Scratch: Multimedia programming environment for young gifted learners

Abstract

Despite the educational benefits, computer programming has not been adopted in the current K-12 education as much as it could have been. One of the reasons for the low adoption of computer programming in K-12 education is the time it takes for (especially young) students to learn computer programming using a text-based programming language, which requires an understanding of computer programming language syntaxes and constructs and strong keyboarding skills. In order to address these issues, the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at MIT Media Lab recently developed a new computer programming language called Scratch. This article describes how Scratch is different from conventional text-based programming languages such as BASIC, Java, or C++, and how it can be used as a creative medium for gifted and talented students to facilitate their learning.