Procedure

This task consists of four parts.

In the first part, participants can click their way through the instructions on the website step by step. Among other things, Scratch offers a “Getting Started” tutorial that explains the site structure to visitors.

In the second part, participants can click through additional tutorials and try to recreate the well-known Pong game, for example. It makes sense for participants to explore the platform on their own first.

In the third part, participants can draw inspiration from the “projects for beginners” and try to remix them – they will find ideas for this in the project description in English. Participants could also start their own project. It is useful to exchange ideas in order to draw inspiration from others and marvel at each other’s achievements and the applications of other users.

In the fourth part, participants can describe their experiences in small groups or in a plenary session and present their projects to each other. It may be useful to visualize the results on site or create an online list for documentation purposes.

Preparation

• It is worth finding the appropriate instructions for each tutorial in advance and providing participants with a link to them. The instructions can be found in the following moderation notes.

Notes on moderation

• For this task, the programming language Scratch from the website of the same name “<https://scratch.mit.edu/>” is used as a method. The tool is free, available in over 60 languages, and provides a playful and low-threshold introduction to code writing.
• The procedure and work instructions for this task are relatively open-ended so that participants can discover the possibilities of Scratch on their own. However, in case participants find this too challenging, it is a good idea to have some specific work instructions ready that can be used in case of doubt.
• Scratch is designed for 8–16-year-olds and is therefore an exciting tool that youth workers can also use to engage young people.
• Both the time and the group size can be varied for this task. The website offers many opportunities to continue working on the projects created there well beyond the duration of a seminar.
• The website is designed for desktop computers but also works on mobile devices. For example, it can be easily operated with a tablet and connected keyboard. For Android tablets or iPads, there is also the Scratch Jr. app, which is aimed at 5-7 year olds but is only inferior to its desktop equivalent in a few available functions.
• Many instructions for the tutorial projects can be found on Scratch itself as PDF files in the form of cards. Depending on the digital focus of the seminar, it may be useful to print these out.