Book: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Software Engineering
Abstract: Game jams and hackathons are time-bounded collaborative events where participants are challenged to gather in teams, ideate a project, and develop a game or another kind of software, respectively. While game jams focus on creating games under a particular theme, hackathons involve developing other types of software applications (e.g., web, mobile) to tackle a problem. Students, professionals, and enthusiasts have different motivations for participating in such events (e.g., learning, networking, and having fun). Regardless of specific motivations, these venues work as an informal setting for learning where participants can gain experience while acquiring technical (e.g., programming, design) and nontechnical skills (e.g., teamwork, presentation skills). These collaboration spaces also offer rich networking opportunities and boost participants’ employability, regardless of being beginners or professionals. Although so many advantages sound attractive to participants, these events typically have an overwhelming majority of men participating. Despite a few isolated initiatives to create more gender-inclusive game jams and hackathons, the culture and ethos created around these events are not perceived as welcoming to historically underrepresented groups in the software development field, such as women and LGBTQIA+ people.