The Junior Young Physicists Tournament JYPT Regulations Revised after the fourth JYPT November 2013 1
The Regulations of the Junior Young Physicists Tournament I) Educational Goals The Junior Young Physicists Tournament, JYPT, aims to implement strategies to facilitate the integration of authentic inquiry approaches into science classrooms and to have students work as research scientists. Scientific research is a search for knowledge and understanding and then organising and condensing that knowledge into testable laws and theories. The success and credibility of science are anchored in the willingness of scientists to work in a climate of uncertainty, collaborate with others and subject their work to critical review. One of the aspects of the science research process is competition. A scientist s success is measured by the new knowledge they can discover but the competition in science research is also performed within a code of ethics that protects individuals and institutions, and preserves the credibility of science. The International Young Physicists Tournament, IYPT, is a research-based competition that already addresses these ideas for high school students. The IYPT was created to foster scientific research and improved international communication in Physics, promoting real research into authentic problems. Several months prior to the competition, each five member team is supplied with seventeen open ended, complex theoretical and experimental problems. At the competition, teams present their research, and justify and defend the validity of their solutions against teams from other countries, in a manner reminiscent of the rigorous processes employed by practising scientists. Juries consisting of respected physicists and physics educators rate the teams presentations and the discussion that those reports generate. This programme aims to promote the processes of the International Young Physicists Tournament to junior science students and support the later involvement in the IYPT national qualifying tournaments and the IYPT itself. In a similar manner to IYPT these processes will be promoted by hosting a competition, the Junior Young Physicists Tournament, JYPT. II) Junior Young Physicists Tournament The Junior Young Physicists Tournament (JYPT) is a competition among teams of students who HAVE NOT participated in national IYPT qualifying competitions AND MUST EITHER turn 16 after the 31 st of December of the year of the tournament OR not be in their last 2 years of schooling. The teams conduct open-ended physics research problems based upon the processes of the International Young Physicists Tournament, IYPT. The Junior Young Physicists Tournament will ideally take place in September/October each year. Students need to solve complicated scientific problems, to present solutions to these problems in a convincing form and to defend them in scientific discussions, called Physics Fights (PF). 2
III) The Organisation of the JYPT JYPT is managed by a formal Organising Committee that consists of: The President Two Deputy Presidents One Organising Teacher from each school participating in the competition. A problem selection committee containing the outgoing president and 2 experienced Organising Committee members to manage the selection of 5 past IYPT problems for the JYPT the following year according to the procedure detailed in the regulations. Organising Committee Members consist of one teacher from each school participating in the competition. Changes to the Regulations may be made at formal meetings of the Organising Committee and all Organising Committee Members have one vote. Changes are made based on a simple majority. The President is the Organising Committee Member from the host school. The host school organises and manages the running of the tournament. It provides facilities and resources to allow the schedule required by the regulations to be implemented. The President will Chair all formal meetings of the Organising Committee unless he/she delegates that role to a Deputy President. The two Deputy Presidents include the organising teacher of the previous host school and the organising teacher of the next nominated host school. Their role is to assist the President with the organisation of the event and ensure continuity between tournaments. They do not have voting rights unless also acting as the Organising Committee Member for their school. A Deputy President may Chair a formal meeting of the Organising Committee if nominated by the President. IV) Registration fees and costs The host school may charge a registration fee of no more than the local equivalent of $100AUD per school to compete in JYPT. These fees should be used to cover necessary costs (e.g. tea/coffee, photocopying expenses, name badges, certificates, signs, maps, juror packs, etc). All other expenses incurred by each competing school are the responsibility of that school (e.g. accommodation, catering, travel, tours, etc). V) The problems of the JYPT The selection of the 5 problems for each tournament is the responsibility of the problem selection committee. The problem selection committee will consist of the outgoing president and two other Organising Committee members. The outgoing president will select the 5 problems for the next tournament from the list of suggested problems guided by the principles below. The 5 problems will then be confirmed by the other two members of the problem selection committee before they are announced as the problems for the next tournament. Every participating school must suggest at least one past IYPT problem for the JYPT of the following year no later than one month after the end of the tournament. The problems for the following years 3
tournament will be announced no later than two months after the end of the tournament (exact dates will be decided at the tournament Organising Committee meeting). Problem selection will be guided by the following principles: The 5 problems selected should be (but are not necessarily limited to) old IYPT problems, but not ones used within the previous 5 IYPT tournaments. None of the problems can have been used for a previous JYPT tournament. The problems should cover a range of different subject areas and problem types. The problems should focus on the applications of basic forces, motion or waves. Problems with a focus outside these areas are permissible if they can be reasonably attempted using knowledge students at this level can be expected to have. VI) The participants of the JYPT 1. The competing teams Competing teams represent an individual school or similar organisation. There is no restriction regarding the eligibility of schools to participate in JYPT however it is highly recommended that they have staff with previous experience in JYPT/IYPT (even as an observer). The host school and the agreed host school for the following year may each be represented by two teams. If a school is represented by two teams these teams must operate independently to the fullest extent possible. They must present independent problem solutions and are expected to face each other in a PF as any other two teams would if drawn to do so. All other schools are represented by a single team. 2. The membership of the teams The JYPT team is composed of at least one team leader (usually a teacher) and four students. Students MUST NOT have participated in national IYPT qualifying competitions AND MUST EITHER turn 16 after the 31 st of December of the year of the tournament OR not be in their last 2 years of schooling. The composition of the team must be confirmed before the draw is carried out and cannot be changed during the tournament. During a Physics Fight any presentations should acknowledge the assistance of the team and team leader/s. The team leader/s, one of whom must be a member of a jury during the competition, are recognised as being part of the team and should be named in all presentations. VII) The Jury The Jury is nominated and organised by the host school. The Jury consists of at least three members from different schools whenever possible, but preferably more. One team leader from each school will be included in the juries. The team leaders cannot be members of the Jury in the PF where their teams participate. Ideally each juror would not judge the same team more than once. The juries during the first 5 rounds shall be composed to minimise repeats as much as practically possible. 4
Each jury will have an experienced juror designated as Jury Chair. It is the responsibility of the Jury Chair to ensure that the Regulations (including timing of the stages) are adhered to. Additional jurors from Universities, Industry or teachers from schools not competing may be invited by the President of the Organising Committee. To maintain consistency throughout the tournament all jurors must be available to be on a jury for all 5 rounds of the tournament as well as the Play-offs and Final. All jury members must attend the jury briefing held on Day 1 of the tournament and any additional jury briefings that may be called during the tournament. An exception may be made for guest jurors who only judge the Play-offs and/or Final. They do not have to attend all jury briefings, although it is highly recommended that they attend the initial briefing on Day 1 of the tournament. Any guest jurors for the Play-offs and/or Final who were not able to attend the briefing on Day 1 must be given a briefing by an experienced juror before they can be a member of a jury. It is recommended that the jury briefing on Day 1 consist of: A discussion of judging principles/guidelines and the jury scoring sheet Watching a video of a typical fight from a previous tournament (not the Final) Each juror scoring the fight independently Discussion of the grading. VIII) The agenda of the JYPT The JYPT is ideally carried out in September/October each year, although this is dependent on the availability of facilities at the host school. The exact dates are set by the host school. All teams participate in five rounds of competition and will need solutions to all five problems. A draw will be constructed to minimise teams facing each other twice (where possible) and determines the order of presentation of the problems. The two teams with the highest total scores after five rounds will compete in the Final PF. Other teams will participate in a play-off round against adjacent team or teams as appropriate. Structure: In the first round, all teams present a problem to a jury and receive questioning and detailed feedback before the next rounds to allow teams time to improve presentations before fighting. In the second, third, fourth and fifth rounds, teams will present and oppose set problems determined by the draw. Each fight will involve the Reporter and Opponent roles from IYPT. The top two teams after five rounds qualify for a final and present a problem from the five set problems, decided by challenge/rejection. All other teams participate and present a problem decided by challenge/rejection in a play-off round against adjacent teams to determine the final rank order for the tournament. The timings of events may be changed to fit the circumstances of the host school. Once the schedule is announced changes should be avoided if at all possible (especially to the start and end dates and times) to avoid complications for teams travel arrangements. 5
Day 1 Teams arrive during the day 1.00 to 3.00pm Jury Briefing 4.00pm Draw and Welcome 5.00 to 7.00pm Round 1 Presentations 7.30pm Welcome Dinner Rankings after Round 1 Announced Day 2 9.30am Round 2 12.00 to 1.00pm Lunch Rankings after Round 2 Announced 1.30pm Round 3 Rankings after Round 3 Announced 5.00pm OC Meeting Day 3 9.30am Round 4 Rankings after Round 4 Announced 12.00pm to 1.00pm Lunch 1.30pm Round 5 Rankings after Round 5 Announced 6.00pm Teams challenge their opponents to problems for the Play-Offs and Final Day 4 9.30am Play-offs for positions 12.00pm to 1.00pm Lunch 1.00pm Final and Awards Teams depart during the afternoon IX) The Physics Fight regulations Two teams participate in a PF. In each stage of the PF one team will act as a Reporter and present the solution to the problem and another team will act as an Opponent that will critique the presentation. Teams will be allocated to Physics Fights according to the Draw. A generic Draw (Teams only identified as A, B, C, etc) will be constructed prior to the tournament to ensure that: Each team MUST Report all 5 problems in rounds 1-5. All problems presented in the same PF MUST be different. Each team would ideally Oppose 4 different problems in rounds 2-5. Each team would ideally not face the same team twice in rounds 1-5. On the first day of the tournament teams draw lots to decide which school is team A, which is team B, etc. This will decide the order and problems for the all 5 rounds of the tournament (excluding the Play-offs and Final). Where possible, teams will be allocated into groups containing three teams but if the number of entries is not divisible by three, Physics Fights with two teams for some will occur. 6
Teams change places in successive stages to each report and oppose once. The team in a group of three that is not reporting or opposing will not be required to leave the room for that stage. In the course of a PF the students of a team can communicate only with each other. Team Leaders cannot interact with their students during any one stage (including during preparation time). Before the beginning of a PF, the Jury and the teams are introduced. Each team member must report or oppose at least one problem during rounds 1 to 5. X) The Stage regulations Rounds 1 to 5 Round 1: Presentation Round Each team makes an individual presentation of their solution to their problem to a jury. This round takes place on the first evening of the competition. Any teams drawn in a room for round 1 are expected to watch the presentations and listen to the jury feedback of the other teams. The performance order in the Stage of a PF: Maximum time in minutes Presentation of the report 10 Questions from the Jury 8 Awarding of Marks 2 Juror feedback to the team 5 Total time of stage 25 A break of up to 20 minutes is then taken to allow the next team to set up for their presentation. 7
Rounds 2, 3, 4 and 5: Reporter, Opponent and Observer Each team will report the other four set problems and ideally oppose four other teams (ideally on four different problems) in an order to be determined by the draw. Any team drawn in the room but not taking the role of Reporter or Opponent can observe the PF. The performance order in the Stage of a PF: Maximum time in minutes Presentation of the report 10 Questions of the Opponent to the Reporter and answers of the Reporter 2 Preparation of the Opponent 3 The Opponent takes the floor, maximum 5 minutes 10 and discussion between the Reporter and the Opponent Preparation of the Reporter 1 Concluding remarks of the Reporter 2 Clarifying questions from the Jury 3 Awarding of Marks 2 Juror feedback to the teams 3 Total time of stage 36 Break between stages 20 Total time of Round 2 teams 92 Total time of Round 3 teams 148 At the end of any preparation stage the Reporter/Opponent is expected to be ready to proceed immediately. No extra time will be given to connect to projectors, etc, unless exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the Reporter/Opponent occur (at the discretion of the Jury Chair). If time runs out during a stage the Jury Chair will stop the Reporter and/or Opponent, no extra time is permitted. Any material that was not presented in the report cannot be shown during preparation time or presented during Concluding remarks. However, it is permissible for the Reporter to show new material during the Discussion Stage. XI) The team performance in the Stages The Reporter presents the essence of the solution to the problem, attracting the attention of the audience to the main physical ideas and conclusions. The Opponent puts questions to the Reporter and criticises the report, pointing to possible inaccuracy and errors in the understanding of the problem and in the solution. The Opponent analyses the advantages and drawbacks of both the solution and the presentation of the Reporter. The Opponent can raise new fundamental physical concepts that the Reporter could reasonably be expected to be aware of and clearly apply to the work of the Reporter, but cannot present his/her own solution. 8
The discussion between the Reporter and the Opponent should be focussed on the reporter s solution and the critique of the Opponent. It cannot become a presentation of the Opponent s own solution. During a PF only one member of a team takes the floor as Reporter or Opponent. Other members of the team are allowed to pass notes to the person on the floor, make brief clarifying remarks or help with the presentation technically. Any information presented (including, but not limited to, images, videos, complex equations, data, experimental design) from a source not within the team itself must be acknowledged both at the point it is presented and in a reference list. The official language of the JYPT is English. For future training purposes Team leaders or supporters are permitted to photograph or record any part of a PF in which their team is participating as either Reporter or Opponent (but not as Observer). If any of this material is to be published (in any form) written permission must be obtained from the parents of any team members (of either team) visible in the photos/video. XII) The rules of the problem-allocation 1. All problems presented in the same PF are different. 2. The problems allocated by the position a team receives in the draw. All problems allocated must be presented. All teams will present all five set problems and oppose up to four of the five problems (ideally four different problems). XIII) Groups of Three Whenever possible, teams will be organised into Groups of Three. Problem reported Reporter Opponent Observer Stage 1 X Team 1 Team 2 Team 3 Stage 2 Y Team 2 Team 3 Team 1 Stage 3 Z Team 3 Team 1 Team 2 Problems X, Y and Z determined by the draw in rounds 2, 3, 4 and 5, and by challenge/rejection in the Play-off and Final rounds. After the first rejection any further rejections a penalty will apply to the team rejecting a problem. If a PF contains only two teams each will act as Reporter/Opponent for the other. A Group of Three will also take place in the Final when the second and third team have equal total sum of points, TSP. In the extraordinary situation that more than three teams qualify for the final then a group of four or five will be used. 9
XIV) The grading After each stage the Jury grades the teams, taking into account all presentations of the members of the team, questions and answers to the questions, and participation in the discussion. Each Jury member shows integer marks from 1 to 10. The mean of the highest and lowest marks is counted as one mark. This mark is then averaged with all the remaining marks to determine the mean mark for the team. The mean mark is taken and is multiplied by a coefficient of 3.0 for the Reporter and 2.0 for the Opponent. For the Play-off and Final, if more than one problem is rejected the coefficient for the Report of that team is reduced by 0.2 for each additional rejection. The Opposing coefficient for that team does not change. Number of problems Reporting Coefficient rejected 0 3.0 1 3.0 2 2.8 3 2.6 4 2.4 5 5 th problem MUST be accepted The juror guidelines for awarding grades are the same as those used for the IYPT and can be downloaded from http://www.iypt.org/official_documents/guidelines (the role of Reviewer is not used in the JYPT). XV) The resulting parameters 1. For a team in the PF The sum of points (SP) is the sum of mean marks, multiplied by the corresponding coefficients and rounded to one decimal place. The maximum SP in round 1 is 30 points and the maximum SP in each PF in rounds 2, 3, 4 and 5 is 50 points. 2. For a team in the Tournament The total sum of points (TSP) equals the sum of SP of the team in all the PFs. The maximum score before the final is 230 points (30 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 50). The two teams with the highest TSP will go into the Final. If two or more teams have the second equal TSP (rounded to one decimal place) then ALL of these teams will proceed to the Final. These teams will be ranked in order of their score after round 5 for the problem selection process. 10
The scores in the Final will determine the winner and runner up of the tournament (maximum = 50 points). The remaining teams in order of TSP will compete in Play-offs with adjacent team/s to determine final placings. The groupings of teams in the Play-offs will be adjusted to accommodate the required number of teams. The order of challenge/rejection and presentation in the Play-offs is the same as the Final. Play-offs will be completed prior to the Final and all teams would be expected to watch the Final. XVI) The Play-off/Final The two teams having the highest TSP after five rounds of the competition participate in the Final. If two or more teams have the second equal TSP (rounded to one decimal place) then ALL of these teams will proceed to the Final. The starting time of the Final will be adjusted if necessary. The team with the highest TSP challenges the second team to the problem they will present first. Each additional team then challenges the next highest ranked team to their problem in order. The lowest ranked team finally challenges the top team to their problem. All problems must be different. Order of Performance in the Play-offs/Final: The order of reporting/opposing in the Play-offs and Final is the same as the order the problems were challenged. For the Play-off/Final fight the highest ranked team after five rounds is designated 1, the next ranked team 2, etc. Any teams with the same TSP will be separated by whichever team has the highest SP for a single round. During the Play-off/Final PF any team member can take the floor only once as either Reporter OR Opponent, but not both. TWO TEAMS Problem reported Reporter Opponent Stage 1 Y 2 1 Stage 2 Z 1 2 Or THREE TEAMS Problem reported Reporter Opponent Observer Stage 1 X 2 1 3 Stage 2 Y 3 2 1 Stage 3 Z 1 3 2 11
Or FOUR TEAMS Problem reported Reporter Opponent Observers Stage 1 W 2 1 3,4 Stage 2 X 3 2 1,4 Stage 3 Y 4 3 1,2 Stage 4 Z 1 4 2,3 Or FIVE TEAMS Problem reported Reporter Opponent Observers Stage 1 V 2 1 3,4,5 Stage 2 W 3 2 1,4,5 Stage 3 X 4 3 1,2,5 Stage 4 Y 5 4 1,2,3 Stage 5 Z 1 5 2,3,4 Play-off/Final stage regulations: The performance order in the Play-off/Final PF: Maximum time in minutes Presentation of the report 10 Questions of the Opponent to the Reporter and answers of the Reporter 2 Preparation of the Opponent 3 The Opponent takes the floor, maximum 5 minutes and discussion between the Reporter and the Opponent 12 Preparation of the Reporter 1 Concluding remarks of the Reporter 2 Clarifying questions from the Jury 5 Awarding of Marks 2 Juror feedback to the teams 3 Total time of stage 40 Break between stages 20 Total time of Final 100 Total time of Three Team Final 160 Note: The times allocated for Opponent takes the floor/discussion and Clarifying questions from the jury are different to those for rounds 1-5. 12
XVII) The final team ranking of the JYPT The students of the team winning the Final are awarded First place certificates and gold medals. If two or more teams have the same SP result in the Final (rounded to one decimal place), the winner is nominated according to the highest TSP (from rounds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the final). The other team/s participating in the Final is/are awarded Second place certificates and silver medals. Teams occupying the third to eighth places and not participating in the Final will be awarded bronze medals. All other students receive Certificates of Distinction. Team leaders obtain certificates indicating the result achieved by their team. XVIII) The status of the regulations of the JYPT The regulations are established by the OC and may be changed only by the OC. A simple majority of the OC members present in a formal OC meeting or a majority of email responses from all OC members is required to change the regulations. 13