves and push their limits to accomplish their individual goals or learn new techniques to become better in the existing sporting activity. This physical fitness prepares them to endure the challenges curriculum requires to face overall. The students realize the value of interconnection of mental, physical and emotional development.

Real Life Exposure

DP aims to provide real world exposure to the students through every part of its curriculum. The students get to glimpse the world outside through their curriculum and assessment initiatives which requires originality and critical thinking. The curriculum is based on the aspects where student learn to plan collaborate, develop the skill to argue with reason, be ethical and present their view to the world and still be open minded to accept differences and thrive on them.

Through their core components they learn to plan, research and present their findings in the various areas with confidence. They learn to constructively criticize others humbly and accept the criticism from others to become better. To achieve this, students are provided with many opportunities and only some of them are listed below:

Model United Nations

Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an educational simulation and/or academic competition in which students can learn about diplomacy, international relations, and the United Nations.

DP Students regularly take part in the Model United Nation as delegate and debate with other nations’ representatives about the various significant national and international issues. It is a life-changing journey that helps you develop confidence in leading others, a stronger awareness of global issues, and the chance to make new friends from around the world. This prepares them to be unbiased and well informed leader of tomorrow and understand the global issues and their implications today!

Model UN is a valuable experience that can help the students get into college, find your first job, and become inspired to change the world. And most importantly, M-U-N is F-U-N!

Debates and Discussions

Debates are planned classroom and school-wide activities in which one particular claim or idea is discussed, and then students plan together to present their positions on the central claim or idea.  The focus is not on winning or losing the debate – the purpose is to develop students’ abilities to think through a set of claims or arguments, in order to deepen their understanding and enhance their ability to learn. Among the skills classroom debates can foster are abstract thinking, clarity, organization, persuasion, public speaking, research, and teamwork and cooperation. Debate gives students an opportunity to present their views and also helps them learn to become tolerant to views that might oppose theirs. It is a great strategy to promote peer learning.

Discussions involve the teacher and students: the teacher encourages students to share and clarify their thoughts.  The teacher encourages students to listen to one another, and to dig deeper into the ideas they are discussing. Finally, students begin to move beyond their own thoughts, and to consider and discuss the ideas of their classmates. Discussions are a great tool for engaging students and livening up classroom curriculum. Using debates in the classroom can help students grasp essential critical thinking and presentation skills.

Cycling Expeditions

Students and teachers take part in the yearly cycling expeditions and challenge themselves. It is one of the mega events where all, students and faculties, enjoy the challenge and excel themselves.

All our trips have support crew and backup vehicle so you can cycle at your own pace, while there are no yellow jersey awards at the end of the day. The cycling is through undulating country on sealed and unsealed roads for between 10 and 35km a day at a steady pace and is fully supported by a back up vehicle. This is the perfect means to explore remote villages a world away from the highways

Field Trip

A Field trip is a visit to a place outside the regular classroom which is designed to achieve certain objectives, which cannot be achieved as well by using other, means Facilitate the learning of abstract concepts. Taking students on a field trip makes learning more effective as they will be able to gain vast ideas on the topic. Motivate students through increased interest and curiosity. Field trips can add variety to the regular classroom instructional program and they tend to be special and enjoyable learning experiences.   Field trips make students aware of learning activities in everyday life.  It enhances the curriculum. Give students experiential learning experiences.

Film, Movie and Video

Students of DP make their own meaningful videos and short films to showcase their understanding of this media of learning and instruction. They engage in creating new content and produce movies or videos as part of their individual or group project to relate it with the field experience. Many of the videos shot by the students are used in the teaching and learning process by the staff. Students learn from their mistakes/ and are ready to face the superior challenges when they step into the universities and colleges.

Student Exchange Programs

Our DP students are invited to be a part of other international learning communities to experience the world outside. They become a part of the other school programs and share learning practices and their views on the world. Every year students also invite other international school communities to be a part of their learning community and let them connect with their world. Mostly these exchange programs are organized on the request of the other international school students In India or abroad for the middle years’ students.