Scioly.org

I had a few questions, and by the way thank you for all of your feedback. But what is your opinion on starting to study for events/building for events before the season starts? Also for Captains tryouts what exactly would the tests be used for? Also criticism is welcome on this idea... I was planning on trying out members in this way: 1. first meeting give them a theme and parameters by which they have to study, ie. list of different fossils. 2. The next meeting, a week from then, test them on how much they studied and their knowledge( I would of course choose a topic where everyone would start at an equal playing field). 3. then averaging in their scores and experience and etc. Wouldn't this also test them on their motivation to participate in science olympiad? thanks for all of your feed back.

Unome wrote: The list was compiled from the SOSI schedule, and so reflects whatever the rules committees are thinking of doing at the moment. Fossils and Rocks have been three years each for at least a decade, but it looks like they decided to change that.

That is indeed the current thinking

Unome wrote:

chaguy2457 wrote:

Unome wrote:Here's the event list (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MtP ... sp=sharing) posted by John Richardsim compiled from the SOSI schedule. Unless the schedule has changed, it should be accurate. With regards to topic changes, here are my best guesses (for Div C, since I presume that you're now in C):
Anatomy & Physiology will switch to Nervous, Endocrine, and Sense Organs (this is on the powerpoint on soinc.org)
Astronomy will likely change topics, although I have no idea what it will change to.
Dynamic Planet will go to Earthquakes & Volcanoes (based on the current rotation system, which has remained unchanged for at least a decade).
Chem Lab - Kinetics will rotate out, most likely to be replaced by any of Thermodynamics, Acids & Bases, or Aqueous Solutions. Gases will likely remain.
Disease Detectives will probably change topics, since Population Growth has been around for a while, although I have no idea what it will change to.

I don't think Fossils is switching to Rocks and Minerals for 2017. It's a three year rotation, and 2017 will be the third year of the rotation (Rocks and Minerals was last offered in 2014).

The list was compiled from the SOSI schedule, and so reflects whatever the rules committees are thinking of doing at the moment. Fossils and Rocks have been three years each for at least a decade, but it looks like they decided to change that.

What is this SOSI schedule? I really hope Fossils sticks around one more year.

chaguy2457 wrote:

Unome wrote:

chaguy2457 wrote:
I don't think Fossils is switching to Rocks and Minerals for 2017. It's a three year rotation, and 2017 will be the third year of the rotation (Rocks and Minerals was last offered in 2014).

The list was compiled from the SOSI schedule, and so reflects whatever the rules committees are thinking of doing at the moment. Fossils and Rocks have been three years each for at least a decade, but it looks like they decided to change that.

What is this SOSI schedule? I really hope Fossils sticks around one more year.

The Science Olympiad Summer Institute. The national organization (presumably) makes the schedule, so the information is as accurate as it gets (I also would rather have Fossils another year, but Rocks shouldn't be that different ).

embokim wrote:I had a few questions, and by the way thank you for all of your feedback. But what is your opinion on starting to study for events/building for events before the season starts? Also for Captains tryouts what exactly would the tests be used for? Also criticism is welcome on this idea... I was planning on trying out members in this way: 1. first meeting give them a theme and parameters by which they have to study, ie. list of different fossils. 2. The next meeting, a week from then, test them on how much they studied and their knowledge( I would of course choose a topic where everyone would start at an equal playing field). 3. then averaging in their scores and experience and etc. Wouldn't this also test them on their motivation to participate in science olympiad? thanks for all of your feed back.

This is a really interesting idea, but don't forget that sometimes the person that will get the best results for an event won't necessarily be the most motivated. For example, if someone placed really well in Cell Bio the year before but they're not as motivated for tryouts as a newcomer to the club, this tryout method could result in putting someone on cell bio who wouldn't place as well as the more experienced, less motivated member. Maybe you could do a normal test for each of the events, which would be knowledge based on each of the events, then have a short quiz/test that /everyone/ takes in the format you described, and give people a very specific list of topics that will be on that test, and those topics should be somewhat obscure but not so difficult that someone would need to take a class on it to understand it, so that it gives better results on motivation without sacrificing the data on who actually knows more about each event. Then take both knowledge and motivation into account.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring back Rocks!!!

What happened to Radio Lab? I thought that was going to replace It's About Time?

dragon_fruit35 wrote:PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE bring back Rocks!!!

Agreed...
(although I also love fossils now, too )

valjean wrote:What happened to Radio Lab? I thought that was going to replace It's About Time?

We haven't gotten enough support for running it as a trial yet to be confident in it as a full fledged event. We haven't completely given up on it, just decided to push it back yet again.

This is outrageous! For the past 13 years this geology rotation has been a THREE year thing, not TWO. Does anyone have any idea why NSO would change this just this year? Finish the three years for fossils!