November 21, 2011

Judging Information

Most of the information about judging and the judging formats should be available in the coaches handbook.
  • Teams should complete the Team Profile sheet (available on the above link) and bring at least one copy to each judging session. This will help the judges learn more about your team and recall your team during deliberations (esp if you include a picture!)
  • Each judging session will be no more than 10 minutes in length. The team will be seen by no less than 2 judges in each judging session. The team will get 1 Robot Judging Session, 1 Project Judging Session, and 1 Core Values Judging Session. Please dont be late to your judging time.
  • The entire team is expected and required to attend all judging sessions (adults excluded). While it is certainly understood that team members might have specialized in certain aspects of the effort, all team members should be in attendance and be able to discuss their contribution. It is understood that a team member may be absent from the event altogether for one reason or another.
  • No adults or non-team members are allowed in the judging rooms at any time. If a team member has a special need or consideration, you must contact myself and the event manager no less than 1 week prior to the event for your request to be considered (for example, you have a hearing-impaired student who needs a sign language interpreter in the room to assist them).
  • The Robot Judging Session is basically a 10 minute Q&A with the judges. Teams are welcome to make a short presentation if they would like, but it will primarily focus on the judges asking the team questions about the robot, asking them to demonstrate the robot, etc. They will likely be asked how and why they choose to do different missions, design certain elements, program the robot, etc. Teams are expected to bring a working, charged robot to the session as well as a copy of their robot code. (If you have read any materials or heard coaches calls about a Robot Executive Summary we will NOT be utilizing this in MA as we are not a pilot region for this)
  • The Core Values Judging Session will likely include a teamwork activity followed by a Q&A with the Judges. If included, the teamwork activity will last 3 to 6 minutes and requires the participation of all team members. The team will be given instructions on the activity when they arrive in the judging room and given a limited (but clearly described) amount of time to complete it. Following the activity, the judges will ask questions about any specific team dynamic issues present in the teamwork activity, about the dynamics and interactions of the team throughout the year, and how the team works within the scope of the FLL Core Values. If the event does not include a teamwork activity, the session will be a Q&A on the previously listed topics. (If you have read any materials or heard coaches calls about a Core Values Poster we will NOT be utilizing this in MA as we are not a pilot region for this)
  • The Project Judging Session will begin with a 5-minute, uninterrupted project presentation followed by a Q&A with the judgesThe project presentation time includes any and all setup of materials (no adult assistance allowed). Teams will have 5 minutes (or less if they wish) to do their presentation for the judges.. creativity encouraged! The judges will only speak to or interact with the team during this time if it is requested by the team as part of their presentation. When the five minutes are up, the judges will stop the team (whether or not the presentation is complete) and begin the Q&A. It is expected that a team’s presentation include all important and relevant project information, including, but not limited to, problem identification, solution, and how it was shared with the community. However, during the Q&A the judges may ask teams specifically about any critical areas not discussed, delve more deeply into specific areas of the project that were mentioned, or ask about how and why the topic was selected. The team may request the judges to give them a 1-minute warning during their presentation. Recall that the project presentation CANNOT be plug-and-play, it must take place live and can only have supporting pre-recorded materials as necessary.