Q: I was wondering if you can provide more information on how the timing of the competition flows. Are there a certain number of minutes allocated to parts A, B, and C, or is there just one block of time in which students proceed to the next portion when they are done with the prior one? As a related question, are you able to let us know how much time pressure students usually experience in this event?
A: Thank you for your question.The total event time for iRobot is 45 minutes. Students will be quickly seated and we will spend 5 minutes going over the instructions for Part A and Part B in an age-appropriate manner. Students will have 15 minutes to complete Parts A and B, moving between both as they see fit. Teams may choose to work separately, one student taking A, one taking B, and checking each other’s work. I do not expect any time pressure on Parts A and B. They should be able to complete the tasks in 15 minutes. We will give time reminders at 10 and 5 minutes left.
After 15 minutes, we will conclude Parts A and B and give 5 minutes of instruction for Part C, as it is more complicated and involves testing areas around the room. Students will have 20 minutes to test and check-in with an adult supervisor when they are ready to test their final code and bot. We will give time reminders at 15, 10 and 5 minutes left. When 5 minutes remain, all students who have not completed the challenge must check-in with an event supervisor and run the code they have. Students should also have plenty of time for this section as well.
Students are free to ask clarifying questions on instructions at any point in time during the event. Event supervisors and volunteers cannot give hints or coding suggestions, but can help them read and understand the given instructions.
To sum up:
45 Minutes:
5 Minutes – Instructions for Part A & B
15 Minutes – Part A & B
5 Minutes – Instructions for Part C
20 MInutes – Part C