Digital Innovation in Times of Crisis: How Mashups Improve Quality of Education

Abstract

Innovation is a crucial force underlying the organizational and societal ability to survive and thrive in crisis times, especially in education. However, not all challenges require creating novel solutions; occasionally, combining pre-existing solutions—an approach known as the mashup methodology—can provide equal benefit. Nevertheless, this approach appears to be relatively unknown. In the current case study, we provide an example of using a mashup of technologies to solve the challenge of running a remote virtual hackathon under COVID-19 social distancing regulations. Additionally, we argue that utilizing the mashup is a form of modeling, in which students learn by witnessing its use. Utilizing the Technology Acceptance Model, we show that by modeling the use of the mashup methodology in this hackathon (Study 1—case), we managed to improve students’ attitudes towards the method and increase its perceived usefulness and ease of use in their eyes. This, in turn, raised their intention to use it as an innovation tool in the future. Study 2 revealed that this effect on participants’ intentions is more significant than what would be achieved by merely teaching people about the methodology. The results of these studies add to the growing literature emphasizing the importance of using digital innovations as means of improving the quality of education, thus increasing the satisfaction and well-being of students.