Judging Quick Links

Judging: General Information

Judging: Deadlines and Dates

Judging: How to Submit Digital Engineering Notebooks

Judging: How to Schedule your Remote Initial Team Interview

Judging: Judging Guidelines and Processes

Judging: Remote Interview Process and Preparation

Judging: Judging Q&A

PROCESS

• Remote team interviews will be conducted using the Zoom web conferencing platform.  A confirmation email will be sent to the email address of the Primary and Secondary Team Contact of the team as designated in RobotEvents.com, that will include the interview date, time, and the Zoom link to join the meeting. This email will be sent no later than 48 hours before the team’s scheduled interview time.
  Note: For organizations with multiple teams, each team will receive a separate email and link. 
• Attendees joining the Zoom meeting will wait in the Zoom lobby until the Judge Advisor allows them into the main room. Several teams will be coming into the main room at the designated interview time.  
• In the main room, the Judge Advisor will confirm that attendee’s Zoom screen names include their team number/letter, and the name of their designated adult.  Find the ‘Rename’ option in Zoom to enter this required information.
• The Judge Advisor will assign the team’s adult to a breakout room where judges are waiting. Once the adult is in the breakout room, the Judge Advisor will assign the student members to the breakout room. The judges will begin the team interview when the team’s adult and student members are in the breakout room. 
• Team members/designated adult may join the Zoom meeting either from one location or from different locations. If joining from different locations, the person receiving the team interview confirmation email must forward it to the other participants. If multiple team members are participating from one location, care should be taken that all are visible in frame of the camera, and audible from the microphone being used.

PREPARATION

Well in advance of the interview appointment:

• Forward the confirmation email with the date/time and Zoom conference link to ALL team members, especially those who may be joining from different locations. Pay close attention to the time zone; Missed interviews cannot be rescheduled.
• Download the Zoom app to the computers or devices that will be used for the interview: https://zoom.us/download
• Use the Zoom test to check the device’s camera and microphone: http://zoom.us/test
• Ensure a location and device that will provide a good internet connection

Just before the interview time: 

• Join the Zoom web conference 5-10 minutes before your scheduled interview time. Teams will be accepted into the main meeting room just a few minutes prior to their scheduled time. 
• Put your team number/letter and designated team adult name into your Zoom name. Please do this for all video feeds entering the meeting.

During the interview:

• The designated team adult must have their camera on and be visible at all times.  The adult may not participate in the interview (other than answering some identifying questions from the judges)
• Teams may NOT do a presentation in any form including a rehearsed speech, a slide show, a ‘screen share’, a presentation of videos or photos, or the like
• Teams may have their robot and a printed copy of their engineering notebook available to show judges - this is optional.  
• No one, including teams, coaches or judges, may record the interview in any form. Any violation of this requirement will be regarded by the REC Foundation as a Code of Conduct violation
• If the connection to the Zoom meeting is dropped for any reason, participants should use the same link to come back into the main room.  
• Be sure to dress appropriately to be on camera with adults and students from around the world.  Business casual is always a good option.  Do not have any unnecessary distractions (pets, home construction projects, noisy environment) or background items that would be inappropriate for a student-centered experience.

REMOTE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

Before addressing the students, a judge will ask the team’s designated adult the following questions:

• Team mentor or coach, what is your full name please?
• Team mentor, just a friendly reminder that in compliance with the remote judging criteria, you must remain visible in this interview room the entire time, and this interview may not be recorded by anyone in any form. Do you understand?
• What is your team number and letter?
• What program and grade level is your team registered in? (VIQC Elementary School, VIQC Middle School, VRC Middle School, VRC High School (including JROTC) or VEX U)

The students of the team will have 10-15 minutes total to provide responses to the following: 

• BRIEFLY introduce yourselves. Please tell us your name, grade, what your role is on your team.
• Tell us some of the things your team is proud about this season: some of the things your team has accomplished and what obstacles your team has overcome.
• Tell us how your team developed your game play and skills strategies.
• Tell us how your team developed your robot design.
• Tell us about the most creative design solution of your robot.
• Tell us about your programming or autonomous code and how you are using sensors.
• Tell us how your team has managed versions of your robot's programming code this season.
• Is there anything else you would like to share with us regarding your team, your robot design, or your game strategy? (Optional)