Scratch: Learning the Grammar for a New Language
Accepted paper for Student Usability in Educational Software and Games: Improving Experiences book. It has been wrote together with Euridice Cabañes Martinez as Arsgames members. Below the full abstract. Download the full article
1. Present context:
We are immersed in what Lévy and Kerckhove define as the “third age of communication”, in which “a new language has taken shape that is even more universal than the alphabet, i.e. the digital language. An age that has followed those of orality and of writing”. (ref)
The so-called “new media”, based on the technological advances derived from the digitalization of contents, have brought about a revolution in the domain of audiovisual languages. This implies not only that a new type of contents being is being developed, but ―simultaneously and inextricably― a new way of relating to them has appeared and, in this sense, the interactivity that emerges from the use of new technologies is determinant: “The interactivity modifies not only the way an author deals with her task, but also the contents themselves that she creates and even the role of the spectator. In fact, the latter is now usually more properly called user” (Marín, 2009).
2. Implications of this educational context:
Every education system must carry out a previous analysis of the social context if it is to achieve the aim of providing students with an effective education. And, as shown above, this context is characterized by a massive consumption of the new media that is not accompanied by an appropriate knowledge of their codes and languages, especially when those are the languages that are modeling new cognitive styles and configuring modes of appropriation of reality.
In this context, education should provide students with a “digital literacy” that allow these users of the new communication and information languages to code and decode messages, as well as to develop a full awareness of its use that involve a critical and creative utilization.1
This is important inasmuch as we are no longer mere receivers of the information created by a small and limited number of producers, not only because ICT have multiplied exponentially the number of content generators, but also because we ourselves are producing those contents.
3. The role of video games
Video games are one among other usual forms in which we are related to technology.2
Moreover, video games represent a paradigmatic example of interactive narrative structures which make possible ―within a ludic environment― the training of students to acquire the technical know-how required for the use of computers and to facilitate the development of certain competences related to the new media. There are several different ways of introducing these technologies into the classroom, that range from using conventional video games with educational purposes to using educational video games proper or, bearing most interest to us, to teaching students how to create their own video games. As Neil Gershenfeld, researcher at the MIT, has pointed,“it is when people are able to create their own technology that passion gets aroused”. Undoubtedly, playing video games can be very amusing and educational, but being able to generate your own video games bears a greater interest and at different levels:
Firstly, in our highly technological society in which computers are ubiquitous, it is not sufficient to know how to use the basic tools, but it becomes increasingly necessary to acquire programming knowledge that allow a full-fledged utilization of those tools. Learning to program video games provides with this knowledge within a very stimulating environment for users.
Secondly, if, as seen above, in the digital era we are not only content consumers but we also produce them, we will need the technical knowledge required to generate contents and express ourselves in the new media. In this respect, learning to program video games is extremely useful in that it involves learning to use audio and video, to generate interactive contents, etc.
4. Scratch:
The developers of Scratch, the research group “Lifelong Kindergarten” of the MIT MediaLab, know these advantages and have created a new, user-friendly programming environment that enables the exploration of basic programming principles without the syntax complications characteristic of other languages.
The idea underlying this ‘software’ is to leave behind the lines of code and to make possible programming of animations as if it were like playing with a LEGO toy, that is bringing together ‘bricks’ that contain all sorts of instructions. This feature makes programming easier and more intuitive than other programming languages, although it requires a learning period. This program has been designed for children from 8 years up, although it can be used by adults as well.
The intention of Scratch creators is to make programming accessible to anyone, since it was designed pursuing educational goals, as Mitchel Resnick, one of the people in charge of the program, explains: “We want the children to be creators. We want them to do interesting and dynamic things with the computer”.
5. Conclusions:
If in the digital era we confront a new language, we should not only understand the values and meanings that are transmitted through the new media, but it is also urgent to know its grammar (basic programming notions), given the fact that unless we master this, we will only be receivers and we will never be able to express ourselves in such language, though.
That is the reason why learning to program video games is not only a way to develop basic skills for the use of technology, but it provides the necessary knowledge in order to analyse the processes that govern the functioning of video games ―and, in general, that of every audiovisual language― and to identify the conceptual framework and the values they support.
References:
Alfageme González, M. B. & Sanchez Rodríguez, P. A. (2003) “Un instrumento para evaluar el uso y las actitudes hacia los videojuegos”. Pixel-Bit. Revista de Medios y Educación , 20, 17-32
Jenkins, H. Confronting the Chalenges of the Parcipatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. Available at: http://www.newmedialiteracies.org/files/working/NMLWhitePaper.pdf
Marín, A. (2009) New media ¿viejas o nuevas realidades? [On line document]. Available at: http://mosaic.uoc.edu/2006/10/20/new-media-%C2%BFviejas-o-nuevas-realidades/
Pérez Rodriguez, M.A. (2009) Un nuevo lenguaje para una comunicación global. Available at:
http://www.uhu.es/agora/version01/digital/numeros/03/03-articulos/monografico/pdf3/perez.PDF
Pérez Tornero, J.M. (2000): «El desarrollo de la sociedad de la información del paradigma de la cultura de masas al de la cultura multimedia», en PÉREZ TORNERO, J.M. (Comp.): Comunicación y educación en la sociedad de la información. Barcelona, Paidós; 17-34.
Rodríguez, A. (2009) Inteligencias en conexión. Hacia una sociedad de la Web. Available at:
http://www.javeriana.edu.co/relato_digital/r_digital/cibercultura/cibercultura.html
Scratch en la educación escolar: http://www.eduteka.org/modulos.php?catx=9&idSubX=278
1See Mª Amor Pérez Rodríguez,Un nuevo lenguaje para una comunicación global, in:
http://www.uhu.es/agora/version01/digital/numeros/03/03-articulos/monografico/pdf3/perez.PDF
2Alfageme González, M. B. & Sanchez Rodríguez, P. A. (2003) “Un instrumento para evaluar el uso y las actitudes hacia los videojuegos”. Pixel-Bit. Revista de Medios y Educación , 20, 17-32