Based on their individual expertise, judges will recommend up to five finalists to be selected by ED from the pool of eligible entries. Once ED has selected a group of finalists based on the recommendations of the judges consistent with the selection criteria, the finalists will then refine their submissions during the Virtual Accelerator phase and present their submissions at Demo Day.
Should the volume of first round submissions exceed the capacity of the judges to conduct a thorough evaluation of the submissions, an independent review panel may conduct a preliminary review of the first round submissions.
Finalist Selection Criteria
Each of the following five selection criteria may be assigned up to five points during the judging of first round submissions in order to select finalists (for a total of up to 25 points). The following criteria will be used to select the finalists:
- Learning Outcomes. The extent to which the submission contains (1) clearly defined academic, technical, and employability skill-learning objectives; (2) a comprehensive description of the desired change or improvement in the user’s knowledge and skills; and (3) an efficient mechanism to provide feedback to the user and instructor with respect to progress toward achievement of the learning outcomes.
- Engagement. The extent to which the submission describes an engaging user experience that is on par with commercially available entertainment games.
- Commitment. The extent that the submission demonstrates an appropriate level of commitment and ability of the entrant to move from concept to playable prototype within the timeline of the Challenge.
- Implementation Strategy. The extent to which the submission considers the implementation challenges that schools face, such as cost and potential technological constraints, including how to integrate with existing and future technology.
- Scalability and Expansion. The extent to which the submission demonstrates the scalability of the simulation, including its potential to connect with other simulations, as well as set the stage for a more competitive and robust marketplace for educational simulations.
Winner Selection Criteria
When judging the finalist submissions, including a prototype, judges will recommend to the Department the winner(s) from the pool of the finalists. Each of the following six selection criteria may be assigned up to five points during the selection of the winner(s) (for a total of up to 30 points). The following criteria will be used to select the winner(s):
- Learning Outcomes. The extent to which the simulation prototype (1) contains clearly defined academic, technical, and employability learning objectives; (2) spurs change or improvement in the user’s knowledge and skills; and (3) provides data to the user and instructor with respect to progress toward achievement of the learning outcomes.
- Engagement – User Experience. The extent to which the simulation prototype demonstrates an engaging user experience on par with commercially available entertainment games.
- Engagement – User Interface. The extent to which the simulation prototype exhibits a thoughtful user interface design on par with commercially available entertainment games.
- Commitment. The extent to which the submission: (1) demonstrates the entrant’s evolution and improvement of the concept; and (2) illustrates the entrant’s ability and intention to improve upon and scale the simulation beyond the Challenge timeframe.
- Implementation Strategy. The extent to which the submission describes a detailed plan for implementation that takes into account potential barriers such as cost and technological constraints, including integration with existing and future technology, and proposes potential solutions to overcome such barriers.
- Long-term Vision. The extent to which the submission: (1) demonstrates a plan for encouraging collaboration among the developer community, including making aspects of the solution available through open source licenses; and (2) provides a vision of how the entrant’s plan will stimulate the broader educational simulation market.