Purpose and Goals
Identifying the purpose and goals of the Makeathon
Working out the reasons for your Makeathon and what you'd like to get out of it is an essential first step in planning a successful event. Here are some steps you can take to help you identify the purpose and goals of your Makeathon:
Determine the audience: The first step in identifying the purpose and goals of your Makeathon is to determine who the event is for. Will it be for students, educators, professionals, or a combination of these groups? Knowing your audience (or your class!) will help you determine the specific goals and objectives of the event.
Identify the problem or challenge: Next, you'll need to identify the problem or challenge that your Makeathon will focus on. This should be a real-world issue that is relevant to your audience and can be solved using the skills and knowledge of the participants. You may decide that students should be able to select a challenge that is important to them rather than have one assigned to them, but it is important to provide a structure and framework, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, so that they are not paralysed by infinite options.
Define the objectives: Once you've identified the problem or challenge, you'll need to define the objectives of your Makeathon. What specific skills or knowledge do you want participants to gain from the event? Do you want them to develop new products or solutions, learn new technologies, or improve their collaboration and communication skills?
Establish the criteria for success: To ensure that your Makeathon is successful, you'll need to establish criteria for success. What are the specific outcomes you're hoping to achieve? Will you measure success based on the number of new solutions developed, the quality of the solutions, or some other metric? MTF always prioritises personal development in this regard, rather than a scoring system or competitive approach. Success is not when one group of students ‘wins’, but when all students progress and grow.
Create a timeline: Finally, you'll need to create a timeline for your Makeathon. This should include specific milestones, such as the date by which participants must register, the date of the event itself, and the deadline for submitting final solutions. A well-planned timeline will help you stay on track and ensure that your Makeathon runs smoothly.
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