Hackathons in Software Engineering Education - Lessons Learned from a Decade of Events

Hackathons are currently a hot topic in industrial learning settings. Like intensive collaborative courses (e.g. code camps), hackathons have been shown to be successful tools for learning. However, current research has failed to adequately compare the two approaches with respect to who benefits, which stakeholders are involved, and what the practical arrangement differences are. We used a literature review, our own multi-year learning experiences, and written and interview material from students and industry participants to present an overview of hackathons and code camps. Based on the results of our analysis, we present a taxonomy, based on our experiences, to help practitioners decide which kind of intensive event approach is suitable for them, depending on their industry and educational needs. This synthesis and the study results provide the first steps towards a functional definition that covers intensive collaborative working events involving real-life problems, such as code camps, hackathons, and 24-hour innovation workshops. Currently, the terminology is diverse, but there are commonalities and differences across each of these events and their purposes.