Hackathons
What are they?
Hackathons originated in the 2000s in information technology disciplines and are a form of challenge-based learning. Students are incentivised intrinsically by an authentic challenge, and extrinsically by the competitive element to ‘win’ a competition or be ranked higher than their peer groups. Essentially, students work in small groups to ‘hack’ a real-life challenge or problem to create and present a solution. Hackathons can take place over a number of hours (continuously), or days or weeks (at scheduled times), sometimes in a ‘maker space’.
How do they work?
In terms of learning theories, Gama et al. (2018) position hackathons in relation to experiential learning, situated learning, and communities of practice, with some similarities between hackathons and project-based learning. Most hackathons have a series of specific stages. In an undergraduate course focused on the Internet of Things, Gama et al. (2028) used design thinking in conjunction with Apple’s three-stage challenge-based learning (CBL) framework: 1) Engagement (a big idea, an essential question, and a challenge); 2) Investigation (guiding questions, guiding activities, and analysis); and 3) Action (solution, implementation, and evaluation). The same CBL framework was used to support an academic staff development hackathon on assessment design by O’Riordan and Gormley (2023).
Flus and Hurst (2022) provide a pedagogical framework for hackathons in engineering design, comprising a four-step process that promotes two sets of divergent and convergent thinking phases alternately: 1) Discover potential problems; 2) Define the problem; 3) Develop prototype solutions; and 4) Deliver an evaluation of the solution.
Hackathons have also been conducted alongside inquiry-based learning; Kienzler and Fontanesi (2017) describe this approach in relation to an interdisciplinary global health undergraduate course. Again, students were supported to explore and refine their challenge, before exploring and presenting solutions, based on their investigations of relevant literature.
During the process, students are guided by expert mentors, and the group presentation of tangible (i.e. product) or intangible (i.e. learning) outcomes may be pitched at a panel of judges (Medina Angarita & Nolte, 2020).
Do they work?
Medina Angarita & Nolte’s (2020) systematic review observes that learning outcomes of hackathons yet to be explored in the literature. In a study of a hackathon for teaching entrepreneurial skills to business students (Avila-Merino, 2019), a marginal increase in assessment performance was noted compared with previous cohorts.
While hackathons can promote co-creation and collaboration, challenges include organisation and timetabling constraints on the curriculum and appropriate learning spaces, as well as increased fatigue and stress due to the competitive element and lack of breaks; online hackathons can help to mitigate some challenges (Flus & Hurst, 2022).
What do I need?
Physical hackathons require organisation and timetabling, a suitable room, and supply of relevant information and materials. Refreshments including food also need to be considered, particularly for intense hackathons. Students should be briefed in advance about the purpose of the hackathon and how it relates to their learning (and potentially their assessment), the steps involved, and how their work will be judged in relation to their peer groups’ outputs using specific criteria.
References
Avila-Merino, A. (2019). Learning by doing in business education. Using hackathons to improve the teaching and learning of entrepreneurial skills. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 22(1).
Flus, M., & Hurst, A. (2022). Hackathons as a Novel Pedagogy in Engineering Design Education. International Journal of Engineering Education, 38(1), 36-44.
Gama, K., Alencar, B., Calegario, F., Neves, A., & Alessio, P. (2018, 3-6 Oct. 2018). A Hackathon Methodology for Undergraduate Course Projects. 2018 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE).