To filter out the right kids for our robotics program, we are having tryouts. We have many different things we are looking at, but one of the things we are doing is having an “open practice” over a few days as part of the tryout process. We will create make shift teams each day and put some of the new people in a group with a more seasoned vex kid. The plan is to have the veteran kind of be a guide for that days team and have them work on ‘something’ like a normal practice, doing all the normal brainstorming, collaborating, notebook, building, ect.
It’s the ‘something’ I was looking for some ideas. Of course I could have them tackle stuff for this years game. I was looking for any other good group ideas. I want to give my kid leaders a solid plan and not try to have them make it up on a fly. Kind of like a one day lesson plan / challenge.
It would be helpful to know what age groups you’re working with here. Very different conversation for Middle School IQ vs Elementary IQ.
Important notes, regardless of age:
Some students can work well in any group. Other students need to be surrounded by good examples in order to perform. And some won’t perform regardless of their group. If someone will only work well with good-attitude teammates, that means they’re a solid candidate, but they need a place. If you don’t have spare spot on a team with good-attitude teammates, don’t take them on.
Learning curves will differ vastly. Some of the best students I’ve worked with took a long time to come into their potential. Some students get the basics really quick, but struggle to develop a deeper understanding of robotics. Both are valuable for a team. Don’t discount anyone who’s struggling to pick up on a concept, especially if it’s new information to them.
Rookie A might slow down the team of Rookie A, Veteran B, and Rookie C in the first few meetings, but if they have the potential to carry their weight later on, they definitely have a place on that team.
Consider the impact on the student as well as the impact on the team. If a kid doesn’t want to be there/is roped in by parents, teachers, friends/is not interested in improving their knowledge and skills, they might not be a good fit for your team, regardless of their current skills.
All that being said, I’m going to give one answer of many to your problem: The modified Marshmallow Challenge. I’ve run the Marshmallow Challenge before as an engineering teacher, but my mother as a theater professor took it to a new level. You do the standard materials: 10 uncooked spaghetti sticks, 1 full-sized marshmallow, 1 yard of tape, and scissors. Use group sizes that are the same as your VEX team sizes. Instead of the usual 20 minutes to build the tallest tower, give them 15 minutes. Here’s what to watch for:
Groups who take time at the beginning to establish a hierarchy or a leader will do worse on average compared to teams who take each person’s voice equally. If someone proposes themselves as a leader, they may not be a good fit for a VEX IQ team.
Look for cohesion and feel more than actual results. Average tower heights will range from 10 inches tall to 40 inches tall, but the tallest tower-building group will not necessarily contain the best kids for VEX.
Trying out a bunch of ideas at the beginning to see what works, before committing to a design, is a VERY good sign, both for a group and for an individual student.
This is all classic Marshmallow Challenge, but here’s the brilliant part:
Give the students a fresh set of noodles, marshmallows, and tape. Same groups, same amount of time, but they’re not building for height this time. This time, they’re making a sculpture to express an idea. Good concepts to assign them would be “happiness,” “movement,” “fluid,” and “doorway.” Something really artsy-fartsy and open-ended. This is where you get a better feel for willpower and expression, which are just as important as mechanical knowledge.
In fact, I value expressiveness, growth potential, and good attitude OVER prior experience quite often when selecting students. You want someone who’s enthusiastic, can grow into a strong Veteran over the course of a few meetings or a whole season, and has the expressiveness and drive to improve their robot and really make their ideas into reality.
