Hackerthon Format Has Potential for Education

This weekend teams across Australian and New Zealand have been participating in Govhack 2022, looking at how free open access data provided by government, might be used. Here are some of the videos submitted today. There will be judging and award of prizes from the sponsors. However, I suggest this form of rapid fire development process could be used as part of an educational program. ANU Techlauncher, and similar group programs, take six months or a year, whereas a hackerthon can take 72 hours. This provides a useful simulation of the type of high pressure graduates are likely to find themselves in. 

Delays in Live Streamed Video Can Cause Problems for Clicker Quizzes

Livia Lam, & Tom Worthington,
hosting the Govhack 2022 Trivia, 
still from livestream, 20 August 2022

For months I have been taking part in weekly video conferences, helping prepare Govhack 2022. During that time I managed to avoid taking on more roles that the one I volunteered for: Government & Education Liaison. But during the last meeting before the event my video link stopped, & when I reconnected I discovered I was the co-host, Livia Lam, for the streamed Trivia event. We did this from a classroom at Torrens University's Sydney CDB campus. The format was much as used for live classroom quizzes, as was the technology used. 

Myself and the co-host were on Zoom, which was relayed to a Facebook live stream. The participants used a QR code to get to the software asking the questions. One problem was the delay of several seconds between us speaking, and when we were heard. The application used for the questions did not have the delay, so the questions we were reading out were after the participants had already answered. The delay was longer than just with Zoom, as the video then had to go via Facebook's system. Perhaps the makers of the quiz system could build a delay into it. 

GovHack Launch at Torrens University Sydney

Victor Michael Dominello,
openeing GovHack 2022 in Sydney 

Greetings from Torrens University's Sydney CBD campus, where Hon. Victor Michael Dominello MP, NSW Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, opened GovHack 2022. The theme of his talk was that the startup community can help identify the problems, as well as find solutions. Floods, fires, climate change, and jobs were confirmed as challenges for the start, as well as GovHack, he said there were than more than 14,000 NSW datasets open for use. One issue he focused on was a portable skills wallet, which can hold job relevant micro-credentials, and other certificates. This is not easy to achieve, with Australian university making several attempts at it over the last few years. The hypothetical qualification he said would be in demand was "Metaverse Engineering" at Torrens University. ;-)

ps: My first govhack was 2009.

GovHack this weekend in Canberra, Sydney and Elsewhere

GovHack is an annual open government data competition held all over Australia and New Zealand. Teams are eligible for some great prizes, in addition to honour and fame at our Red Carpet Awards.

GovHack is about getting our best and brightest, working with government data to innovate and create. It is about encouraging and celebrating our technical and creative capacity, connecting citizens with government for great outcomes, and building upon the social and economic value of open data published by government.

In 46 hours teams create a proof of concept and a video that tells the story of how the data can be reused.

The venue for Govhack Canberra, this weekend is YWCA House Level 3, 71 Northbourne Avenue.  Doors open at 5PM this Friday, 19 August.

Visit the event page on the hackerpace to register.. and add your dietary requirements, as PIZZA is back by popular demand!

ps: I am helping put on the GovHack committee.