Competition Methodology: Open Topics and Cultivating Innovation Capabilities

The National College Students' Physics Experiment Competition (Innovation) serves as an important initiative to promote educational reform and improve teaching quality. It is also an excellent platform to assess students' scientific literacy and enhance their innovation capabilities. This paper analyzes the characteristics and significance of the competition's theme—open problems in physics experiments. It proposes that the overarching goal of the competition should be to obtain “three new outcomes” (new discoveries, new technologies, new tools) through experimental research on open problems. The paper outlines the essential “elements” and “critical points” necessary for achieving these outcomes. It discusses the basic principles and strategies that should be followed when selecting participants and topics during the organization of the competition. Furthermore, it offers several fundamental strategies for training participating students, serving as a reference for experimental teaching and competing instructors and students.