By Benjamin Akoto, GNA
unyani, (Bono), Sept. 8, GNA – Mr Gabriel Kwadwo Afram, an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tutor has advocated the use of ‘physical 3D scratch coding blocks’ for teaching in basic schools.
He said the effective application of the coding block would promote creative skills of learners, particularly those in deprived communities without computers and the internet.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Mr Afram a tutor at Sunyani Senior High School and developer of scratch blocks explained that the coding block was an innovative teaching tool that introduced learners to programming.
He said: “Even in areas without access to computers, these physical blocks can be used to teach the foundations of coding”, explaining that scratch was a visual programming language that allowed users to create interactive stories, games, and animations.
Mr Afram said he developed the blocks after receiving a grant from the Scratch Foundation in the United States, saying the tool provided unplugged coding resources for learners in communities without electricity and digital infrastructure.
He said incorporating scratch into classrooms through tactile tools such as 3D Scratch blocks would also foster creative thinking, systematic reasoning, and collaborative learning saying that tool was designed to ensure inclusivity in coding education.
Mr Afram said that: “Early exposure to coding is essential in today’s technological world” and recommended the introduction of the coding tool at the primary school level.
That will further enhance critical thinking and stimulate interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
Mr Afram said: “STEM education requires hands-on engagement and our 3D Scratch blocks are manipulatives that support learning.
Through play, children build, explore, and learn coding principles physically, which makes the experience memorable and effective”, he added.
“Integrating the blocks into the curriculum will empower teachers in remote areas and equip students with foundational coding skills, even in the absence of computers or internet connectivity”.
Mr Afram explained that the 3D Scratch blocks were piloted in 30 public and private schools in the Sunyani Municipality and Jaman North District of the Bono Region, adding that more than 500 learners benefited saying the pilot implementation was part of the of the Scratch Education Collaborative (SEC) 2022-2024 cohort.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah /Kenneth Odeng Adade