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

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2402.05339v1
• Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2024 00:56:50 GMT
• Title: Can participation in a hackathon impact the motivation of software engineering students? A preliminary case study analysis
• Abstract summary: This paper investigates whether hackathons can impact the motivation of Software Engineering (SE) students. 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.
• Score: 3.396911477739876
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• 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.

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