Strategy Hackathon: A Virtual Exchange in Innovation and Collaboration

Wajdi Ben Rejeb & David Anderson

In November 2024, we launched a cross-continental virtual hackathon that brought together undergraduate Business Strategy students from Lincoln International Business School (LIBS) and Communication Management students from North-West University (NWU), South Africa. This teaching innovation reimagined how we deliver strategic thinking skills by swapping traditional case studies for real-time collaborative problem-solving.

Working in diverse teams, students tackled a real-world strategic challenge presented by Mosaic SA, a non-profit serving marginalised communities in South Africa. Using a Nonprofit Strategy Canvas, co-developed for this project, students ideated practical solutions and pitched them in front of the NGO’s representative. This fusion of experiential learning, intercultural exchange, and social impact cultivated creativity, empathy, and transferable skills that employers demand.

The hackathon’s structure, short, intensive, and team-based, encouraged students to collaborate across disciplines, navigate cultural differences, and co-create under pressure. It’s a model that scales and adapts well to various educational contexts. Participants gained certificates but most importantly confidence and global competence.

This initiative aligns with LIBS’s strategic vision for challenge-led education and internationalised learning. If you’re interested in running your own hackathon, we are developing a resource pack with templates, session formats, and student-ready materials. We’d love to help you bring virtual hackathon experiences into your classroom, if you need any support please contact us at:

Wajdi Ben Rejeb: wbenrejeb@lincoln.ac.uk

David Anderson: danderson@lincoln.ac.uk

Learning through bite-sized videos: Academic writing skills

Lee McHugh, Mohammad Manesh & David Anderson

We’ve developed a series of 10 short, interactive videos to support academic writing. Each video is designed to provide step by step guidance to introduce students to new skills. Videos are full of infographics, friendly narrative and embedded with “pause now” activities encouraging learners to reflect, practice, and engage more deeply with the material and develop their academic learning.

Designed specifically for new and international students in mind, the videos cover core skills such as paraphrasing, referencing, & plagiarism, in an accessible and engaging format which is easy to embed into digital spaces like Blackboard or Learning@Lincoln. The interactive style and relatable design of the videos break down complex writing concepts into manageable, bite-sized learning moments, which can help support students learning and success rates.

This project was funded by the CoASSH Teaching and Learning Innovation fund, creating a collaboration with a third year design student which provided a valuable experience to enhance their CV and expand their creative portfolio.

This project also supports our broader goal of promoting social mobility across student groups in Lincoln International Business School. By offering accessible, engaging and student-led resources, we’re helping to level the playing field for learners from diverse backgrounds.

Overall, the video project has been a success in combining student employment, skill-building, and inclusive education. It aims to have a positive impact on learners, helping them build confidence and competence in their academic writing.

The videos will be released very soon.

If you’d like to learn more about these resources please contact:

Lee McHugh: lmchugh@lincoln.ac.uk

Mohammad Manesh: mmanesh@lincoln.ac.uk

David Anderson: danderson@lincoln.ac.uk