Ashesi Design Lab, the design thinking and innovation hub of Ashesi University, has announced the start of Future Learning Virtual Hackathon 2 of 3 – the second of three Hackathons to be organised by the Design Lab.
The Future Learning Virtual Hackathon 2 of 3 is an opportunity for designers, students, ed-tech start-ups, schools and education innovators to identify challenges within the educational environment with the advent of COVID-19 and its restrictions.
The participants will also design and create prototype solutions to enhance student ‘campus life’ from the comfort of their homes. The opportunity also offers a new way for participants to network and learn design-thinking skills.
Background & Rationale
Students leave home to take up a new life on campus with a variety of experiences which influence their personal growth and academic achievements. To that end, universities often endeavour to provide the optimal ‘campus life’ experience for students through a variety of services and programmes. The advent of COVID-19 affected life in all circles, especially those of students and academic institutions by leading to the temporary closure of academic institutions.
However, for several months now in Ghana and the world over, the educational system has been disrupted with the closure of school campuses due to the pandemic. Most universities moved their classes online, providing a varying level of engagement with their students in the online format.
For many students, being home is complicated. Life at home and on campus is different. At home, there is little privacy and many distractions and chores. They (the students) miss their friends and the student schedule they manage themselves. With September drawing near, they dread the reopening of school online and not on campus. They wonder how they are going to be able to have a ‘campus life’ but from home.
Process
Participation and registration are open to all from different disciplines to form teams of 3 to a maximum of 5 people, with at least one member being resident in Ghana. The Future Learning Hack 2 of 3 is a virtual hackathon. All communication, presentations and ceremonies will be conducted online for the event’s duration.
Rewards
As a competition, there are several benefits for the first 3 winning teams. These include networking opportunities, mentorship and advisory support, a cash prize, and prizes from sponsors.
