Online workshop for the EduHack extended Network: 7th July 2020

How to run an online EduHackathon: insights from the EduHack project

Tuesday 7 July 2020, 10:00 – 13:30 CEST

Thanks to everyone who took part in our half-day online event which looked at the potential of hackathons as a format for educational innovation and capacity building in Higher Education. EduHackathons can be defined as intensive, focused, collaborative, hands-on events aimed at devising approaches and/or resources that address key educational issues or challenges. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, they may offer an agile way of rethinking teaching and assessment in the light of an ever-increasing reliance on online teaching.

This interactive event was particularly aimed at members of the EduHack extended network, but it was also open to anyone who is responsible for enhancing the digital skills and competences of academic staff in their university or higher education institution. During the event, partners of the EduHack consortium introduced key design thinking principles underpinning the hackathons and shared insights and the main lessons learnt from the experience of running online EduHackathons at their respective institutions. At the same time, they introduced a number of resources, tools and approaches relevant to the planning and delivery of hackathons and to fostering the development of digital education competences.

Programme

10:00

Introduction to EduHack, design thinking and EduHackathons

Moderators: Sally Reynolds, ATiT, Belgium & Mattia Plazio, Nexa, Politecnico di Torino, Italy

Talks were given by:

- Mattia Plazio, Nexa, Politecnico di Torino, Italy: EduHack project intro [PDF file]
- Mattia Plazio, Nexa, Politecnico di Torino, Italy: The Polito experience [PDF file]
  - Participant story from Ian Lister

Daniel Villar-Onrubia, Coventry University, UK: The Coventry experience [PDF file]
- Participant story from Benet Vincent

Fabio Nascimbeni, UNIR, Spain: The UNIR Hackathon experience [PDF file]

10:45

Problem definition

This session was all about the idea of defining a challenge for your Online Eduhackathon,

Talks were given by:

Daniel Villar-Onrubia, Coventry University, UK: Domains of Ones Own EduHack kit [PDF file]
Luca Morini, Coventry University, UK: Hackathons and Design thinking [PDF file]

11:15

Coffee break, during which participants were asked to do a quick online research activity as well as having a break!

12:00

Discussion and demonstration of different tools that were used in EduHackathons as well as different approaches to how they can be organised – both on and offline

Talk given by:

Fabio Nascimbeni, UNIR, Spain EduHack tools [PDF file]

12:30

Final thoughts and introduction to the EduHack toolbox

Talk given by:

Martin Debattista, KIC, Malta

13:00

Close

During the morning, we also created a list of the different tools and resources that were discussed and shared. Resources and tools [PDF file]