Scratch Programming Assignment: University Name, Scratch Programming

This assignment delves into Scratch programming, a visual programming language developed at the MIT Media Lab, designed to introduce novice programmers to the fundamentals of coding and problem-solving. The assignment requires the student to create two programs using Scratch, focusing on the logical aspects of programming rather than syntax. The first program involves displaying messages, performing mathematical operations (multiplication and subtraction), and producing sounds based on conditional statements. The second program involves summing numbers, calculating a square root, and generating sounds based on conditional checks. The student provides algorithms for both programs, demonstrating their understanding of the program's logic and functionality. A reflective report is included, summarizing the development process and the use of Scratch's graphical user interface and its tools, emphasizing the ease of converting programming problems into generalized program modules. The assignment highlights the usefulness of Scratch as a beginner-friendly programming environment, making it easier for students to visualize program steps and develop interactive applications.

Running head: SCRATCH PROGRAMMING
Scratch Programming
Name of the student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Scratch Programming Application and Introduction to simple programming...........................2
Algorithm for Program 1............................................................................................................3
Algorithm for Program 2............................................................................................................4
Reflective report.........................................................................................................................4
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
Scratch is a programming language developed at the MIT Media Lab. This
programming application is widely used by novice programmers to learn the concepts of
programming and problem solving from scratch (Papadakis et al. 2014). It is a graphical
computer application that allows the user to create the programs by simply drag-dropping
commands from the available menus into a programming pad. The main use of this
application is to develop interesting animations, games or other simple applications. In this
way, programmers are given the chance to focus on the logical aspects of problem solving,
instead of concentrating on specific language syntaxes. In this report, the inner aspects of
programming in Scratch will be discussed. Furthermore, two programming examples will be
presented along with their algorithms and their implementations in Scratch. Finally, a
reflective summary of the entire process will be presented.
Scratch Programming Application and Introduction to simple programming
It is important for beginners to learn programming using one such programming
application. The Scratch application is a useful tool in order to develop simple programs
(Ouahbi et al. 2015). The GUI options that are available within the application allows
learners who are willing to learn programming to gather knowledge in the specific field with
a nice and interactive mode. The use of variables, control statements and other interactive
media modules like graphical elements, characters, sounds, strings, and so on.
Scratch also provides multilingual support for their programmers to learn in a free and
simple environment. They can use the graphical tools within the application in their own
native language. Scratch is accessed and used in more than 150 countries and available in
more than 40 languages. This ability allows the users to easily understand programming
concepts (Sáez-López, Román-González and Vázquez-Cano 2016). They also provide help

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modules for parents to guide their wards and help them to understand the basics of
programming in a more constructive way. The use of colourful characters and graphical
elements immediately draws the attraction of children. Ozoran, Cagiltay and Topalli (2012),
says that for the developers, the help modules gives clear documentation of all the necessary
features that are provided in order to build and develop games, animations and applications.
Algorithm for Program 1
Say ‘Hello’ for 2 seconds. :: Display ‘Hello’ message for 2 seconds
Wait 2 seconds. :: Wait for 2 seconds
Multiply the first 7 positive integer numbers (e.g. from 1 to 7). ::
set variable i to 1;
set variable m to 1;
repeat 7 steps;
multiply m with i and save in m
increment i by 1
Subtract 20 from the result. § If the answer is greater than 50, sound ‘Wow’. ::
Subtract 20 from m;
Check if the difference is greater than 50, then produce WOW sound
Wait 2 seconds. :: Wait for 2 seconds
Say ‘Goodbye’ for 2 seconds. :: display goodbye message for 2 seconds

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Algorithm for Program 2
Add the first 100 positive integer numbers (i.e., from 1 to 100) ::
set variable i to 1;
set variable sum to 0;
repeat 100 steps;
add sum with i and save in sum
increment i by 1
Take the square root of the result ::
Find the square root of sum;
If the answer is less than 80, sound ‘meow’ ::
Check if the difference is less than 80, then produce MEOW sound
Wait 2 seconds :: Wait for 2 seconds
Say ‘Hello’ for 2 seconds :: Display Hello message for 2 seconds
Reflective report
The above algorithm could be obtained from the steps that have been provided for the
program to be developed. It was fairly easy to develop a proper algorithm for this program, as
Scratch already provides readymade tools and techniques to convert programming problems
into generalized program modules and or algorithm like in this case. As mentioned before,
almost every steps of the problem could be easily accessed from the available set of GUI
tools. It was only the iterative modules within the program that required a fair bit of
innovation. In order to multiply the 7 integers I had to use the REPEAT statement of the

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application. The repeat statement helped to iterate a group of statements and within this group
of iterative statements, I merged in the multiplication operator module and an increment
module. Finally, on retrieval of the product I needed to use a conditional If block to produce
the required sound on the fulfilment of the desired condition. In case of the second program, I
used the square root operator from the operator tools available within the programming
environment. It helped me to calculate the resultant square root of the sum of the first 100
integers. This root value was then checked via the conditional statements.
Conclusion
Scratch is a very useful programming environment that can be used by novice
programmers. It aids their process of learning and helps them to easily visualize how the
steps within their program works. The several tools and options available makes it easier and
versatile to develop apps or games in scratch in a mere step by step procedure.

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References
Fields, D.A., Giang, M. and Kafai, Y., 2014, November. Programming in the wild: trends in
youth computational participation in the online scratch community. In Proceedings of the 9th
workshop in primary and secondary computing education (pp. 2-11). ACM.
Ouahbi, I., Kaddari, F., Darhmaoui, H., Elachqar, A. and Lahmine, S., 2015. Learning basic
programming concepts by creating games with scratch programming environment. Procedia-
Social and Behavioral Sciences, 191, pp.1479-1482.
Ozoran, D., Cagiltay, N. and Topalli, D., 2012. Using scratch in introduction to programming
course for engineering students. In 2nd International Engineering Education Conference
(IEEC2012) (pp. 125-132).
Papadakis, S., Kalogiannakis, M., Orfanakis, V. and Zaranis, N., 2014, June. Novice
programming environments. Scratch & app inventor: a first comparison. In Proceedings of
the 2014 Workshop on Interaction Design in Educational Environments(p. 1). ACM.
Sáez-López, J.M., Román-González, M. and Vázquez-Cano, E., 2016. Visual programming
languages integrated across the curriculum in elementary school: A two year case study using
“Scratch” in five schools. Computers & Education, 97, pp.129-141.