Experimental Design B/C

[mvxesque]

Do you guys have any idea how supervisors finally differentiate the top few scorers?
My team and I consistently score in the top 5, but we can never break it to the top even with memorizing the rubric and everything.
We have no idea how to improve beyond the scope of making sure every part of the rubric is checked off in our lab analysis.
Thanks! ^_^

[brayden box]

Maybe they also judge the experiments based an creativity? I have the same problem.

[samlan16]

Maybe they also judge the experiments based an creativity? I have the same problem.

Absolutely not. Take a look at the standardized rubric on soinc.org before speculating.

[Fluorine]

Maybe they also judge the experiments based an creativity? I have the same problem.

Absolutely not. Take a look at the standardized rubric on soinc.org before speculating.

Best suggestion is to up the level of your writing. While also including every thing on the rubric also focus on making sure everything you write flows and is concise. Many parts of the rubric allocate points to the general quality of writing. If you have had the chance to grade experimental design reports (which not many people do) it helps to see how you write something can impact scores.

[Skink]

There are hundreds of event supervisors for this event nationwide. They will not all sort like scores equally even when using a standardized rubric. Do not expect creativity or, even, scientific merit or your experiment will clear you, as there are always rather ominous reports on this site of a team who, for example, performed the 'correct' (if I was scoring) experiment and was not credited properly for it. As for the specific issue of two like scores, the rules indicate how ties will be broken and in what order. I don't remember offhand, but I suspect it's sections in order for this one. That's where writing quality comes in. It's not that difficult to sort short-answer and essay, as teams vary greatly in how they perform here.
Edit: Also, note that, for higher level competitions, earning three of three or four of four points will likely be considerably harder in the interest of avoiding this problem in the first place.

[samlan16]

Maybe they also judge the experiments based an creativity? I have the same problem.

Absolutely not. Take a look at the standardized rubric on soinc.org before speculating.

Best suggestion is to up the level of your writing. While also including every thing on the rubric also focus on making sure everything you write flows and is concise. Many parts of the rubric allocate points to the general quality of writing. If you have had the chance to grade experimental design reports (which not many people do) it helps to see how you write something can impact scores.

Yes, while there is no requirement to make your writing more mature, proctors would like to have a smooth paper to read after several dry ones. It will not directly impact your score, but you may win brownie points.

Also, here is the 2016 rubric, which has been updated to reflect the new maximum score of 10 points for the graph. It appears that some people are still confused about the B/C statistics being merged because the section is still labeled to clarify that both divisions have the same requirements.

[brayden box]

So, basically, you want to write as much as you can, but still keeping it scientific?

[samlan16]

So, basically, you want to write as much as you can, but still keeping it scientific?

Not necessarily. The key is to achieve quality more so than quantity, meaning that if you are concise but to the point, you can still get full credit. However, keep in mind that you must finish every section to be competitive. I would recommend getting with your ExpD group and devising a standard format for each section such that you can adapt it to all experiments that come your way.

[brayden box]

We meet about 8 or 10 times a year, separately from the usual once a week. Thanks for the help!

[zyzzyva980]

So, basically, you want to write as much as you can, but still keeping it scientific?

Not necessarily. The key is to achieve quality more so than quantity, meaning that if you are concise but to the point, you can still get full credit. However, keep in mind that you must finish every section to be competitive. I would recommend getting with your ExpD group and devising a standard format for each section such that you can adapt it to all experiments that come your way.

This is very true. Be concise. No proctor wants to read a college essay for every section on the rubric. Say everything you need to say as quickly and concisely as possible. Writing "pretty" doesn't simply mean writing more; often, it means quite the contrary.

That being said, the most important thing is making sure you have all the information necessary on the paper. Cover everything on the rubric first, worry about how you write later. In fact, you're in B division. Don't even worry about your writing now, at least until the state or national level. It is most important to get all the information on the page.

Also, if you're getting consistently in the top 5, there is no problem. You are doing excellent work.