Tool 9 : Scratch Studio

13/October/2021

Group Journal entry

Tool 9: Scratch studio https://scratch.mit.edu/mystuff/

Team 3: Kavyashree, Ram Das Rai, Aditya Panwar, Rajashri Priyadarshini

In-Class instruction: A senior RS, Priya taught us block-based coding, about what scratch is, why it is used and how to use it with examples.

In-class activity and assignment: We were asked to try our hands-on scratch and also come up with a learning project that we could build with scratch.

Group activity :

• First, we tried to brainstorm our ideas individually on the learning issue that we wanted to address or solve using scratch. Each member listed down 3 ideas each in the google sheet

• Next, we narrowed down to each one's best recommendation of their choices and anonymously polled to choose a final idea.

• Ram Das's idea of creating a simulation type of environment for non-science subjects was chosen.

• We debated on the topic that should be chosen and looked at the existing apps or simulations on such topics.

• We individually worked on the scratch studio making remixes of each other's previous work as there was no option of collaborating.

Issues encountered :

• The biggest issue that we encountered in this group activity was the aspect of collaboration in this platform. We were assigned with group activity but we could not collaborate at all when it came to creating on the scratch studio. The only thing closest to collaboration was the remix option available where we could use an existing project and start working from there.

• To solve the problem of collaboration, we tried to make the best of the remix option. One member worked on the project first and then the other member remixed it and so on until we remixed the final product.

• Another issue was that we did not feel scratch to be an ideal environment to create a learning environment as we saw and felt it to be the learning environment itself. So when while we were creating a learning environment, there were shortcomings and non-availability of the free flow or tools that we needed to create a good project.

Other observations: As each movement and change of scene required so many blocks to be placed, it became tricky and clumsy at many points. It felt as if a regular coding or programming-based approach would have been easier and faster.

Output : https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/593627721/editor/