[newton418]

I am currently enrolled in a class our school calls Advanced Tech II, taught by our (team 418) coach. The first year, Advanced Tech I, provides general background with robotics, including the use of LEGO Mindstorm kits, building small robots to do specific tasks (which are considerably easier than the FIRST competition). These devices are built in either individual or small (2-3 person) group, depending on the project. Advanced Tech I also teaches basic skills like how weld, grind, and cut and drill accurately. The Advanced Tech II class usually has a semester project which every student works on (there are usually around 5-7 students in an Advanced Tech II class, and usually two classes).
This year the Advanced Tech II classes were told to design and build a show robot. We were given the motors, battery, transmitter/receiver kit, and various electronics at the beginning of the year. We also have size limitations, a budget, and are allowed to use almost any part in our shop which is not already a part of something else.
In the Advanced Tech I class the FIRST participants are greatly outnumbered, however many of the members who do participate in FIRST take at least Advanced Tech I. Advanced Tech II is usually composed of the diehard robotics fans, so many have either participated in FIRST or have been converted and will participate in FIRST. Though the class is not designed to correlate with FIRST many of the essential skills are taught.
We have not had an issue with grades as far as I am aware of, our coach is usually very fair. We do not have any tests or any individual assignments in the Advanced Tech II class, but he has a pretty good feel for how much any given student works, and bases the grades off of that. In the Advanced Tech I class the grade is incorporated into the project assignment; for example they just had to remove blocks and balls from a ramp and place them in different containers, a block in the block container added 10 points to the groups project grade, and the same with the balls. Some of the devices were not particularly effective, but I did not hear anyone complain about their grade, so I am led to believe that attempting the project, the design concept, and participation are also incorporated into each student’s grade.