[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.
@article{arxiv.2402.05339,
title = {Can participation in a hackathon impact the motivation of software engineering students? A preliminary case study analysis},
author = {Allysson Allex Araújo and Marcos Kalinowski and Maria Teresa Baldassarre},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2402.05339},
year = {2024}
}