Despite increasing calls for diversity across sectors (Teixeira et al., 2016), higher education curricula often lack systematic approaches to fostering diversity competence, although universities are both responsible for preparing students for heterogeneous work environments and are becoming more diverse themselves (Braun et al., 2020). There is a growing need for teaching formats that deepen students' understanding of diversity while linking theoretical content to real-world problems. Problem-based learning (PBL) has gained recognition for promoting critical thinking and professional skills through applied, student-centered learning (Brondani et al., 2024).

As part of the DiveHack project, funded by Stiftung Innovation in der Hochschullehre, we conceptualize, implement, and evaluate a problem-based teaching model within a business and economics course at a German university. Students apply their diversity knowledge to real-world challenges, developed in collaboration with regional partners from the private and public sectors. These challenges are addressed during a 24-hour hackathon (Avila-Merino, 2019). To examine the consistency and development of learning outcomes over time, we will conduct this intervention across two consecutive summer semesters (2025 and 2026), enabling us to analyze trends in students' diversity competence development.
The theoretical framework draws on constructivist learning theory and Hmelo-Silver's (2004) PBL learning cycle, which emphasizes student-centered problem identification, hypothesis generation, and knowledge application. Hackathons represent a form of "Short-Term PBL" (d'Escoffier & de Rezende, 2024) that compresses intensive learning into 24-48 hours while maintaining core PBL principles of authentic, ill-structured problems and collaborative learning. Diversity competence, in this context, refers to the ability to work effectively across differences and is increasingly recognized as a key skill for navigating heterogeneous environments (Karagiannakis, 2024).

Thus, we ask the following research question: How does problem-based learning through hackathons contribute to the development of diversity competence in higher education?

The hackathon format engages students in developing solutions to real organizational diversity problems provided by external regional partners. On day one, partners present their problems, students form interdisciplinary teams, and begin developing solutions. On day two, teams refine their ideas and create video pitches presenting their recommendations. Faculty serve as facilitators rather than instructors, supporting student-directed learning processes.

Initial findings from summer 2025 demonstrated measurable increases in perceived diversity competence. Pre-survey data revealed that 73% of students reported low prior knowledge of diversity management before the intervention. Post-survey results showed that 100% of participants found the hackathon helpful for understanding diversity, with 81.8% rating it as very helpful. All participants (100%) expressed satisfaction with the hackathon format. Qualitative data from focus groups and written reflections revealed that students particularly valued the practical application of theoretical knowledge, interdisciplinary collaboration, and direct engagement with real organizational challenges.

The summer 2026 implementation allows us to examine whether these positive outcomes are replicable and whether implementation refinements based on 2025 feedback lead to enhanced learning outcomes. By comparing two independent cohorts, this trend study provides stronger evidence for the effectiveness of PBL-based hackathons in developing diversity competence. The longitudinal approach enables us to identify stable patterns in learning outcomes, distinguish intervention effects from cohort-specific variations, and refine our teaching model based on evidence from multiple implementations.

We employ a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (Ivankova et al., 2006) implemented as a longitudinal trend study across two consecutive summer semesters. Longitudinal research constitutes a strategy of inquiry where data are collected over an extended period to identify changes, trends, or specific patterns within a population (Creswell, 2009). Our study extends the sequential explanatory approach longitudinally by repeating the same mixed-methods sequence with independent cohorts across two years, enabling examination of intervention consistency and replicability (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2018). Within each cohort, the sequential design allows us to first collect and analyze quantitative data, then use qualitative data to explain and deepen understanding of the quantitative results. Our trend study approach examines two independent cohorts (2025 and 2026) to assess whether intervention effects are stable and replicable across different student groups. This differs from panel studies that follow the same participants over time; instead, we utilize repeated cross-sectional measurement with distinct populations to identify consistent patterns (Creswell, 2009). This approach is particularly valuable for evaluation research aimed at assessing intervention effects, as it establishes a baseline followed by subsequent measurements to capture meaningful changes (Kuckartz, 2014). The quantitative phase consists of pre- and post-surveys administered to students in both cohorts. Surveys utilize Likert-scale items adapted from established diversity competence frameworks (Braun et al., 2020), measuring diversity knowledge, diversity management knowledge, and perceived contribution of the hackathon to understanding diversity. We collect demographic data including gender, study program, and prior diversity education experience. Quantitative analysis using SPSS includes paired-samples t-tests within each cohort to examine pre-post changes, and independent-samples t-tests between cohorts to identify trends across implementations. We also conduct descriptive analyses of satisfaction ratings and prior knowledge distributions. The qualitative phase involves focus group discussions and written reflections, analyzed using qualitative content analysis (Mayring, 2012) in MAXQDA. Longitudinal mixed methods research is motivated by analytical interest in documenting how attitudes or experiences change over time, specifically seeking to isolate key variables between different data "sweeps" (Fielding, 2018). We develop both deductive codes based on diversity competence theory and inductive codes emerging from the data. The study follows established ethical standards (Cohen et al., 2017), with voluntary anonymous participation and informed consent. The longitudinal design enables examination of both within-cohort learning gains and between-cohort consistency, strengthening validity of findings about hackathon effectiveness for developing diversity competence.

The findings from this trend study will provide evidence that problem-based learning, implemented through hackathons, can effectively support the development of diversity competence in higher education. The summer 2025 results demonstrate significant self-reported gains in diversity knowledge and diversity management understanding, with universally positive evaluations of the hackathon format. The replication in summer 2026 allows us to assess whether these outcomes represent stable, intervention-driven effects rather than cohort-specific phenomena. Several key patterns emerge from our analysis. First, students enter the course with highly variable and often low prior knowledge of diversity, suggesting that explicit diversity education remains inconsistently integrated in German higher education curricula. Second, the hackathon format appears particularly effective at bridging the theory-practice gap, with students consistently emphasizing the value of applying diversity concepts to authentic organizational challenges. Third, the intensive, collaborative nature of the hackathon creates conditions for interdisciplinary learning and perspective-taking that may be difficult to achieve in traditional lecture formats. The limitations of this research include reliance on self-assessment measures, relatively small sample sizes at a single institution, and the focus on immediate post-intervention effects rather than long-term retention. Future research should incorporate objective measures of diversity competence, examine effects across multiple institutions, and include follow-up assessments to evaluate sustained impact. This study contributes to both PBL and diversity education research by demonstrating how practice-oriented formats can produce measurable learning outcomes. For practitioners, our findings suggest that hackathons represent a viable and efficient model for integrating diversity education higher education curricula. The partnership with external regional organizations also creates opportunities for mutually beneficial knowledge exchange, as students gain practical experience while organizations receive fresh perspectives on their diversity challenges.

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