Ideal Question Distribution

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WSUNagy
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Ideal Question Distribution

Post by WSUNagy »

On average what do you guys think is the ideal question distribution in a game assuming its a 24 question toss-up bonus format.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by kievanrustic »

I would say that this is a fair distribution and is similar to many distributions (e.g. NAQT) that are already out there.
5.5/5.5 Science (1.25/1.25 Math, 1/1 Bio, 1/1 Chem, 1/1 Physics, 1.25/1.25 Other (e.g. computer science, earth, astronomy))
4.5/4.5 History (1.5/1.5 American, 1.5/1.5 Euro, 1/1 World, .5/.5 Ancient)
4.5/4.5 Literature (1/1 American novels, .75/.75 British novels, .75/.75 Euro and World novels,1/1 Drama, 1/1 Poetry)
2.5/2.5 Fine Arts (1/1 Visual, 1/1 Music, .5 other (e.g. architecture))
4/4 RMPSS (1.5/1.5 myth incl. religious stories, .5/.5 religious customs, 1/1 philosophy, 1/1 social science)
1/1 Trash (.25/.25 sports, .25/.25 video games, .25/.25 music, .25/.25 films and TV)
1/1 Current Events (.5/.5 American, .5/.5 world)
1/1 Geography

This distribution includes all of the canon, and it ensures that most areas have at least one tossup. American and European culture are emphasized, as those are the most accessible. Bonuses and tossups are the same (no math comp here!).
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by Mewto55555 »

Other things aside, that's way too much math.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by kievanrustic »

Max, the reason for the math is just that its a massive field from which tons of questions can be made. If I remember correctly, IMSANITY pulled off 2/2 math, and that wasn't even in 20 questions. For being a class that people take every year of high school, math deserves at least 1/1, if not 1.25/1.25. I understand why most sets have less math, but ideally there should be more.

-Andrew
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by AKKOLADE »

Many math classes I had in high school barely spent time on theory, which is what qb questions tend to be about, and more on "this is how you solve this problem."
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by Capitoline »

I don't think there should be more questions about math than the central sciences.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by vinteuil »

kievanrustic wrote:4.5/4.5 Literature (1/1 American novels, .75/.75 British novels, .75/.75 Euro and World novels,1/1 Drama, 1/1 Poetry)
I'd say that this needlessly restricts writers, and also seriously discourages religious literature and classical literature.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by Mewto55555 »

perlnerd666 wrote:
kievanrustic wrote:4.5/4.5 Literature (1/1 American novels, .75/.75 British novels, .75/.75 Euro and World novels,1/1 Drama, 1/1 Poetry)
I'd say that this needlessly restricts writers, and also seriously discourages religious literature and classical literature.
And common links, which are in fact the best. Like actually the ideal distribution probably includes 2/2 lit common links, 2/2 history common links, 2/2 science common links, and 6/6 other common links, with the other 8/8 distributed however.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by kievanrustic »

Mewto55555 wrote:
perlnerd666 wrote:
kievanrustic wrote:4.5/4.5 Literature (1/1 American novels, .75/.75 British novels, .75/.75 Euro and World novels,1/1 Drama, 1/1 Poetry)
I'd say that this needlessly restricts writers, and also seriously discourages religious literature and classical literature.
And common links, which are in fact the best. Like actually the ideal distribution probably includes 2/2 lit common links, 2/2 history common links, 2/2 science common links, and 6/6 other common links, with the other 8/8 distributed however.
Oh, sorry if I wasn't being clear in my post. I'd treat a common link with euro, American, and world clues as .33 euro, .33 American, and .33 world. Also, isn't classical lit under euro? Greek drama would be under drama too. Sorry if I wasn't clear.
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The Ununtiable Twine
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by The Ununtiable Twine »

Grams's Go-Go Boots wrote:Many math classes I had in high school barely spent time on theory, which is what qb questions tend to be about, and more on "this is how you solve this problem."
I would consider a higher amount of math in the canon as a wonderful donation on the part of quizbowl. Where would you (society) be without us (mathematicians), after all?

In all honesty the amount of math in high school is fine where it's at. Most good tossupable math is theoretical and so the distribution should stay exactly where it is, because math is important but doesn't need more of the distribution than it has. Computational math, of course, should be gone from all quizbowl-related competitions. On another note, it's also hard to expand the high school math canon much more than it already is, although there are very healthy clue spaces waiting to be taken advantage of just about everywhere!
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by AKKOLADE »

This thread is perilously close to the math vortex, and the 40 maths thread is still up. If this is gonna turn into maffs maffs maffs, we should probably maff it up over there.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by touchpack »

Mewto55555 wrote:
perlnerd666 wrote:
kievanrustic wrote:4.5/4.5 Literature (1/1 American novels, .75/.75 British novels, .75/.75 Euro and World novels,1/1 Drama, 1/1 Poetry)
I'd say that this needlessly restricts writers, and also seriously discourages religious literature and classical literature.
And common links, which are in fact the best. Like actually the ideal distribution probably includes 2/2 lit common links, 2/2 history common links, 2/2 science common links, and 6/6 other common links, with the other 8/8 distributed however.
You and Ike should go write a tournament together with this distribution.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by Citizen Snips »

Through my minimal experience with quizbowl, I have come to believe that 1/1 of the history distribution should be set aside for 1980-present. I was shocked when Janet Reno was in the power at HSNCT. I know that recent history is not stressed in many history classes, but, if the goal of this game is to develop well-rounded individuals, I believe that understanding recent history is key to understanding current world affairs.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by AKKOLADE »

intheshadowofgreatness wrote:Through my minimal experience with quizbowl, I have come to believe that 1/1 of the history distribution should be set aside for 1980-present. I was shocked when Janet Reno was in the power at HSNCT. I know that recent history is not stressed in many history classes, but, if the goal of this game is to develop well-rounded individuals, I believe that understanding recent history is key to understanding current world affairs.
That's not really a good argument for expanding any part of the distribution.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by Lefty734 »

Here is what I thought would be good:

4/4 Literature (1/1 American, 1/1 British, 1/1 Other European, 1/1 World)
4/4 History (1/1 American, 1/1 European, 1/1 World, .5/.5 Ancient, .5/.5 Other)
4/4 Science (1/1 Physics, 1/1 Chemistry, 1/1 Biology, .5/.5 Earth Science or Astronomy, .5/.5 Other Sciences)
4/4 Fine Arts and Geography (1/1 Visual, 1/1 Music or Performance, 1/1 Western Hemisphere (Americas), 1/1 Eastern Hemisphere (Everything Else))
4/4 Religion, Myth, Philosophy, and Social Science (1/1 Religion, 1/1 Mythology, 1/1 Philosophy, 1/1 Social Science)
4/4 Modern World (1/1 American Current Events, 1/1 World Current Events, 1/1 Important Events Post-2000, .5/.5 Sports, .5/.5 Pop Culture)
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by No Electricity Required »

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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by Whiter Hydra »

Lefty734 wrote:Here is what I thought would be good:

4/4 Literature (1/1 American, 1/1 British, 1/1 Other European, 1/1 World)
4/4 History (1/1 American, 1/1 European, 1/1 World, .5/.5 Ancient, .5/.5 Other)
4/4 Science (1/1 Physics, 1/1 Chemistry, 1/1 Biology, .5/.5 Earth Science or Astronomy, .5/.5 Other Sciences)
4/4 Fine Arts and Geography (1/1 Visual, 1/1 Music or Performance, 1/1 Western Hemisphere (Americas), 1/1 Eastern Hemisphere (Everything Else))
4/4 Religion, Myth, Philosophy, and Social Science (1/1 Religion, 1/1 Mythology, 1/1 Philosophy, 1/1 Social Science)
4/4 Modern World (1/1 American Current Events, 1/1 World Current Events, 1/1 Important Events Post-2000, .5/.5 Sports, .5/.5 Pop Culture)
Please do not use this distribution. There is way too much geography and current events (3/3!?), and not enough fine arts and (arguably) Big Three.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by vinteuil »

huff paste wrote:
Lefty734 wrote:Here is what I thought would be good:

4/4 Literature (1/1 American, 1/1 British, 1/1 Other European, 1/1 World)
4/4 History (1/1 American, 1/1 European, 1/1 World, .5/.5 Ancient, .5/.5 Other)
4/4 Science (1/1 Physics, 1/1 Chemistry, 1/1 Biology, .5/.5 Earth Science or Astronomy, .5/.5 Other Sciences)
4/4 Fine Arts and Geography (1/1 Visual, 1/1 Music or Performance, 1/1 Western Hemisphere (Americas), 1/1 Eastern Hemisphere (Everything Else))
4/4 Religion, Myth, Philosophy, and Social Science (1/1 Religion, 1/1 Mythology, 1/1 Philosophy, 1/1 Social Science)
4/4 Modern World (1/1 American Current Events, 1/1 World Current Events, 1/1 Important Events Post-2000, .5/.5 Sports, .5/.5 Pop Culture)
Please do not use this distribution. There is way too much geography and current events (3/3!?), and not enough fine arts and (arguably) Big Three.
This would be NAQT's distribution if one of the current events got swapped out for math, and a few adjustments were made favoring geography over fine arts and RMP, I think.
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Re: Ideal Question Distribution

Post by Kilroy Was Here »

24/24 Meta
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