Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ A Hackathon as a Form of Professional Learning: Reflections on Organised Chaos

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

It says right in Wikipedia (and reflecting my own experience) that "The goal of a hackathon is to create functioning software or hardware by the end of the event." This event, while laudable in its effort to get groups of people together to think about a problem (specifically, to "design an authentic and sustainable assessment experience for all"), is not what I would consider a hackathon (notwithstanding its designation as a social innovation hackathon). Why am I being pedantic about this? Because there is to my mind a world of difference between producing an actual working solution and a potential solution, and this very much impacts everything from the people you include in the workshop to the sort of approach that is ultimately adopted. A hackathon doesn't just produce a concept, it produces a proof of concept.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
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Last Updated: Apr 28, 2024 11:43 a.m.

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