Mathemagic

 

DAISMO, a multifaceted mathematical Olympiad, was conducted on the virtual examination platform exam.net with the help of the school; it was planned and conducted by students, with proctoring occurring through Google meet.

 

After forming the team based on our common interest in Mathematics, we all realized that we enjoyed taking part in Olympiads and there are so many students around the world interested in such competitions. We wanted to organize an Olympiad for students to participate in, all the while making a difference to society by donating the funds we collect to Aseema NGO that specializes in the education of the underprivileged. Education is a sector in our country that needs a lot of development, and we wanted to make our own contribution towards it.

 

In the process of preparing for the event, we divided the team into groups to facilitate quick work.

 

1. Tech involved the creation of an application form along with a website. They would handle the medium of testing and setting up the video conferencing system for the event.

 

2. Outreach involved the social media team, handling the Instagram and Facebook pages. These people would also act as the customer service, spreading awareness about the event and dealing with any queries or issues potential participants may encounter.

 

3. Design dealt with the aesthetics of the website, creation of posters for advertisement, and the creation of the certificates.

 

4. Paper-setting dealt with setting questions in the exam paper, deciding the pattern of the Olympiad, and any other logistical requirements.

 

The Olympiad consisted of 2 stages for all students from Grade 8 to Grade 12. There were 2 age categories with their respective difficulty levels, i.e., Grade 8, 9 and 10 for the first and Grades 11 - 12 for the second.

 

The Olympiad was held at 10 am on the 18th of October 2020. The rooms for participants were created on Google Meet. Each breakout room consisted of around 30 participants, with 2 proctors from the DAISMO team.

The questions of the Olympiad were vetted by Math teachers from the school and were of three difficulties - easy, medium, and difficult with the questions being focused on problem solving and application as opposed to pure math with a significant negative marking scheme.

Through the collection of the entry fees, we were able to round up a significant amount to be donated to Aseema. This was the best feeling ever!