Virtual Quizzing
The purpose of "virtual quizzing" is to support the core mission of Bible Quizzing: encouraging memorization of Scripture. It's a shadow or an echo of in-person Quizzing, missing much of the valuable aspects of in-person quizzing; however, in extrodinary times when it's impractical or impossible to gather together for in-person, traditional quiz meets, virtual quizzing can serve as a "better than nothing" subsitute. Virtual quizzing tries to capture as much of the quizzing experience as possible; however, there's much it can't replicate.
The following are the specific processes and rules that need to be followed for virtual quizzing. These are all considered overlays to the existing processes and rules of traditional quizzing. Begin first with the set of rules for your juristiction. For example, if quizzing at the Internationals level (also referred to as "Internetionals"), begin with the most current CMA rulebook, then apply the following as overrides.
Required Equipment
To participate, each quizzer most use a desktop or laptop with a mic. 2 or more quizzers cannot effectively share the same device. It's strongly recommended though not required that each quizzer use some sort of headphones or audio ear pieces. It's theoretically possible to use a smart phone or tablet as a quizzer, but it's significantly more difficult.
Coaches are encouraged to use their own devices; however, if a coach is in the same physical location as a quizzer on the coach's team, it's theoretically possible for the coach to share the quizzer's device, though this will require the coach and quizzer to work out a means by which the coach can quickly unmute to call a timeout or substitution.
For spectators, any web-enabled device should work fine.
Process
Meet Coordination and Discussion
Everyone involved in the virtual quiz meet (quizzers, officials, coaches, spectators, etc.) should join the Bible Quizzing Slack forum. If you need an invitation for access, contact Gryphon. Change your display name in Slack to "Firstname Lastname (DISTRICT)". For example: "Gryphon Shafer (PNW)".
Once signed in, join the #virtual-meet channel. This is a chat location area for the meet itself, almost like room 1 during a break in quizzing. Announcements will happen in the #virtual-meet channel. If you need help with anything meet-related, please ask in this channel. Those who are able to render assistance, please do so. Non-meet general chit-chat should happen in the #general channel or elsewhere.
Entering Quiz Rooms
Prior to a each quiz starting, a short announcement will be made in #virtual-meet (and copied to #virtual-meet-rooms) with a link to the Zoom and the teams involved. When the announcement happens, everybody with interest in that quiz should join the Zoom.
Once connected to the Zoom room:
- Chat pane open
- Participants pane open
- Mute audio (unless you're the quizmaster)
- Video off (unless you're the quizmaster)
- In the participants pane, change your name:
- Quizzers, change to your team name and full name: "XYZ2 Firstname Lastname"
- Officials, change to your job title and full name: "QM Firstname Lastname"
- For everyone else, change to your full name: "Firstname Lastname"
- Quizzers: In the chat pane, change the "To" from "Everyone" to the room's quizmaster only.
Everyone should turn off video and mute audio (except the quizmaster) and all quizzer's should setting their chat messages to go to the quizmaster only. This will dramatically improve reliability of the jump ordering for quizzers who have slow network connections.
Quiz Operation
Prior to each question:
- All quizzers should type their bib number into the chat window text entry field, but don't click enter.
- The quizmaster should type a series of dashes, but not type enter.
During the question preamble, the quizmaster will press enter upon the final call of "question". When a quizzer wants to signal a jump, they press enter (which will result in their bib number displaying to the quizmaster). The quizmaster's display ordering is the only official ordering for jump win criteria.
Quizzers: Only click enter if you are actively attempting to win the jump. (As in, don't jump a second after the first jump, just to signal that you're participating.)
Rules
There are some exceptions and special cases rules for virtual quizzing.
- Quizzes should be started on time regardless of whether all participants are in the Zoom conference; however, quiz delays are acceptable if an entire team is still quizzing in another virtual room.
- Quizzers can come and go from the Zoom meeting without impact to scoring (i.e. the 20-point starting bonus) and without need of a timeout or substitution.
- If a quizzer types enter during the question preamble but prior to the quizmaster typing enter of the question-start dash sequence, the jump will be ignored by the quizmaster.
- Normal jump fouls are in effect.
- Questions will not be redone and challenges will not be accepted for equipment malfunction or network/software problems.
- An error-out does not require the quizzer to do anything other than stay on mute.
- A coach may call for substitutions as normal. Captains may also call for substitutions as if they were coaches.
- Bonus Questions
- Bonus questions will be jumping team bonus questions. Consequently, coaches are not required to prepare and submit team lineups.
- Acting Captains
- If a captain is not connected to the Zoom or is unable due to a technical problem to speak in the Zoom, the co-captain is acting captain. If both captain and co-captain are such a state, any other quizzer on the team may act as captain.
- Timeouts
- A quizmaster will use the breakout rooms feature in Zoom to allow for timeouts.
- Substitutions
- Substitutions requiring a timeout may happen between questions in the same way as an error-out or quiz-out substitution happens. In other words, there is no requirement to call a timeout, though the option to do so still exists.
- Challenging
- To challenge, the quizzer acting as captain should unmute and say "challenge" every second until recognized by the quizmaster. This is purely a signal to the quizmaster of the intent to consider challenging. It's not a challenge in and of itself. The quizmaster gives the quizzer time to consider the challenge, and the quizzer may then elect to ask "may I challenge" or respond with "withdraw". A withdrawn "challenge" signal is not considered a challenge.
- Protests
- Protests are allowed as normal with the exception of anything related to equipment malfunction or network/software problems. A coach may protest following the ruling on a challenge and prior to the next question type being called.
Back-Channel Conversations
Back-channel conversations are prohibited between quizzers who are quizzing. Communications in the Zoom chat window are limited to only those which would be considered acceptable to be done loudly in a physical room at an in-person quiz meet.
Back-channel conversations are permitted between any coaches, inactive (subbed-out) quizzers, and spectators so long as these take place outside the Zoom "room".
Back-channel conversations are permitted (and encouraged) between the officials.
Quizmaster is Master of the Quiz
Though virtual quiz meets have been repeatedly successful, their implementation is still new. We are all still learning. Therefore, there may be unforeseen situations in that arise in a quiz when a quizmaster will need to make up a rule change on the spot to resolve matters. Quizmasters are granted that authority but are cautioned to use it sparingly if at all and with extreme care toward fairness.
It's encouraged but not mandated that quizmasters attempt to resolve all rulings solo for time efficiency.
Officials' Technical Setup
A designated official from each virtual "room" (likely but not necessarily the quizmaster) will be responsible for setting up a Zoom conference for each quiz in his or her virtual "room." The following are the recommended settings for the Zoom user account (set in settings under the user account):
- Meeting
- Host video: On
- Join before host: On
- Require password for participants joining by phone: On
- Mute participants upon entry: On
- Private chat: Off
- File transfer: Off
- Always show meeting control toolbar: On
- Screen sharing: Off
- Breakout room: On
- Allow host to assign participants: On
- Virtual background: Off
Links to these Zoom conferences should be posted in the #virtual-meet channel. These link posts should include all Zoom connection information including ID and password. An easy way to get this is from within Zoom, select Manage Participants and click the Invite link followed by the Copy Invitation button.
Zoom "Room" Setup Instructions
The meet administrators will provide each room staff with credentials to a Zoom account for the meet.
- Visit the Zoom web site
- Click "Sign in" near the upper-right of the page and sign in
- Click "Host a meeting" (with video on) near the upper-right of the page
- Join with computer audio (if presented the choice)
- You may need to move your mouse cursor over the video screen to see the menu at the bottom
- Click the "Start Video" option in the lower-left of the screen
- Click the up arrows to the right of the "Mute" and "Stop Video" buttons and set settings as desired
- Click the "Manage Participants" (to open the participants pane)
- Click the "Chat" button (to open the chat pane)
- Adjust the window and pane sizes to your preference
- Set your official name
- In the participants pane, mouse over your account's name
- Select the "More" then "Rename" option (when each appears)
- Change your name as prescribed in the Virtual Quizzing rules
- Turn off "Remember for future meetings" option
- Click the "Breakout Rooms" button/icon
- Create 3 rooms with assignment done manually
- Hover over each room name and rename it to the team name
- Assign quizzers to these sub-rooms as they arrive
- Follow any other Virtual Quizzing rules or procedures
Quizmasters, as quizzers arrive:
- Check the roster versus participants pane to confirm present status
- Ask each quizzer to unmute and say hello to confirm audio functionality; this can also be done with an audio test akin to an in-person meet lights test
- Consider running a practice jump or two if time permits
It's recommended that the official that manages the Zoom room enable (in settings) the meeting timer because at 40 minutes, the meeting will end. Be sure to keep the quiz under 40 minutes. When complete with the quiz, be sure to end the meeting, not just exit.