Learner Analysis for the ScratchJr-CAL (Coding as Another Language) Special Interest Group (SIG)

I conducted a learner analysis for an authentic group of learners in the ScratchJr-CAL (Coding as Another Language) Special Interest Group (SIG). The ScratchJr CAL-SIG “aims to create a worldwide network of organizations to support each other while working with young children, kindergarten to second grade, with ScratchJr and the Coding as Another Language (CAL) curriculum. Learners in the ScratchJr-CAL SIG are representatives of organizations around the world implementing, or planning to implement, teaching-learning experiences using ScratchJr to provide creative coding experiences for young children ages 4-7 from historically underserved communities and/or educators for that group. The process involved gathering data and critically examining learner demographics, prior knowledge, motivations, and expectations. Because each learner possesses a unique set of circumstances that impact their motivation and learning, a narrowly focused instructional program leads to exclusion of some learners. This emphasizes the importance of designing a flexible learning environment that accommodates individual differences and includes all learners. A learner-centered approach to designing instruction is recommended to empower learners, with assessment, feedback, and flexibility during instruction to ensure that the program continues to meet the learners’ needs and promotes learner success.