Can participation in a hackathon impact the motivation of software engineering students? A preliminary case study analysis

TL;DR

This study evaluates whether participating in hackathons influences software engineering students' motivation, finding no significant change but highlighting themes like networking and skill development that could inform future educational strategies.

Contribution

It provides an initial empirical assessment of hackathons' impact on student motivation using mixed methods, emphasizing the need for further psychometric research in SE education.

Findings

No significant change in motivation post-hackathon

Themes of networking and skill development emerged

Hackathons have potential to influence motivation

Abstract

[Background] Hackathons are increasingly gaining prominence in Software Engineering (SE) education, lauded for their ability to elevate students' skill sets. [Objective] This paper investigates whether hackathons can impact the motivation of SE students. [Method] We conducted an evaluative case study assessing students' motivations before and after a hackathon, combining quantitative analysis using the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS) and qualitative coding of open-ended responses. [Results] Pre-hackathon findings reveal a diverse range of motivations with an overall acceptance, while post-hackathon responses highlight no statistically significant shift in participants' perceptions. Qualitative findings uncovered themes related to networking, team dynamics, and skill development. From a practical perspective, our findings highlight the potential of hackathons to impact participants' motivation. [Conclusion] While our study enhances the comprehension of hackathons as a motivational tool, it also underscores the need for further exploration of psychometric dimensions in SE educational research.