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 Admits the bustling halls of the IB Extended Essay (EE) Cafe, this sentiment echoed with profound relevance. On 18th March, this café took place in the DP CP space providing students with a platform to share their research endeavors, ignite intellectual flames, and spark dialogue. The purpose of the EE Cafe transcends mere academic exploration, it is crucial to foster collaboration, critical thinking, and academic growth among students writing their Extended Essays. Through this session, students shared their research topics, methodologies, and findings with peers and teachers. It acted as an essential step for providing valuable feedback and guidance throughout the research process. To engage in meaningful discussions, students were divided into groups based on their chosen subjects. For instance, environmental sciences and biology, psychology and global politics, and arts. This grouping facilitated focused interactions that allowed students to engage with others who were exploring similar research areas. It also encouraged interdisciplinary connections that enriched the overall learning experience. 

A key component of this EE Cafe was for students to create a presentation that entailed information on their research topic. This encompassed various aspects of their Extended Essay, including the research question, method of investigation, proposed table of contents, and background research and information. They were also asked to prepare a list of initial bibliographies and a proposed reading list to understand the reliable sources of information. Emphasizing the importance of both secondary and primary research, students were prompted to demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of their topic by integrating existing studies with their findings. Creating this presentation helped in decoding our learning to guide research.  

During these presentations, I shared my research topic on the influence of cognitive techniques on lucid dreaming. This was under the subject area of psychology and cognitive approach to behavior. Lucid dreaming is a state in which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming while being immersed in the dream environment. Understanding the cognitive processes underlying lucid dreaming was intriguing to me. One prominent area of research I wanted to focus on was cognitive techniques that aimed at increasing the frequency and control of lucid dreams. These techniques often involve various practices that increase self-awareness and promote metacognitive abilities during the dream.  

Through the discussion, I outlined my research question, methodology, and initial findings, that I shared with my peers. The feedback and suggestions helped me refine my research and provided me with valuable insights and perspectives that I had not considered before. This feedback was given by both students and teachers within the subject area playing a constructive and insightful role. This challenged me to reconsider certain aspects of my research design variables. This iterative process of evaluation and revision helped me to be on the right track with my Extended Essay research.

In conclusion, the IB Extended Essay Cafe served as an intellectually stimulating discourse to engage in meaningful discussions, receive constructive feedback, and ultimately refine research topics. This fostered collaboration supporting us in our journey towards the essay. Thus, it promoted the culture of inquiry within the IB community. 

By Sarannya Nanda  

DP 1F