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Exploring Educational Potential of VR and Robotics: A Case Study from a Multinational Hackathon

DescriptionThis paper presents a reflective case study on the use of immersive technologies—virtual reality (VR) and robotics—within a cross-cultural educational hackathon. The 12-day program brought together interdisciplinary student teams from two countries to address a socially relevant challenge: how to promote physical activity among children on the autism spectrum. Anchored in a Problem-Based Learning (PBL) framework, the event combined ethnographic research, iterative prototyping, and intercultural collaboration. The paper critically examines the hackathon format as a pedagogical tool, exploring both its potential and its limitations. Particular attention is given to the dynamics of international teamwork, the challenges of inclusive design, and the tension between creativity and feasibility. It is argued that such educational interventions not only foster technical skills, but also cultivate empathy, cross-cultural understanding, and deeper engagement with complex real-world issues.

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