Note: this discussion covers only the Experimenting Design Challenge Competitions
Greetings to All,
I would like to introduce a blog scoring system in addition to the judges I use to determine the top prize winners of the experimenting with components challenges (e.g, capacitors, inductors, vibration sensors, etc.).
I would like to get feedback on this proposal by members of element14.
Before I detail the change, let me explain why I am suggesting it? There are a couple of reasons:
- Transparency: The blog will be scored on a weekly basis and the score posted in a table similar to what I used in another one of my programs. Here is an example of the table I had used in that program. Click here to see.
- Strategy: With participants seeing the point totals of all participants, they can plan a strategy for achieving a point total to win.
- Ensuring Participation Throughout the Program Period: Sometimes participants post their blogs at the end of the 8 to 10 week period, not giving me the opportunity to promote the blogs through the program period. In addition, giving participants a reason to post supporting blogs throughout the active period allows them to pick up points along the way.
- Making Judging More Convenient: Our judges will receive the final summary blog to judge, which I think will make it easier for them to manage. Since the final summary blog can earn the most points, the judges' decision will have the most weight in the final selections.
What is the Judging/Scoring System In Place Now?
There is a two-blog minimum required to successfully finish the competition. There is no scoring system in place now. Currently, at the conclusion of the competition (usually 8 to 10 weeks), I forward all the blogs of each participant to the judges. The judges rank the blogs and select the winners of the top prizes. At the end of the judging, I notify the winners and write a winner's announcement.
What is the Judging/Scoring System That I Would Like to Introduce?
There will be no blog minimum, but each participant needs to blog to accrue points to win the top prizes. There will be three scoring types, as follows:
- Introductory Blog: participant describes in detail what he/she plans on doing. Worth up to 75 points.
- Final Summary Report Blog: participant describes in details what he/she did and proposed in the introductory blog. What experiments were conducted. What results were obtained? What were the takeaways, that is, what was learned. Worth up to 200 points.
- Intermediary Supporting Blogs: these are blogs that support their experimenting program but are not the Introductory or Final Summary Blogs. Each weekly blog is worth up to 10 points.
The overall point totals will be posted on the table on a weekly basis.
The typical program timeline will be:
- The up-to-75-point Introductory blog: Needs to be posted in Week 1 and Week 2
- The up-to-10-point Intermediary Supporting Blogs: Need to be posted each week in Weeks 3 through 9.
- The up-to-200-point Final Summary Blog: Needs to be posted in week 10.
Element14 will assign points for the Introductory and Supporting Blogs.
The judges will assign points for the Final Summary blog.
The members with the most points at the end of the program period will win.
What do you think?
Randall
--element14 Team; Experimenting Challenge Program Manager
