More than 1,000 pupils have taken part in a six-week pilot of what is claimed to be the UK’s first creative coding software platform aligned to the national computing curriculum.
The free learning-to-code platform, which was developed by Turinglab, an education technology organisation, uses a mix of gamification and creative project-based software tools.
It is aimed at key stage 3 and key stage 4 pupils, and had supportive funding from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
Using the platform, pupils learn and practise a set of core coding skills, which they then employ to create a project of their own, typically a game or application, to reinforce their learning by applying it directly to a problem.
Its creators said it had been designed “with the teacher in mind”, and was “to be used in conjunction with traditional teaching methods”.
It aims to help to improve digital teaching standards and open up future technology career and apprenticeship opportunities.
Getting girls interested in computer science
The pilot, carried out over the summer, involved 30 schools, and the platform will be made available to schools across the UK after feedback from the pilot has been considered.
Cris Baptiste, ICT and computing teacher at Saint Gabriel’s College in Camberwell, South London, said: “In the short time my students have taken part in the Turinglab pilot, general interest in computer science has grown, with several asking for the pilot to continue after the summer holiday.
“The platform has a lot to offer - from colourful drawings and interactive animations to programming exercises and online quizzes bringing computer science theory to life.
“The great news for me has been an increase in the number of girls now showing interest, and the programming languages used by Turinglab, being Python and JavaScript, fit in perfectly with the next phase of studies at GCSE level.”
Turinglab worked on the project in partnership with Ada, National College for Digital Skills in Tottenham Hale, North London. They were supported by IT consultancy BJSS.
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