Encountering E-Learning Education

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Scratch is a new and innovative programming language which allows users to create their own stories, animation, games, music and art which can then be shared on the web. The constructivist design approach allows young people to develop computational and mathematical skills and ideas which develop a greater understanding about the design process. It is free to download and is an excellent teaching resource in demonstrating to students the principles behind animation. The rationale for the program is allowing people to be involved with interactive media in a dynamic way. Scratch uses a simple graphical programming language which facilitates complete control and design for the user.

The coding for Scratch is much simpler than traditional programming. A script is simply created by using graphical blocks which snap together. Projects created in Scratch can then be shared on the Scratch website or other web-pages such as MySpace or Facebook. This makes it a powerful learning tool as students can share their work with a wide audience.

Animations created using Scratch are not necessarily sophisticated or seamless. However, they are very user-friendly. Students are easily empowered by taking control of their learning in an engaging and personal way. Scratch is also an effective teaching tool as it provides ample opportunity for students to share their work.

A young user of Scratch commented:

“I’ve found a great site called Scratch. It’s about programming. You snap together blocks to create stories, games and animations. Then you can share your projects on teh web!! You can download it for free!” Mick, age 10

A teacher reflected:

“There is a buzz in the room when the kids get going on Scratch projects. Students set design goals for their projects and problem-solve to fix program bugs. They collaborate, cooperate, co-teach. They appreciate the power that Scratch gives them to create their own versions of games and animations.” Karen R, teacher, Minnesota

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