Educational materials to train teachers in ScratchJr: Rules of program behavior and programming patterns

Abstract

The educational materials available to learn block-based programming usually promote a learning process which is more intuitive tan deep. In this paper, we present two educational materials designed to support deep learning of the ScratchJr programming language. On the one hand, we present the operational semantics of the language as rules of program behavior. On the other hand, we present a set of programming patterns to support coding characters’ actions. Both materials were evaluated by pre-service teachers (novice learners of programming) and university teachers (who teach ScratchJr). Their assessments scored the materials very positively and allowed improving their written statements.