Description

The school-level competition of CyberZee'24 was conducted with a format distinct from the university level, reflecting its own set of procedures and organization. Held virtually on June 18th from 9 a.m. onwards, this initial round brought together numerous school teams, each comprising four members. Registrations, which carried on for a week, saw over 40 teams from various districts across Sri Lanka, including Sinhala, English, and Tamil mediums, ensuring a diverse and inclusive participation. Each team was assigned a specific time slot for their participation, ensuring a well-structured and orderly competition process. The competition was conducted via Google Meet, a platform chosen to facilitate virtual interactions and manage the logistics of the event efficiently. Upon logging into the virtual meeting, teams were placed into individual breakout rooms. These breakout rooms were set up to create an environment conducive to focused competition, where teams could work collaboratively in isolation from others. Within their breakout rooms, each team faced a series of 25 questions. The questions were designed to test a wide range of knowledge, with each question having a strict 30-second time limit. This timed format aimed to challenge the teams’ ability to think quickly and respond accurately under pressure. The rapid pace of the questions added to the excitement and intensity of the round. To ensure the smooth operation of the event, each breakout room was monitored by two hosts. These hosts were responsible for overseeing the process, addressing any issues that arose, and maintaining the integrity of the competition. Their role was crucial in providing support and ensuring that all technical aspects of the event ran seamlessly. Teams submitted their answers through a Google Form, a tool that facilitated the collection and evaluation of responses efficiently. The use of this digital submission method helped streamline the process, allowing for prompt recording and analysis of answers. At the end of the round, the performance of the teams was assessed, and the top 10 teams with the highest scores were identified. These teams advanced to the final round, marking a significant achievement in the competition. One of the unique aspects of this competition was the inclusion of teams from all three language mediums—Sinhala, English, and Tamil—eliminating any language barriers. Students enjoyed the competition, and at the end of each session, teams had the opportunity to network with university students from the organizing committee, who inspired them in the technology domain with guidance.