Hackathons as a high-impact pedagogical tool in engineering education: an empirical study of the Hack4Women case (2021–2023)

Abstract

Hackathons have become an active learning tool that integrates digital transformation, skills development, and social impact. This study integrates a systematic mapping of the literature on student hackathons (2014–2024) and a case study of Hack4Women (Chile,2021–2023) to analyze how educational hackathons contribute to the development of technical and cross-cutting skills, along with social awareness. A mixed design was used: a systematic mapping (PRISMA-ScR) in Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore, and a case study based on participation metrics, jury evaluation, and surveys applied to students. The mapping identified 37 studies, showing sustained growth, with a higher concentration between 2020–2022 (43.2%), with a predominance of educational/curricular hackathons (47.4%). The most widely used methodological frameworks were Design Thinking (31.6%), agile methodologies (21.1%), and Challenge-Based Learning (15.8%), highlighting the value of user-centered approaches. The evidence is concentrated in the United States (29.7%), showing low Latin American representation. Hack4Women brought together 623 students organized into 102 teams, generating 75 proposals with the support of 62 mentors. The jury's evaluation showed sustained improvements in innovation, technical feasibility, social impact, and pitch quality, while surveys showed increases in technical skills (requirements analysis and digital prototyping) and social awareness with a gender focus. The results suggest that gender-focused educational hackathons function as high-impact training platforms, strengthening key skills and supporting social awareness and meaningful engineering education.