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Lab Hackathons to Overcome Laboratory Equipment Shortages in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges

Webb, Helena, Nurse, Jason R. C., Bezuidenhout, Louise, Jirotka, Marina (2019) Lab Hackathons to Overcome Laboratory Equipment Shortages in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges. In: 2019 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems Extended Abstracts. . ACM ISBN 978-1-4503-5971-9. (doi:10.1145/3290607.3299063) (KAR id:71381)

Abstract

Equipment shortages in Africa undermine Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. We have pioneered the LabHackathon (LabHack): a novel initiative that adapts the conventional hackathon and draws on insights from the Open Hardware movement and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI). LabHacks are fun, educational events that challenge student participants to build frugal and reproducible pieces of laboratory equipment. Completed designs are then made available to others. LabHacks can therefore facilitate the open and sustainable design of laboratory equipment, in situ, in Africa. In this case study we describe the LabHackathon model, discuss its application in a pilot event held in Zimbabwe and outline the opportunities and challenges it presents.

Item Type: Conference or workshop item (Paper)
DOI/Identification number: 10.1145/3290607.3299063
Uncontrolled keywords: Hackathon; laboratory equipment; open hardware; responsible research and innovation; Africa
Subjects: Q Science
R Medicine
T Technology
Divisions: Divisions > Division of Natural Sciences > Biosciences
Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Computing
Divisions > Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences > School of Engineering and Digital Arts
Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research
Funders: [37325] UNSPECIFIED
Depositing User: Jason Nurse
Date Deposited: 20 Dec 2018 14:38 UTC
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 19:54 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/71381 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

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