Scratch is a name anyone interested in the game based learning field will most likely have heard about. It is one of the longer running research projects and has a large online community.
The project has been running since 2003 and since its public launch in May 2007 it has been attracting more and more visitors. I personally played with it around 2010.
So what is Scratch? It is a graphical programming language that lets children program interactive workflows to develop a sense of systematic thinking. The creators state on their website that “As Scratchers program and share interactive projects, they learn important mathematical and computational concepts, while also learning to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively”.
This does not mean that it is used purely to get children ready for being a programmer later but it helps them in all sorts of jobs and programming is just one of them. It helps children getting used to use certain constructs to express ideas.
A cool thing about Scratch, is they use simple blocks. These can be used by users to create all sorts of interactive storyboards. By thinking in loops and in small steps
children are forced to use a systematic approach to get the story they want on the computer. Another nice thing about Scratch is that the sharing part is very easy; this is something very important as it allows people to share their creations with others and get ideas and feedback from others.
So for those interested, check it out at scratch.mit.edu
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Published by theirishduck
I love the ability where I can plan, prioritise, design, develop and deliver blended learning solutions for a variety of markets. I love to consult and advise about the best use of digital learning and improve design standards in line with evolving ways of working. I also enjoy to keep up to date with, understand and regularly recommend emerging technologies and practice to improve individuals, teams and organisational capabilities.
With over 12 years digital learning experience and demonstrated experience in both instructional design and eLearning development, I have also a lot of experience conducting training needs analysis including how to leverage principles such as design thinking and root cause analysis to understand and address performance gaps. I also have led many facilitation workshops and even presented at iDesignX and Game Developers Conferences both here in Australia, Wales and in the United States.
I bring loads of coding experience in Java, ASM, C++, HTML, JavaScript, SCORM and xAPI, as well as proven capability using Adobe Captivate, Trivantis Lectora and Articulate Storyline 360 Studio authoring programs. Of course, Adobe Creative Cloud is also part of my toolbox which I also use daily. Being taught traditional and advanced 3D animation techniques, I love hand drawing and polymer clay sculpture, but can also use the Blender, 3D Studio Max, Maya and Softimage applications.
With strong multimedia, training and programming backgrounds, I understand modern learner behaviour including micro and social learning, I am very familiar with most LMSes and app-based (XCode and Android Studio), adult learning models and e-solutions.
I also possess the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, whilst being pro-active in delivering work independently with minimal supervision, but enjoy working in teams.
I've been told I am a resilient, relationship focused guy which can manage and navigate conflicting views and stakeholders/subject matter experts.
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