Reviewing Data during The Competition

[xxl116]

Rule 6.o in The Competition says The Event Supervisor will review with teams the data recorded on their scoresheet. There are 2 questions here.

1) When to review the data? Should the data be reviewed after each run? In doing so, teams will be able to re-calibrate their vehicle for their 2nd run.

2) what data to review? Should the Supervisor mark the the location of vehicles each time and let teams know if the vehicles overshot, fell short or shifted?

[brian9640]

For the students I coach, I teach them to measure the distance themselves after the 1st run. The data the Event Supervisor records is used for calculating the score and not improving your 2nd run. To truly improve your run score, you need to know the distance left or right of target and the distance short or long of target. These are separate adjustments to the vehicle. For example, left or right is part of aiming and short or long is part of braking.

[knightmoves]

My view of the "ES reviews data with students" rule has always been that it is a check to make sure that everything is recorded correctly, and that participants are clearly told how they performed. So it's more a check at the end that the ES has written down the distance correctly, has recorded numbers in all the boxes, and so on. And it gives students the opportunity to say "no, it was 15cm, not 50 cm. Remember - it was right there" at a point when it can be fixed.

IME, at invitationals, ES tend to be helpful, and tell you lots of things about how your vehicle performed. At regionals / state, they tend to be more by-the-book, and just show you the completed form at the end. I had one ES once who had all the students initial the form to verify that they had seen / checked it, which was a nice touch.

[jinhusong]

In Regional yesterday, I reviewed with them after each run. I ask student to come check the distance we were measuring, also let them know if I checked any violations. A few top performers missed "the Vehicle's Measurement Point is over the Start Point". The tolerance I gave is the "+" of the Start Point inside or on the edge of the dowel. Checked both vertically and along projection of the dowel if it is off vertical. Either OK case will be passed. Most of them fixed it for their second run.

Please allow me to ask a question on this thread. Got challenge about how I did on 6b: Teams have 8 minutes of Event Time to setup and start up to 2 runs. Vehicles in the ready-to-run configuration before the end of the Event Time will be allowed to complete a run.

Student and parents of that team is saying that 8 minutes is setup time, so I should pause my timer after they start run and resume after they back to setup.

What I did is I only pause the timer when we measure the distance and talk to student. Timer resume as long as they pick up the vehicle.

My reading: if the 8 minutes not includes the first run time, the rule will not say "Vehicles in the ready-to-run configuration before the end of the Event Time will be allowed to complete a run".

So, I told them I will keep my way so that it is fair to all teams.

Hope we have more clear explanation about that too.

Thanks.

[jgrischow1]

In Regional yesterday, I reviewed with them after each run. I ask student to come check the distance we were measuring, also let them know if I checked any violations. A few top performers missed "the Vehicle's Measurement Point is over the Start Point". The tolerance I gave is the "+" of the Start Point inside or on the edge of the dowel. Checked both vertically and along projection of the dowel if it is off vertical. Either OK case will be passed. Most of them fixed it for their second run.

Please allow me to ask a question on this thread. Got challenge about how I did on 6b: Teams have 8 minutes of Event Time to setup and start up to 2 runs. Vehicles in the ready-to-run configuration before the end of the Event Time will be allowed to complete a run.

Student and parents of that team is saying that 8 minutes is setup time, so I should pause my timer after they start run and resume after they back to setup.

What I did is I only pause the timer when we measure the distance and talk to student. Timer resume as long as they pick up the vehicle.

My reading: if the 8 minutes not includes the first run time, the rule will not say "Vehicles in the ready-to-run configuration before the end of the Event Time will be allowed to complete a run".

So, I told them I will keep my way so that it is fair to all teams.

Hope we have more clear explanation about that too.

Thanks.

Based on my understanding of what you said, you did it correctly. Every vehicle event I have seen (and supervised) the run itself was part of the 8 minutes...time stopped for measurements and resumed when kids picked up their vehicle. Of course, for the final run, as long as they start in time (or say they are ready to run), they are allowed to run even if the 8 min then expires.

[knightmoves]

Based on my understanding of what you said, you did it correctly. Every vehicle event I have seen (and supervised) the run itself was part of the 8 minutes...time stopped for measurements and resumed when kids picked up their vehicle. Of course, for the final run, as long as they start in time (or say they are ready to run), they are allowed to run even if the 8 min then expires.

I agree, and this is how I've always seen these kinds of events run.

"Event Time" is all the time that the students have possession of their build, and includes run time. It does not include whatever time the ES takes to perform their measurements, chat, or whatever else the ES does that interrupts the flow of the event.