How BST's students made use of late night hostel talks to solve problems and work in teams
What do engineering students do if you just ask them to come up with a problem that needs solving?
At Bosscoder School of Technology (BST), it led to an Ideathon.
Ideathon is an event which aimed at making the students come out of coding and think about real life problems, solutions and idea implementation.
It began at around 10 PM in the hostels with two different sessions for boys' and girls' hostels and the participants divided themselves into groups of 6-7 members and started thinking.
This led to a night full of ideas and problem solving.
Starting With a Problem, Not Just an Idea
Rather than providing a specific problem statement for the Ideathon, the Ideathon allowed the students to come up with their own problems to solve.
The students were asked to discuss problems that they had observed and the solutions to those problems.
Four basic questions which the teams were encouraged to ask were:
→ What is the problem?
→ What is the solution?
→ How can it be implemented?
→ Why does it matter?
After that, the teams were asked to present their ideas through a presentation of three slides.
This pushed students to focus on the idea itself and explain it clearly.
Learning to Pitch an Idea
While the Ideathon was about idea generation, it was also about learning how to pitch those ideas.
Students made pitching videos to show what they came up with and how they wanted to solve the problem.
Many students got their first chance to learn how to formally pitch an idea. They had to consider not only what they wanted to create, but also how to convince people why it mattered.
This allowed students to develop crucial skills like:
- Communication
- Public speaking
- Collaboration
- Problem solving
- Creativity
- Confidence
Importance of Ideathon to Engineering Students
Engineering is not only about coding.
Good engineers also need to understand problems, ask the right questions, work with others and communicate their solutions effectively.
The Ideathon organized by Bosscoder School of Technology gave engineering students a chance to develop these skills in a friendly environment.
Since the activity was conducted at the dormitory after the students had had their meal, they were able to brainstorm among themselves without any formal settings.
There was no traditional classroom setup. Only the students, ideas, discussions, and problem-solving.
Learning Outside the Classroom
The Ideathon is one aspect of the learning process that Bosscoder School of Technology promotes where students are made to learn by doing.
This time around, students got an opportunity to go through the initial stages of coming up with an idea:
Problem → Idea → Solution → Implementation → Pitch
This was not just another late-night activity for the founding batch but rather an important insight into how engineers could come up with solutions to real-life problems.
From Concepts to the First Pitch
During the Ideathon, students learned about how engineering is not always about coding.
Some times, "What is the problem that we can solve?"
From idea generation at 10 PM, pitching ideas, and pitching videos, the students were introduced to the process of how a problem becomes a solution and then the solution is pitched to others.
The Bosscoder School of Technology's aim is not only to ensure that students are taught how to code, but how to think, build and communicate their ideas as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is the Ideathon at Bosscoder School of Technology?
The Ideathon at Bosscoder School of Technology was a student activity where teams identified real-world problems, developed solutions and presented their ideas.
Q2. How did students participate in the BST Ideathon?
The students made groups of 6-7 people and came up with different problems and solutions within their hostels. The students made presentations on three slides and pitching videos.
Q3. What skills did students develop during the Ideathon?
This particular activity made the students learn various skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, communication, public speaking and pitching.
Q4. How does the Ideathon reflect learning at Bosscoder School of Technology?
The Ideathon represents a practical approach to learning, when students work on problems, solve them in teams, communicate and implement the solutions to the concepts.
