Activating Active Learning: A multidisciplinary hackathon for staff

About this initiative

A hackathon is a form of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) and can be described as an intense, time-bound event where people collaborate in teams to solve challenges (Briscoe & Mulligan, 2014). This project revolved around the design and facilitation of a hackathon aimed at DCU teaching staff from all disciplines. At this event, participants were invited to collaboratively engage with the ‘Big Idea’ of active learning. Ultimately participants were tasked with investigating and sharing practical recommendations addressing challenges of their choice.

Team members involved

The project was led and organised by Clare Gormley (Senior Academic Developer) and Lily Girme (Academic Development Officer), Teaching Enhancement Unit, Dublin City University. Both organisers support academic staff in implementing novel pedagogies such as Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) and innovative assessment approaches amongst other T&L work.

The hackathon was also supported by:

1. Dublin City University Teaching Enhancement Unit staff members (professional services staff) who acted as internal mentors. These included experts in different areas such as Curriculum Development, Education for Sustainable Development, Academic Integrity and Learning & Digital Technology. Their names were Dr Martina Crehan, Dr Rob Lowney, Jiaxin (Samantha) Xu, Barry Peak, Steve Welsh, Noeleen O’Keeffe.
2. Teaching and learning leaders from Maynooth University, TU Dublin, and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. These pedagogy and professional learning experts acted as external mentors and brought individual areas of expertise related to academic Integrity, online and digital transformation, and assessment in higher education. They all came with significant pedagogical and active learning expertise and team management experience. Their names were Lisa O’Regan, Dr Kevin O’Rourke, and Dr Dara Cassidy.
3. Members of DCU academic staff who formed the majority of the hackathon teams. The DCU staff who participated in the hackathon belonged to various disciplines (Business, Education, Science, Humanities, and Engineering/Computing were all represented) and formed multidisciplinary teams, each bringing their diverse subject expertise and teaching experience to the event.
   
4. Students who acted as sources of insight on the student perspective. Student ambassadors were invited to offer student-oriented feedback and help guide the teams on their thinking around proposed solutions. Their names were Shane Whelan, Khadija Kamra, Michelle Kadiri, Laura Ecock, and Seamus Campau.

Summary

We received funding from SATLE to run a professional learning hackathon. Our ‘Activating Active Learning Hackathon’ was attended by 40 participants, including approximately 30 academic staff from DCU, pedagogy experts from three other universities, four students, and professional services staff. The core aim was to offer an experience of Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) from the student perspective while exploring active learning.

Following a three-pronged evaluation process, primary outcomes were:

• A creative, collaborative, multidisciplinary experience of CBL, culminating in recommendations around ESD, academic integrity, and digital transformation.
• One participant was inspired to implement CBL for the first time and has won an international ECIU award while another is planning a new finance-related hackathon
• Inclusion of various active learning techniques, including a more refined ‘Engage’ phase, enhanced interactivity, and new technology in teaching
• A co-authored openly-available evidence-based chapter about the hackathon, due to be published by the Active Learning Network

Context

CBL is an educational approach with a distinct focus on societal impact (Doulougeri et al., 2024) that can potentially equip students with the competencies and skills needed for a rapidly changing world (Gallagher and Savage, 2022; Perna, Recke and Nichols, 2023) Growing in traction worldwide, CBL is being promoted and enacted as a transformative and collaborative approach for students, businesses, and communities to co-develop solutions to real-world problems (ECIU, 2024; DCU Futures 2024). 

Active approaches to learning are also becoming more prevalent in higher education, particularly with the shift towards more student-centred and inclusive learning philosophies.  Evidence is growing for the use of active learning techniques to help develop higher-order thinking and promote engagement with subject matter through activities and discussion (Freeman et al., 2014; Goradia et al., 2023)

Our hackathon was devised to combine the ideas of CBL and active learning together as a vehicle for professional learning about both of these complementary pedagogical approaches. A hackathon is a time-bound, high-energy form of active learning where groups of people collaborate in multidisciplinary teams to propose solutions for challenges. Key to the idea of a hackathon is that it revolves around a challenge that actively engages participants in a situation that is real, relevant and related to their environment (DCU Teaching Enhancement Unit, 2024). 

Needs Addressed

• Introduced staff to the fundamental principles and practices of Challenge-Based Learning through an authentically democratic multidisciplinary, experiential learning experience
• Developed the competence and confidence of educators to run a hackathon of as part of their teaching, having first experienced it themselves in a professional learning environment
• Facilitated an opportunity for staff to learn about and potentially introduce engaging active learning approaches 

Stakeholders

Approximately 40 participants from a range of disciplines participated in the ‘Activating Active Learning’  hackathon event that was funded through this project. Teams were comprised of three groups of stakeholders: The academics who taught and supported teaching at Dublin City University (DCU); the mentors who were either local professional services staff or academics from other institutions; and the students who were comprised of three student ambassadors and one research assistant who was a recent graduate from DCU. 

Key Activities

The hackathon moved through a three-phase CBL cycle:

1. Engage Phase where learners move from an abstract ‘Big Idea’ to a concrete and actionable challenge
2. Investigate Phase where learners carry out research into and initial analysis of various potential solutions
3. Act Phase where learners develop solution(s) or recommendations, share them with a wider audience and ideally implement with the stakeholder

On the day, these phases were explained transparently to the participants, as part of scaffolding them through the cycle to develop their final outputs. Throughout the process, the students were available to provide student perspectives and the mentors were on hand to guide and provide feedback and critical friend advice at each stage.

The hackathon facilitators asked the teams to consider what are the questions which are going to lead to answers that are going to mean most to you when it comes to embedding active learning approaches in your specific context? By the end of this, each team identified a specific actionable challenge with a challenge statement of relevance. A collaborative (Google Slides) slide deck template was shared to capture outputs such as the challenge statements and make them visible to other teams (See here for further resources on the project).

Challenges and Mitigation

• The extensive planning/coordination time required to organise a hackathon involved considerable time for the two organisers in particular. Obviously the size and funding of the event is a significant factor in how long it will take to organise. However a suggested timeline with a lead-in time of at least 3 months resonates with our experience and was utilised fully.
• Funding is required for catering and additional funds may be required for honorariums and prizes. Depending on the time of year and the numbers attending, there may be room costs to consider. After thorough consideration of layout and expected collaboration, we booked a suitable space within the university to mitigate costs.
• Given the involvement of student ambassadors in this event, something we would highly recommend to encourage an inclusive learning experience for all, funds will also need to be sourced to pay for their time. 
• The timing of the event itself – in retrospect a full day would be beneficial but it was important to be also mindful of the difficulty in attracting participants and mentors to a full-day commitment. To enhance attendance, we needed to change the initially proposed date so that the hackathon did not conflict with semester teaching or reading week. To encourage post-event reflection, we planned for prizes (vouchers) for the top two post-event reflections that were shared on a public platform (LinkedIn).

Strategic alignment with national policies

The 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Ireland to 2030 sets out five key priority action areas focusing on advancing policy, transforming learning environments, building capacities of educators, empowering, and mobilizing young people, and accelerating local level actions.

Of the five key priority areas within this strategy, Challenge-Based Learning can be linked to priorities 4 and 5, and the professional development of academic staff required for CBL can be linked to priority area 3.

• Priority Action Area 3: Building Capacities of Educators 
• Priority Action Area 4: Empowering and Mobilising Young People 
• Priority Action Area 5: Accelerating Local Level Actions

At the hackathon, key SATLE priority areas were explored through the co-created challenge statements with the SATLE-funded officers at DCU playing active mentoring roles. The challenge statements that teams collaboratively agreed to work on were diverse as shown below:

1. Educational for Sustainable Development: How can we authentically embed ESD in the culture of Teaching and Learning at DCU?
2. Digital Transformation: How to motivate students to autonomously engage with a transversal skills platform?
3. Academic Integrity: How do we increase competence, confidence and creative thinking among DCU staff to implement AI in teaching, learning and assessment?
4. Active Learning and Novel Pedagogy:
   1.  What methods can we use to stimulate and support commitment to engage with learning in Semester 1 of Year 1? 
   2. How do we design CBL approaches to assessment at scale? 
   3. Normalising Active Learning Strategies to increase engagement within diverse student groups across modules within programmes

Below are some of the solutions proposed by the teams that reflect the multidimensional nature of the event:

1. ESD was a common thread in many proposed recommendations. ESD-specific solutions focused on building up a culture of ESD at DCU and creation of an ESD Living Lab and hub for exchange of ideas on sustainability
2. Recommendations to promote engagement with the DCU Transversal Skills platform included running an impactful awareness campaign at orientation, creative use of podcasts, and leveraging the alumni community to demonstrate the value of the platform. 
3. Recommendations promoted ethical AI use and focused on Academic Integrity in Gen AI context. Some proposed solutions included holding a showcase for Artificial Intelligence use (e.g August is AI month) and developing local networks/mentorships to share AI expertise.
4. Novel Pedagogy: 
   1. To stimulate engagement with learning in year 1, participants proposed to start the “unlearning” process. Recommendations included bridging gaps in knowledge via short quizzes, flipped classroom approaches, capstone projects to stimulate real-world application, and practitioner-led invited lectures. 
   2. Assessment in CBL was identified as one of the challenges that needed to be explored further. Some recommendations around how to tackle assessment in CBL included developing iterative, rolling assessment with students further ahead on the programme and adopting a wider programmatic approach.
   3. ‘Normalising’ recommendations included empowering students’ voice in designing active learning (through research); programmatic approach to modules and active learning activities; and enhancing motivation for lecturers by linking active learning and engagement with good quality teaching to academic promotion opportunities.

Innovation

1. CBL is a novel pedagogical approach and its novelty means that relatively few of those teaching will have experienced it themselves. A hackathon represents one way in which to put CBL into practice, and the short, intensive timeframe makes it one of the more accessible formats open to time-poor academics. While hackathons might be more readily associated with coding-related events, they are not just suitable for technological innovations and can be used to explore significant ‘real world’ socially relevant matters in a range of disciplines (Feder, 2021). A recent multidisciplinary literature review found that hackathons are being used for three key purposes: to promote innovative ways of doing things, foster student learning in STEM subjects in particular, and to provide a platform for collaboration with diverse stakeholders (Chau & Gerber, 2023). Feedback from our event indicates that the hackathon format is effective as a sustainable and transferable approach, and reinforces the importance of staff experiencing CBL as a learner themselves in order to fully appreciate applications in their own practice. CBL is also significantly featured in the DCU Teaching and Learning Strategy 2023-28 where it is particularly highlighted for its potential as a distinctively active pedagogy well suited to developing the ‘unscripted’ future-focused skills and competencies that students need to thrive in an increasingly complex world. The personalised nature of CBL also makes it less vulnerable to breaches of AI.
2. True to the student-centred ethos of CBL, student partnership was a fundamental feature of the hackathon. Students as participants, providing feedback and insights, provides a core supporting element of this learning experience (Cook-Sather, 2018). Read more at https://www.dcu.ie/teu/hackathon
3. The hackathon was based on active learning and student engagement which had the participants explore digital transformation tools like audience polling tools, anonymous quizzes, Gen-AI possibilities, and previously-unknown VLE features. 
4. The intangible yet apparently critical elements like the atmosphere and energy on the day of the hackathon along with the opportunity to engage with differing perspectives were all reported to play an important role. As indicated in the thematic analysis, the staff appreciated an opportunity to explore novel approaches to teaching and learning with colleagues. Within a university setting, we believe it met our objectives of providing not only an experience of a hackathon for those educators who might be interested in doing something similar themselves, but it also provided a useful vehicle for promoting active learning as a concept and in practical ways. The project was essentially central to promoting T&L innovation and fostering a safe space within the university to learn collaboratively. 
5. Further requests for advice on Active Learning were made after the event itself by staff who wanted to learn more about how they could apply it.  Several staff note being reminded of the value of  active learning approaches and gaining practical insights into ESD, digital transformation and Gen AI. Overall, the project has proved to be instrumental in shaping perspectives around innovation, collaboration and student engagement.

Outcomes

Outcome	Quantitative / Qualitative Indicator
The hackathon fostered innovation and creativity like teamwork and collaboration between diverse team members.	Data was gathered via post hackathon surveys and had 9 staff and 5 mentor responses. One student also reflected on the experience separately. The staff survey responses emphasised the hackathon as an approach that fostered creativity and inspiration.
The hackathon allowed academics to experience CBL and learn how a single-day hackathon might be structured.	Staff participated in the hackathon to explore the potential of implementing CBL within their classrooms. At least one staff member was inspired to implement CBL for the first time the following semester and has since engaged extensively with our unit to develop award-winning CBL practice. (See https://www.eciu.eu/news/impact-award-2025 ).
The hackathon format encouraged staff to reflect on their won classroom strategies (e.g. support group work).	Introducing novel team-building activities and using humour and song to set a lively tone for the event were commented upon favourably in comments to the facilitators.
External stakeholder involvement and the immediate feedback from student ambassadors on student perspectives around engagement appeared to be crucial to staff understanding and reevaluating their own teaching and learning practices.	The hackathon offered a host of pedagogical ideas: the availability of expert mentors from other institutions, access to an ‘objective’ student perspective, and the range of activities all provided the staff with varied avenues of engagement.
The hackathon allowed staff to reflect on active learning approaches they already used in the classroom and how they might adapt to student needs with more interactive tools/approaches.	The significance of active learning was reinforced as a result of group work, student feedback and research-informed conclusions shared by the teams at the end of the day.

Impact

1. Plans for embedding the project/initiative learnings: We would certainly see a hackathon as a transferable activity to a range of other contexts. Subject to funding, we are also planning another iteration to be held in 2026 based on learnings from this project as well as a similar hackathon that was held in May 2022 (O’Riordan and Gormley, 2023). Staff have responded positively to the idea of a similar event and have actively reached out on the long-term outcomes of the event. 
2. Improvement to Teaching and Learning: As indicated in the quotes below, the event met the objectives of providing not only an experience of a hackathon for those educators who might be interested in doing something similar themselves, but it also provided a useful vehicle for promoting active learning as a concept and in practical ways. At least one staff member was inspired to implement CBL for the first time the following semester and has since engaged extensively with our unit to develop award-winning CBL practice. (See https://www.eciu.eu/news/impact-award-2025).
3. Strategic Partnerships: The hackathon mentors were invited from across different Irish Higher Education Institutions. They had different areas of expertise and contributed significantly to the event’s success. The mentors guided their teams to explore their real-world challenges and shared varied perspectives. The mentor survey indicated that the mentors also took learnings from the event back to their own institutions and contexts. Internal DCU staff also bonded over their areas of interest and used the opportunity to network and develop relationships.
4. Impact on Learners: In this case, the learners were primarily teaching staff. Throughout the evaluation data, we can see evidence that staff found the hackathon valuable especially when it comes to the discussions around the variety of activities and tools that could be used in the active learning environment:

Some active learning is already incorporated into my teaching practice. I will look for further places where active learning could be included. Following some insightful comments from the student ambassadors, I now intend to include more polling/anonymous quizzes during lectures. – Staff Participant

I’ll use student response systems like Vevox (gamification), and interactive tools like digital whiteboards (Loop Board activity), more group-based projects and peer-to-peer teaching activities to promote collaboration and deeper understanding among students. – Staff Participant

Staff also noted that the hackathon has piqued their interest and opened avenues for further collaboration and motivation for ESD engagement:

I also gained a lot of information around sustainability and its role in teaching generally, particularly as a motivator for teachers and students.’ – Staff Participant

5. Scholarly Reach: Following a call for contributions, the TEU were accepted to contribute a chapter about running this hackathon to a forthcoming open book on Active Learning (being developed by the UK Active Learning Network, see https://activelearningnetwork.com/new-aln-co-created-book/). The book will be called ‘Making active learning happen for all’. Our chapter, called ‘Modelling Active Learning through a Challenge-Based Hackathon’ will feature.

As a follow-up piece of research, all participants were invited to share their feedback through a post-event survey. Ethical approval for this project was granted through the DCU Research Ethics Committee (DCUREC/2024/020). Five main themes were developed through the analysis:

• ‘Creative, Collaborative and Fun’: The case for CBL as a pedagogy CBL engagement in staff was motivated by curiosity. Staff found elements of innovation and creativity like teamwork and collaboration particularly insightful on a personal and professional front.
• ‘Fast and Furious’: The Tensions of Timeframes and the Space to Reflect The limited time and fast pace typical of a hackathon came with pros and cons; one being limited time for reflection but on the other hand it gave all participants a clear picture of engagement with the CBL cycle.
• ‘A tool in Teaching & Learning’: Engaging students through and beyond CBL Involvement in a hackathon, especially having student ambassador insights into student engagement, led to some staff understanding and reevaluating their own teaching practices.
• Reactivating Active Learning: Active learning approaches as a way of enhancing student learning and engagement  The significance of active learning was reinforced during the hackathon and staff were motivated to explore a range of active learning approaches.
• ‘A Collaborative Environment’ – Impact of Mentor readiness to engage Mentors described group dynamics, the importance of clearly defining the mentoring role, and the potential value of further time for reflection and action.

Overall, the project has had a tangible impact on the Teaching and Learning community here in DCU and also promoted external partnerships via collaborations and scholarly reach.