Scratch

ConnectivismCodingGamificationConstructionismProgramming

Scratch is a free visual coding tool that was designed by the MIT Lifelong Kindergarten Group. Students can use Scratch to “code their own interactive stories, animations, and games. In the process, they learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for everyone in today’s society” (Scratch for Educators, 2020, para. 1).

Scratch homepage: create stories, games, and animations. share with others around the world


Tool Snapshot

PriceFree
LearningConstructionism, Gamification, Connectivisim, Social Learning
Ease of Use★★✩✩✩
Privacy★★✩✩✩
Accessibility★✩✩✩✩
Class SizeUnlimited
ISTE*SCreative Communicator, Global Collaborator, Knowledge Constructor
COPPA/
FERPA
No COPPA/FERPA policy found. Check with your school IT administrator.

Scratch Overview

On its website, Scratch provides extensive resources, such as step-by-step interactive video tutorials, to guide beginners to get started, allowing users to self-pace their learning. The website also has subpages designated for parents and educators. In addition, there is a forum for new scratchers as well as a featured studio to showcase products designed by users.

Scratch Overview Video

Watch on YouTube

***View the Scratch Video Transcript***

Scratch & the SAMR Model

Scratch can be used in many different ways. For example, in a math class, you can ask your students to use Scratch to learn about and show their understanding of a coordinate graph.

Learning Activities

ScratchEd, a member of the Scratch family has many inspiring examples organized by grades, content types, curricular area, and language.

Resources

How to Use Scratch

For General Users:

GIF created by Lian Duan
Signing up to use Scratch

For Educators who wish to set up  their online Scratch classes:

Step 1: Fill out a “Teacher request form” at the address below, and follow the steps as shown in the GIF: https://scratch.mit.edu/educators/register   

Note that it might take 24 hours to confirm your account.

GIF created by Lian Duan
Requesting a Teacher Account

Step 2: Watch a tutorial video made by Scratch to learn how to set up classrooms step by step.

Also, you can find a written explanation on the teacher account on ScratchWiki, which is a subpage on Scratch website.

Research

Dohn, N. B. (2020). Students’ interest in Scratch coding in lower secondary mathematicsBritish Journal of Educational Technology51(1), 71-83.

Fagerlund, J., Häkkinen, P., Vesisenaho, M., & Viiri, J. (2021). Computational thinking in programming with Scratch in primary schools: A systematic review. Computer Applications in Engineering Education29(1), 12-28.

Zhang, L., & Nouri, J. (2019). A systematic review of learning computational thinking through Scratch in K-9Computers & Education141, 103607.

Author

This page was created by Lian Duan. 

This content is provided to you freely by EdTech Books.

Access it online or download it at https://edtechbooks.org/onlinetools/scratch.