An iOS app for scoring the Northeast Science Bowl
Science Bowl is a fun time for teams from secondary schools in the Northeastern U.S. to test their knowledge against each other across the fields of mathematics and science. However, each year the process of recording the round scores for the dozens of rounds that occur throughout the multiple tournaments is done via paper and the scores are represented as tally marks on whiteboard/chalkboard or the spreadsheet is simply projected using a doc cam. Not only is this inefficient since people known as runners must deliver the blank spreadsheets to various buildings across campus and deliver completed ones to Science Bowl Central, but it requires a considerable amount of paper.
This app was proposed as a solution to these problems as round scores could be recorded electronically and sent to a designated email, effectively eliminating the need for runners and paper. Since Science Bowl is also a volunteer event, freeing up the volunteers from delivering spreadsheets to buildings allows them to perform other tasks like monitoring, scorekeeping, timekeeping, or moderating. Often, people need to perform multiple roles, so this will help to alleviate the need for that. Additionally, using the doc cam or projector, which is provided in each classroom, allows for an easy-to-read representation of the current round score to be projected instead of showing an entire spreadsheet of the scores or keeping tally marks on the board.
Overall, the ScienceBowlScorecard app aims to make the Northeast Science Bowl run more effectively by eliminating the need for paper scorekeeping and manual delivery.
Although this app now works universally on iOS (iPhone 4S+, iPad 2+), it is understandable that not everyone possesses a mobile Apple device. An Android version should also be available for installation onto Android devices. Another option is to make this into a web app since computers are already needed to communicate with Science Bowl Central through a chat room in order to recieve updates on start and release times for rounds.
