NAQT Subject Distribution
NAQT Subject Distribution
After playing a few of the NAQT sets that we had lying around (IS 50 ish) in order to practice for our state tournament, I was pretty concerned with the subject distribution. It seemed to be an incredible amount of geography, history, and general knowledge. I swear I've seen packets with 1 tossup for Lit, Art, and Music combined. At most, there have been three tossups in a packet on the fine arts and literature. When looking at some other house-written tournament packets, the distribution seems to hover around 6 for all three categories. Is this still the norm in NAQT, or have things changed any?
- BuzzerZen
- Auron
- Posts: 1517
- Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:01 pm
- Location: Arlington, VA/Hampshire College
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Nope.
Evan Silberman
Hampshire College 07F
How are you actually reading one of my posts?
Hampshire College 07F
How are you actually reading one of my posts?
- Skepticism and Animal Feed
- Auron
- Posts: 3238
- Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2004 11:47 pm
- Location: Arlington, VA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
The NAQT Distribution is:
Current Events 7.5%
Fine Arts 7.0%
Foreign Language 0.5%
Geography 7.0%
General Knowledge / Mixed 5.5%
History 18.5%
Literature / Mythology 18.5%
Popular Culture 7.5%
Philosophy 2.0%
Science 18.5%
Sports 4.0%
Social Science 3.5%
Current Events 7.5%
Fine Arts 7.0%
Foreign Language 0.5%
Geography 7.0%
General Knowledge / Mixed 5.5%
History 18.5%
Literature / Mythology 18.5%
Popular Culture 7.5%
Philosophy 2.0%
Science 18.5%
Sports 4.0%
Social Science 3.5%
Bruce
Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
ACF Member emeritus
My guide to using Wikipedia as a question source
Harvard '10 / UChicago '07 / Roycemore School '04
ACF Member emeritus
My guide to using Wikipedia as a question source
- AndyShootsAndyScores
- Yuna
- Posts: 806
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 6:33 pm
- Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
- Contact:
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Damn. I was not aware it was that high.DJ Shadow wrote:The NAQT Distribution is:
Popular Culture 7.5%
Andy Knowles
Brindlee Mountain, '08
University of Alabama, '12
Brindlee Mountain, '08
University of Alabama, '12
-
- Rikku
- Posts: 452
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2003 1:46 pm
- Location: Athens, GA / Macon, GA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
That's a pretty common complaint about NAQT, especially with regard to general knowledge and especially geography. It has not changed much since the IS-50s, although I imagine general question quality has probably increased. (Not that it was bad then...)
If you weren't aware, remember that NAQT has a tournament-based distribution, rather than packet-based like a lot of tournaments, which is how you could reconcile seeing 1 lit/fine arts question in a packet with the 18.5% lit/myth and 7% FA distribution. However, I suspect that you actually had more than one lit question in that packet -- sometimes NAQT categorizes things differently from how one might imagine, or at least that's always been my understanding.
If you weren't aware, remember that NAQT has a tournament-based distribution, rather than packet-based like a lot of tournaments, which is how you could reconcile seeing 1 lit/fine arts question in a packet with the 18.5% lit/myth and 7% FA distribution. However, I suspect that you actually had more than one lit question in that packet -- sometimes NAQT categorizes things differently from how one might imagine, or at least that's always been my understanding.
Noah
Georgia '08
Georgia '08
-
- Tidus
- Posts: 612
- Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:05 pm
- Location: Houston, Texas
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Did you see that Sports had an additional 4%?Alex Kidd wrote:Damn. I was not aware it was that high.DJ Shadow wrote:The NAQT Distribution is:
Popular Culture 7.5%
Henry Gorman, Wilmington Charter '09, Rice '13, PhD History Vanderbilt '1X
- aestheteboy
- Tidus
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 5:07 pm
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
It's less frustrating if you start considering NAQT as a hybrid format. It's not too ridiculous considering that questions in the "academic" distribution often have really trashy answer/clue selection.
Daichi - Walter Johnson; Vanderbilt; U of Chicago.
Daichi's Law of High School Quizbowl: the frequency of posting in the Quizbowl Resource Center is proportional to the likelihood of being overrated.
Daichi's Law of High School Quizbowl: the frequency of posting in the Quizbowl Resource Center is proportional to the likelihood of being overrated.
-
- Lulu
- Posts: 51
- Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 7:44 pm
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
I am not sure what General knowledge is (can someone tell me? or give me an example?). Btw, the non academic subjects make up almost a a fifth of all questions. What is the benefit of making a tournament distribution instead of packet distribution? I think it would be easier and more balanced to do packet distribution.DJ Shadow wrote:The NAQT Distribution is:
Geography 7.0%
General Knowledge / Mixed 5.5%
Popular Culture 7.5%
Sports 4.0%
-
- Rikku
- Posts: 452
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2003 1:46 pm
- Location: Athens, GA / Macon, GA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
A lot of people feel that way, but I can see why one might prefer the tournament-based. If you require every subject to come out to a whole number of questions per round, you can over/under-represent certain subjects from your ideal. Try to turn NAQT's percentages into discrete amounts in a 20, 24, or 26 question round -- you end up having to make some choices.ragnarok2012 wrote:I think it would be easier and more balanced to do packet distribution.
Example: The Big Three (History, Lit, Science) are each 18.5%. In a 26-question round, that comes out to 4.81/4.81 on each. You could say that's basically 5/5, and go with that, but that means that you lose roughly .6/.6 per round that could be something else; over 15 rounds, you lose 9 questions that way. Maybe you think that wouldn't be a bad thing, to have 9/9 more in the core subjects, but realize that it applies to trash, CE, GK, and geography also -- and when it comes time to make decisions to round a fraction up or down, who knows which way it will go? By using percentages instead of fractions, you can be more flexible with subjects, and if you make a sincere effort to have roughly-balanced rounds (as, I think, NAQT has said they do -- so you don't have 10/10 history in one round), it actually can make a lot of sense.
Nothing against per-round distributions of course -- they also work very well and are, no doubt, easier for editors that don't have an automated database system.
Noah
Georgia '08
Georgia '08
- aestheteboy
- Tidus
- Posts: 570
- Joined: Sat May 13, 2006 5:07 pm
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Per-tournament distribution isn't a huge problem since, the packet distribution is never off by more than one from the tournament distribution. That is, since lit/myth distribution is 4.81, there should always be 4 or 5 toss ups and 4 or 5 bonuses per packet.
The bigger problem is, as I said, that some academic questions aren't really academic at all. (say . . . Winnie the Pooh and Hobbit for lit).
The bigger problem is, as I said, that some academic questions aren't really academic at all. (say . . . Winnie the Pooh and Hobbit for lit).
Daichi - Walter Johnson; Vanderbilt; U of Chicago.
Daichi's Law of High School Quizbowl: the frequency of posting in the Quizbowl Resource Center is proportional to the likelihood of being overrated.
Daichi's Law of High School Quizbowl: the frequency of posting in the Quizbowl Resource Center is proportional to the likelihood of being overrated.
-
- Tidus
- Posts: 612
- Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:05 pm
- Location: Houston, Texas
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Geography is academic. It's just somewhat overrepresented.ragnarok2012 wrote:I am not sure what General knowledge is (can someone tell me? or give me an example?). Btw, the non academic subjects make up almost a a fifth of all questions. What is the benefit of making a tournament distribution instead of packet distribution? I think it would be easier and more balanced to do packet distribution.DJ Shadow wrote:The NAQT Distribution is:
Geography 7.0%
General Knowledge / Mixed 5.5%
Popular Culture 7.5%
Sports 4.0%
Henry Gorman, Wilmington Charter '09, Rice '13, PhD History Vanderbilt '1X
- AndyShootsAndyScores
- Yuna
- Posts: 806
- Joined: Mon Apr 11, 2005 6:33 pm
- Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
- Contact:
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Something I didn't notice until now, but there seems to be no math in this distribution. I know there's math in there somewhere.DJ Shadow wrote:The NAQT Distribution is:
Current Events 7.5%
Fine Arts 7.0%
Foreign Language 0.5%
Geography 7.0%
General Knowledge / Mixed 5.5%
History 18.5%
Literature / Mythology 18.5%
Popular Culture 7.5%
Philosophy 2.0%
Science 18.5%
Sports 4.0%
Social Science 3.5%
Of course, I suppose this could be thrown in with the "General Knowledge / Mixed" category...
Andy Knowles
Brindlee Mountain, '08
University of Alabama, '12
Brindlee Mountain, '08
University of Alabama, '12
- Matt Weiner
- Sin
- Posts: 8146
- Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2003 8:34 pm
- Location: Richmond, VA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Math is part of science in the collegiate distribution posted above. Presumably, there is a separate category for math calculation in the high school distribution.Alex Kidd wrote:Something I didn't notice until now, but there seems to be no math in this distribution. I know there's math in there somewhere.
Of course, I suppose this could be thrown in with the "General Knowledge / Mixed" category...
Matt Weiner
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
-
- Tidus
- Posts: 612
- Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:05 pm
- Location: Houston, Texas
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Why are literature and mythology attached to each other?
Henry Gorman, Wilmington Charter '09, Rice '13, PhD History Vanderbilt '1X
-
- Rikku
- Posts: 452
- Joined: Fri Apr 18, 2003 1:46 pm
- Location: Athens, GA / Macon, GA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Maybe because of overlap? Where do you count Homer and ancient stuff that (re)tells a myth?
Noah
Georgia '08
Georgia '08
-
- Tidus
- Posts: 612
- Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:05 pm
- Location: Houston, Texas
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
This makes some sense... Though I would overlap mythology w/Religion myself. However, if this is the case, then shouldn't this category get a larger share? Literature by itself should be at least as big as history, and with the addition of mythology to the category, there isn't going to be adequate lit or mythology.NoahMinkCHS wrote:Maybe because of overlap? Where do you count Homer and ancient stuff that (re)tells a myth?
Henry Gorman, Wilmington Charter '09, Rice '13, PhD History Vanderbilt '1X
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
I have to admit that this year I found I am not as pleased with NAQT's distribution.
We are now to the point where we get 2 computations plus 1 science computation per round. Every single time I read "pencil and paper ready" someone groans. I wish it were one per round only. I believe there are regions of the country that keep asking NAQT to include more computation and I wish they would knock that off.
I'm also on board with a 1/1 only geography. In the final at Blue Hen, five of the tossups were "this country" or "this city", and then there was a river too. This would include the current events and history questions that sneak geographical clues in.
The literature has also become rather monotonous. Lately the grand majority seem to go "In one work, this author...., this author also wrote about...., In a more well known work his characters X, Y, and Z did something. For 10 points, name this author of something you might know.". Literature can be characters, titles, things in works, movements, and other things too.
But since I always seem to be in the minority on these points, I'm sure all disagree.
We are now to the point where we get 2 computations plus 1 science computation per round. Every single time I read "pencil and paper ready" someone groans. I wish it were one per round only. I believe there are regions of the country that keep asking NAQT to include more computation and I wish they would knock that off.
I'm also on board with a 1/1 only geography. In the final at Blue Hen, five of the tossups were "this country" or "this city", and then there was a river too. This would include the current events and history questions that sneak geographical clues in.
The literature has also become rather monotonous. Lately the grand majority seem to go "In one work, this author...., this author also wrote about...., In a more well known work his characters X, Y, and Z did something. For 10 points, name this author of something you might know.". Literature can be characters, titles, things in works, movements, and other things too.
But since I always seem to be in the minority on these points, I'm sure all disagree.
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
That is by far the best way to write about authors and such, I think. That is mostly how collegiate questions and PACE questions on authors are written, as far as I know.Stat74 wrote: The literature has also become rather monotonous. Lately the grand majority seem to go "In one work, this author...., this author also wrote about...., In a more well known work his characters X, Y, and Z did something. For 10 points, name this author of something you might know.".
I don't disagree. I also feel that some of the categories you pointed out have been grossly misrepresented in recent IS sets. I mean, it is really sad to see tossups on author X when he/she has works Y and Z which are tossupable even at the HS level.Stat74 wrote: Literature can be characters, titles, things in works, movements, and other things too. But since I always seem to be in the minority on these points, I'm sure all disagree.
Gautam - ACF
Currently tending to the 'quizbowl hobo' persuasion.
Currently tending to the 'quizbowl hobo' persuasion.
- DumbJaques
- Forums Staff: Administrator
- Posts: 3109
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:21 pm
- Location: Columbus, OH
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
I suspect this is indicative of what I think the real problem with the NAQT distribution ends up being. Questions are somewhat dubiously counted in certain categories. Hey, you could write a pure history tossup on, say, Bulgaria, but it's not my experience that NAQT tossups on Bulgaria that have a tiny bit of history do anything but fall back to geography. Similarly tossups on the "history" of random American cities are also a problem the way NAQT, by and large, seems to write them. There's definitely an infatuation with these things as answers and when such questions are counted as history or something else, it only compounds the already non-negligible geography distribution (which I don't even necessarily have a problem with).I'm also on board with a 1/1 only geography. In the final at Blue Hen, five of the tossups were "this country" or "this city", and then there was a river too. This would include the current events and history questions that sneak geographical clues in.
We heard a tossup on the San Andreas fault in practice (from an ICT set) the other day that was ludicrously unrelated to anything remotely scientific and basically just gave a list of things it runs through/near/whatever. While being a pretty poor, figure-it-out way even to write a geography tossup on one of a very small amount of things that "runs" through places in Southern California, it's also kind of a bummer that a question on the San Andreas fault included absolutely 0% science clues. Again if it was counted as pure goegraphy that's fine, but then there were the 2/2 other geography questions in the packet, not to mention another question where the answer was a country.
Chris Ray
OSU
University of Chicago, 2016
University of Maryland, 2014
ACF, PACE
OSU
University of Chicago, 2016
University of Maryland, 2014
ACF, PACE
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
To clarify, I'm not saying that there shouldn't be author tossups.
I'm saying the >50% of the literature tossups lately have been author tossups, and that to my ears they all follow the same structure of clues.
I'm saying the >50% of the literature tossups lately have been author tossups, and that to my ears they all follow the same structure of clues.
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
After our first NAQT tournament (I believe it was a Delaware Fall Open), R sent me an e-mail asking for feedback. One of my feedback points was that math computation seemed to be overrepresented compared to what we were familiar with. R's response indicated that other regions expected math and science to take up a much larger percentage of the packet. That supports your idea that other regions ask for more computation.Stat74 wrote:We are now to the point where we get 2 computations plus 1 science computation per round. Every single time I read "pencil and paper ready" someone groans. I wish it were one per round only. I believe there are regions of the country that keep asking NAQT to include more computation and I wish they would knock that off.
The larger issue is that this is a national product. We need to keep in mind that no one customer, or even no one region, will get exactly what they want in terms of distribution. That'll never happen without making custom question packets.
John Gilbert
Coach, Howard High School Academic Team
Ellicott City, MD
"John Gilbert is a quiz bowl god" -- leftsaidfred
Coach, Howard High School Academic Team
Ellicott City, MD
"John Gilbert is a quiz bowl god" -- leftsaidfred
- Matt Weiner
- Sin
- Posts: 8146
- Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2003 8:34 pm
- Location: Richmond, VA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Except the people who keep bleating about wanting more math calculation, they seem pretty happyHoward wrote:The larger issue is that this is a national product. We need to keep in mind that no one customer, or even no one region, will get exactly what they want in terms of distribution.
Matt Weiner
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
- Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
- Chairman of Anti-Music Mafia Committee
- Posts: 5647
- Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:46 pm
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
What's really sad is that after Rolla hosted NAQT state on IS-74 (a set that I thought had too much math, like, 3 tossups in some 20 tossup games) teams there openly complained that there was "way too little math." There are some things I'm OK with NAQT compromising on, but they really need to just ignore people saying math needs to be increased, I don't care what anyone says.
Charlie Dees, North Kansas City HS '08
"I won't say more because I know some of you parse everything I say." - Jeremy Gibbs
"At one TJ tournament the neg prize was the Hampshire College ultimate frisbee team (nude) calender featuring one Evan Silberman. In retrospect that could have been a disaster." - Harry White
"I won't say more because I know some of you parse everything I say." - Jeremy Gibbs
"At one TJ tournament the neg prize was the Hampshire College ultimate frisbee team (nude) calender featuring one Evan Silberman. In retrospect that could have been a disaster." - Harry White
- First Chairman
- Auron
- Posts: 3651
- Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2003 8:21 pm
- Location: Fairfax VA
- Contact:
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
I'd rather hear more about objections to CE + PC + Sports = 19% compared to 18.5% of either history or science.
Emil Thomas Chuck, Ph.D.
Founder, PACE
Facebook junkie and unofficial advisor to aspiring health professionals in quiz bowl
---
Pimping Green Tea Ginger Ale (Canada Dry)
Founder, PACE
Facebook junkie and unofficial advisor to aspiring health professionals in quiz bowl
---
Pimping Green Tea Ginger Ale (Canada Dry)
- BuzzerZen
- Auron
- Posts: 1517
- Joined: Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:01 pm
- Location: Arlington, VA/Hampshire College
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
The math discussion has been split to Theory.
Evan Silberman
Hampshire College 07F
How are you actually reading one of my posts?
Hampshire College 07F
How are you actually reading one of my posts?
-
- Tidus
- Posts: 612
- Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2007 7:05 pm
- Location: Houston, Texas
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
I really don't think that PC+Sports should comprise the 11.5% that they do-- about 7.5% would be more than enough. It's an academic competition, and I don't think that there should be more sports than mythology. However, I don't understand why CE is lumped in with other trash categories by so many players. So long as it relates to actual, newsworthy political or economic events rather than to the latest developments in the life of David Hasslehoff, it's an academic category (though, like Geography, it is somewhat overrepresented).Pin-tailed Manakin wrote:I'd rather hear more about objections to CE + PC + Sports = 19% compared to 18.5% of either history or science.
Henry Gorman, Wilmington Charter '09, Rice '13, PhD History Vanderbilt '1X
- DumbJaques
- Forums Staff: Administrator
- Posts: 3109
- Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 6:21 pm
- Location: Columbus, OH
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
I doubt anyone would have much of a problem if the current events were well-researched, well-written, not ridiculously abundant, and about academic things (world leaders, politics) rather than Britney Spears. Predominantly, I don't think it's any of those things in NAQT right now.So long as it relates to actual, newsworthy political or economic events rather than to the latest developments in the life of David Hasslehoff, it's an academic category (though, like Geography, it is somewhat overrepresented).
Chris Ray
OSU
University of Chicago, 2016
University of Maryland, 2014
ACF, PACE
OSU
University of Chicago, 2016
University of Maryland, 2014
ACF, PACE
- Sen. Estes Kefauver (D-TN)
- Chairman of Anti-Music Mafia Committee
- Posts: 5647
- Joined: Wed Jul 26, 2006 11:46 pm
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Well, here's a novel idea. National Academic Quiz Tournaments. Why do they insist on using that word if they are going to ask more than, like 5% non-academic trash?
Charlie Dees, North Kansas City HS '08
"I won't say more because I know some of you parse everything I say." - Jeremy Gibbs
"At one TJ tournament the neg prize was the Hampshire College ultimate frisbee team (nude) calender featuring one Evan Silberman. In retrospect that could have been a disaster." - Harry White
"I won't say more because I know some of you parse everything I say." - Jeremy Gibbs
"At one TJ tournament the neg prize was the Hampshire College ultimate frisbee team (nude) calender featuring one Evan Silberman. In retrospect that could have been a disaster." - Harry White
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Closer to 15% in my experience.Deesy Does It wrote:Well, here's a novel idea. National Academic Quiz Tournaments. Why do they insist on using that word if they are going to ask more than, like 5% non-academic trash?
- Matt Weiner
- Sin
- Posts: 8146
- Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2003 8:34 pm
- Location: Richmond, VA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
fixedAdamantium Claws wrote:Closer to FIFTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN % in my experience.
According to the posted distribution in the 2007 survey, the sum of "popular culture" "sports" and "general knowledge" in NAQT is 16.8%. There's also a significant number of questions in "current events" and the academic categories with trash or trivia clues.
Matt Weiner
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
-
- Tidus
- Posts: 654
- Joined: Mon May 03, 2004 5:58 am
- Location: Richmond, VA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
I wonder what percentage of the sports questions involves ice hockey.SwissBoy wrote:Did you see that Sports had an additional 4%?Alex Kidd wrote:Damn. I was not aware it was that high.DJ Shadow wrote:The NAQT Distribution is:
Popular Culture 7.5%
- Blackboard Monitor Vimes
- Auron
- Posts: 2362
- Joined: Sat Aug 18, 2007 5:40 pm
- Location: Richmond, VA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
In high school, probably 90%. College seems to have more old baseball than hockey.jbarnes112358 wrote:I wonder what percentage of the sports questions involves ice hockey.SwissBoy wrote: Did you see that Sports had an additional 4%?
Sam L,
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School 2010 / UVA 2014 / VCU School of Education 2016
PACE
Maggie L. Walker Governor's School 2010 / UVA 2014 / VCU School of Education 2016
PACE
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Fine Arts really have less of a distribution than current events and an equivalent amount as Geography? I would argue that at the past few NAQT tournaments I've been to, the Fine Arts are much less represented than both of those categories by about a factor of 2 to 1. I don't see how this could be considered ideal. I don't mind playing a bunch of bad NAQT tournaments... unless the other team has an amazing geography person . The tournament has gotten so much less academic than from what I remember. I don't see how anybody could want more computation. Its kind of annoying after a while. MAYBE a 1/1 distribution. Thats it. I don't feel any pride in getting math questions.
Saiem Gilani
Florida State '12, '1X
Florida State '12, '1X
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
When we went to rolla for the NAQT tournament we have a really good geography\ history player that loved the questions there. Lets put it this way, he has every capital in the world memorized along with all of the capitals of states and providences. He knows where all mountians\rivers oceans are located. He also knows populations and how to get to everywhere. Both his parents are truckers and he lived on the truck for some times. I have never seen a geography like him he is just amazing. I like History\fine arts. I did well on the NAQT sets. This was our teams first time on anyother format other than missouri format. On the other hand our science\math player who is our captain, and our lit girl did not do very well at all. I can understand why people say there should not be any math but what math there should be is theory and math history.
Calc is for wusseys
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Bonuses on capitals of States and providences coming to a tournament near you.Ford08 wrote:capitals of states and providences.
Ford08 wrote:On the other hand our science\math player who is our captain, and our lit girl did not do very well at all. I can understand why people say there should not be any math but what math there should be is theory and math history.
Are you saying that "I can understand why people say 'there should not be any math but what math there should be is theory and math history'." or are you saying "I can understand why people say 'there should not be any math' but what math there should be is theory and math history."
Gautam - ACF
Currently tending to the 'quizbowl hobo' persuasion.
Currently tending to the 'quizbowl hobo' persuasion.
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Stat74 wrote: We are now to the point where we get 2 computations plus 1 science computation per round. Every single time I read "pencil and paper ready" someone groans. I wish it were one per round only. I believe there are regions of the country that keep asking NAQT to include more computation and I wish they would knock that off.
Not happening.
We can sit here and have endless debates on "math isn't quizbowl" .... "computations don't belong", etc, etc, etc. Its even moved beyond the point of whether computations are even appropriate or not anymore.
Fact: there are regions of this country that use a lot more math than others.
Fact: if you want your product to filter into those regions, and get more teams on the bandwagon, you need to bring more math in.
Opinion: This will likely cheese off people who are used to not having someone on the team who knows how to solve math with a shortcut of some kind. Its an opinion, but one it sounds like many share.
As I said, we can put each other down and be moan how quizbowl is on the slippery slope to Chipblivion and that in ten years all good quizbowl will have gone the way of the Wilkins Ice Shelf. That isn't going to happen either. What simply has to be acknowledged is that (as someone already mentioned) is that there are multiple ways of running quizbowl, regarding distribution. Attempts to get people to change by saying "your distribution sucks, get rid of it" have not worked, and are never going to work (I'm not accusing you Stat .... just a general overpainting of a long, long debate).
So, we can choose to try and change the so called "backward regions" in terms of their distribution (not likely to happen), we can try and change the backward regions in terms of their quesiton format (easier to do, and I think a much better goal to set).
Now, if you want to talk about "too much trash", I'm all for minimizing that as much as possible. 1/1 out of 24 is plenty for my taste.
- Matt Weiner
- Sin
- Posts: 8146
- Joined: Fri Apr 11, 2003 8:34 pm
- Location: Richmond, VA
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
How about we stop trying to market the same questions to people who insist on turning quizbowl into Mathcounts and don't want to learn anything, that we market to serious players who actually want to play the game? The profit-maximizing strategy of giving people who threaten to stop buying your questions whatever they want is not conducive to good quizbowl.
Matt Weiner
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
Advisor to Quizbowl at Virginia Commonwealth University / Founder of hsquizbowl.org
- First Chairman
- Auron
- Posts: 3651
- Joined: Sat Apr 19, 2003 8:21 pm
- Location: Fairfax VA
- Contact:
Re: NAQT Subject Distribution
Point of order: can I change the title of this thread to general subject distribution, or are we targetting the specific NAQT distribution still?
Emil Thomas Chuck, Ph.D.
Founder, PACE
Facebook junkie and unofficial advisor to aspiring health professionals in quiz bowl
---
Pimping Green Tea Ginger Ale (Canada Dry)
Founder, PACE
Facebook junkie and unofficial advisor to aspiring health professionals in quiz bowl
---
Pimping Green Tea Ginger Ale (Canada Dry)