Buzzer Tips for the Tennessee Science Bowl
One of the key elements of the Science Bowl competition is responding to questions through use of a buzzer system. Coaches who have participated in contests that relied on judges who tried to tell which student first raised a hand speak of how difficult and how contentious that can be.
To practice, the two choices are (a) to build your own or (b) to buy one (or more) from a manufacturer. If neither of these options are possible, but you still want to help your students get used to "buzzing in" to answer a question, find anything that makes a noise such as a hand buzzer, a horn, or a bell.
Building your own is possible if you have a person who knows enough about electronics to assemble a workable system. Essentially, the device needs to be able to respond when one of eight (or more) students pushes a button in a way that "locks out" slower responses and has a light showing which student was first to volunteer to answer the question.
Commercial buzzer systems exemplify these basic components, but shopping around is advised because prices and available features vary considerably. Prices range from $245 to $625.
One final note is that buzzer systems are not just a piece of contest equipment. They have their use in the classroom as well. Any kind of material that lends itself to quick-answer review can become an occasion for an exciting contest between "teams" in that particular class.
Possible Places to Purchase Systems
Note: By listing these links, neither ORAU nor the Department of Energy is expressing endorsement of these companies or their products. The links are provided merely to provide options for those wishing to investigate buzzer systems.
