Making projects, making friends: Online community as catalyst for interactive media creation

Abstract

To become full and active participants in today's technologically saturated society, young people need to become creators (and not just consumers) of interactive media. Developing the requisite abilities and capacities is not a wholly individual process; it is important for young people to have access to communities where they can collaborate and share ideas. This article uses the Scratch online community for exploring how different forms of participation and collaboration can support and shape the ways in which young people develop as creators of interactive media. We describe participation in this community in terms of a spectrum ranging from socializing to creating and present examples of three forms of collaboration within the community. We argue that the most exciting interactive media creation and valuable learning experiences are taking place in the middle space, where participants draw on the best of socializing and creating practices.

Interactive augmented reality using Scratch 2.0 to improve physical activities for children with developmental disabilities

“…This research adopted Scratch software technology (Brennan, Resnick, & Monroy-Hernandez, 2010;Resnick et al, 2009a,b). The experimental design adopted an ABAB reversal design for single-case research is a tool in special education and assistive technology (Neely, Rispoli, Camargo, Davis, & Boles, 2013;Shih, Shih, & Luo, 2013), in which A (baseline phase) was followed by B (intervention phase), a return to baseline phase, and then a final intervention phase.…”

The powerful ideas of making: building beyond the curriculum

“…Making happens in communities whether they gather in a shared space or an online forum. Construction involves seeking help and providing support (Bruckman 2000) and sharing components and code to remix existing designs (Brennan et al 2010). This spirit of openness not only prompts support and collaboration but also encourages the creation of "readable" artifacts so that they can be shared (Papert 1980).…”

"It helped me do my science."

“…Examples include the Scratch online community, Zydeco, and Tangible Flags. In the Scratch community, members can upload their programming projects for others to remix and extend [9]. Zydeco aims to bridge gaps between formal and informal learning environments [10], by enabling learners to tag observations in-situ (e.g., while in a museum), which they can later leverage during formal discussions in class.…”