E-Compete ROV Post-Competition Team Debrief

Dear ROV Team Advisor,

You may already meet with your team to debrief following the competition, but if not we strongly suggest that you do so in order to review how the team handled the design and building of its ROV, its operation of the ROV during the competition, and the contribution of the E-Compete method to students' understanding of the skills they bring to the competition.

The debrief should provide an opportunity for team members to discuss their experiences in helping to design and build their ROV; their technical presentations and their pool-side missions; how well the team members performed together; and how well the team responded in the face of unforeseen challenges. Asking students to address these issues should help them to reflect on their strengths and weaknesses and think about what lessons they will take away from their experience as members of the ROV team. Your introduction to the debrief should make it clear that this discussion should be a dispassionate and non-confrontational review of what went right, what went wrong, and what could have gone better, with a focus on where and how relevant skills could be strengthened. To ensure that all team members can be heard we recommend that you set aside at least 30 minutes for the debrief and encourage you to devote even more time, if possible, to this important activity.

In order to help facilitate the conversation, please consider distributing a list of both the 'general' and 'ROV specific' E-Compete outcomes. The list should highlight the outcome categories that you and your team members focused on, but it would also be good to remind everyone of all the other outcomes that are potentially important for these students.

Here are some questions you might want to use in conducting the debrief, but feel free to use questions of your own or just start things off and see where the conversation goes. Download a printable version of these questions. (Acrobat (PDF) 110kB Dec12 23)

1. Please look at the list of highlighted outcomes I've circulated. Where do you think that your achievement of one or more of those outcomes was helpful to you during a competition activity? (If students are not responding to this question, you can select some outcomes and ask for a show of hands if an outcome is one where the team demonstrated strength). Were there also outcomes where higher achievement would have been helpful during the competition?
2. Did the assessments and conversations facilitated by the E-Compete process prove valuable in helping the team to assess its strengths and weaknesses? Did they help any of you individually?
3. For outcomes where the team did not perform as well as it might have, what changes in team strategies or procedures might help to improve results and also provide advice for future ROV teams as they design and build their ROVs and prepare for competitions?  
4. What insights have you gained about areas of strength that will serve you well in the future? (The point here is that it will be very valuable for the students to consider what knowledge or skills they want to focus on as they continue their educations and enter the workforce.)  
5. What have you learned about aspects of your skills and knowledge where you want to improve?

Post-Debrief ROV Team Advisor Feedback 

When you have completed the Post-Competition Team Debrief, please respond to this survey: