Quote:
Originally Posted by Barry Bonzack
FIRST gives its FRC and FTC teams the ability to choose what the right mix is for mentor/student involvement for their individual team. A rookie team, or a team where students have little technical background, will clearly need more direction than teams with students that have been on robotics teams for multiple years, or have an engineering program at their school.
Here is my bottom line, your team is welcome to have a 100% students design and build process if that is how your mentors believe will provide the most inspirational experience. However, there is nothing in the rulebook that gives this specific guidance, the same standard will not be held to other teams, and the judges will not punish other teams who choose not to.
If anyone would like more clarification or backup on this stance, please PM me. This discussion is about the new materials requirements, and I do not want to hijack the point of the thread.
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Actually, there is guidance on this issue. Mostly it is in the
mentor guide and throughout it is stressed that the team does the work with the guidance of the mentor.
for example:
"...We do the work to get the job done with guidance from our coaches and mentors."
"...Allowing students to do as much of the work as possible."
"...Avoid the temptation to do the work or to deprive team members of the chance to discover the right the answer on their
own. Mentors should guide a team without directing it. This creates the best learning and growth experiences for team
members."
and, from the current game manual:
"FIRST Tech Challenge is a student-centered activity that is mentor supported and is about giving students
a unique and stimulating experience. We want students to learn the value of teamwork and to respect everyone’s ideas and contributions to the team. FIRST Tech Challenge allows high school students to work hand-in-hand with technical professionals to develop a solution to the annual challenge. The students do
a majority of the work, but the mentor is there to offer guidance, suggestions, and coaching to keep the students on task and successful."
Of course, these quotes were cherry picked but the mentor guide make it pretty clear that FTC is supposed to be student driven with the mentors(s) acting in a support and guidance role.