Using the VEX GO Leaderboard

The VEX GO Leaderboard is a fun and interactive tool that can be used to display and document student performance in VEX GO Competitions, keeping students engaged with each other and the competition.

Screenshot of a VEX Robotics software interface showing the 'Get Started' section with various options and tools for beginners in the 'GO' category.

Using the VEX GO Leaderboard with Your Classroom Competition

VEX GO Competitions promote collaboration and naturally motivate students to improve their robots, their strategy, and their code. The VEX GO Leaderboard is designed to help facilitate these classroom competitions by providing an interactive tool for educators to use to present and record competition data. See this section for articles related to getting started and running a VEX GO Competition.

Display the leaderboard throughout your competition to show team scores and ranking, making it easy for students to visualize overall team performance throughout the competition.

Screenshot of the VEX Robotics interface showing the 'Get Started' section, with highlighted options for beginners in the 'GO' category, including setup instructions and resources for new users.


Customizing the Leaderboard for Your Competition

The steps below outline how to add information and customize the leaderboard for your classroom competition.

Access the VEX GO Leaderboard

Screenshot of the GO leaderboard on the website, displaying user rankings and scores, illustrating the competitive aspect of the GO category in the 'Get Started' section.

To access the VEX GO Leaderboard, go to https://education.vex.com/leaderboard/.

Name Your Leaderboard

Screenshot of a VEX Robotics interface showing various options and settings for getting started with robotics projects, including categories and tools available for users.

The leaderboard name text is editable.

Rename the leaderboard by selecting “Leaderboard Name” and edit the text.

Select anywhere outside of the name text or select "Enter" once finished.

Label Score Columns

Screenshot of a VEX Robotics interface showing various options and settings for getting started with robotics projects, including categories and tools available for users.

The score column text is editable.

Rename the columns by selecting the title and edit the text.

Select anywhere outside of the text or select "Enter" once finished.

For example, the you may want both members of a team to drive during the Mars Math Expedition. This leaderboard has a column for both drivers' scores to be recorded.

Screenshot showing the VEX Robotics user interface, highlighting key features and navigation options for beginners in the 'Get Started' section of the GO category.

Select the "+” or “-” icon to add or delete score columns.

Add Team Names

Screenshot of the 'Change team name' interface in the VEX platform, illustrating the steps to update a team's name. Includes input fields and buttons for user interaction.

Select a team in the Team Name column to enter a team name in the leaderboard.

Screenshot of the 'Add a Team' interface in Vex Knowledge Base, illustrating options for team creation and management within the 'Get Started' section of the GO category.

Add more teams by selecting the “Add Team” button.  

Illustration of a cartoon character waving goodbye to Pluto, symbolizing the start of a new journey, featured in the 'Get Started' section of the GO category on VEX Knowledge Base.

Delete teams by selecting the trashcan icon.

Screenshot of a VEX Robotics interface displaying the 'Get Started' section, showcasing various setup options and instructions for users in the GO category.

Once you have added all participating teams and score columns, you are ready to start the classroom competition.


Running a Classroom Competition with the VEX GO Leaderboard

The leaderboard makes it easy to run a classroom competition. The accessible interface allows you to display the time for all students competing to see, as well as input scores and see team rankings update in real time as the competition progresses.

Keep Time for Competitions

Illustration of a user interface for getting started with VEX robotics, featuring key components and labels to guide new users in the setup process. Relevant to the 'Get Started' section in the GO category.

Select “Start” to start the timer on the leaderboard.

Red stop sign icon indicating a halt or pause, used in the context of getting started with VEX resources in the GO category.

Select “Stop” to end the competition run and stop the timer.

Illustration of a reset button with a circular arrow, indicating the action of resetting settings or configurations, relevant to the 'Get Started' section in the 'GO' category.

Select “Reset” to set the timer back to zero for the next run of the competition.

See Scores and Team Ranking in Real-time

Screenshot of the VEX Robotics scoring system interface, displaying score input fields and options for tracking team performance. Relevant to the 'Get Started' section in the GO category.

Add team scores by selecting a score in the score column, then add the score. Scores can be changed or overwritten at any time.

Total scores summary chart for the GO category, illustrating performance metrics and statistics to help users get started with the application.

Scores for multiple matches are automatically totaled for each team and appear in the "Total Score" column.  

Visual representation of ranks in the GO category, illustrating different levels and their corresponding features, designed to help users understand the ranking system in the Get Started section.

As scores are added, the teams will automatically be ordered by rank from highest to lowest score. If two teams have the same score, they will share the same rank.

Document and Celebrate Student Performance

Screenshot of a leaderboard printout, displaying rankings and scores for a game, intended to help users get started with gameplay strategies in the 'GO' category.

Select “Print Leaderboard” to print or save the the entire leaderboard as a PDF.

Screenshot of a printed leaderboard displaying rankings and scores for participants, used in the 'Get Started' section of the GO category on VEX Knowledge Base.

The PDF will display the team names as well as the scores.

Screenshot of the 'Print a Team Score' feature in the VEX Knowledge Base, illustrating how to print scores for team competitions, with clear instructions and visual elements related to the GO category.

Select the printer icon to print or save an individual team certificate as a PDF.

Screenshot of VEX Robotics software interface showing the main dashboard with various programming options and tools, relevant to the 'Get Started' section in the 'GO' category.

The certificate will include the competition name, team name, team rank, and the team's total score.


Putting it All Together - Nina's Story

Nina is a 4th grade STEM Teacher and is preparing to run the Mars Math Expedition VEX GO Competition. Her students have been iterating on their driving skills and strategy and are excited to compete. Nina set up the VEX GO Leaderboard on the classroom's smartboard so that it can be displayed throughout the competition, and her students can easily see it to keep track of scores and team ranking.

At the beginning of each run of the competition, Nina can start and stop the timer directly from the leaderboard, so students can see both the time of each run, and their current score as they are competing. This ensures all students are on the same page and can remain focused on competing.

As the competition progresses, the excitement builds because each team can see their name move up and down in the ranking as more scores are added. Because each student's driver score is recorded, they also can see how they did individually. When the competition is complete, Nina prints out a certificate for each team that they can put in their engineering notebooks. This allows students to see how they progress from competition to competition.

Nina also prints out the full competition leaderboard and displays it on the classroom bulletin board for all of her classes. She has a section for each class that displays a printout of the entire leaderboard for that class's competition. Students can see how their performance compares to teams in other classes, building a healthy competition that motivates her students to refine and improve their code, game strategy and robot builds for each competition.

The VEX GO Leaderboard helps Nina motivate her students while giving them a way to contribute to running the classroom competitions. The leaderboard also provides a way for her and her students to collect and display the data from competitions in an authentic way. 

For more information, help, and tips, check out the many resources at VEX Professional Development Plus

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