Contributor & Photo by Achmad Ulyani

In today’s educational landscape, educators are required to provide creative and innovative methods to increase student interest and enhance interactive participation. One approach that educators need is game-based learning, a method that combines game elements with the learning process, making it more engaging and easier to understand. Based on this need, the Faculty of Education at the Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia held a workshop focused on the use of Scratch in learning, which took place on November 17-18, 2025. Led by Dr. Taufik Ikhsan Slamet, the workshop introduced Scratch’s visual programming language and provided practical lessons on creating simple games.

Scratch is a visual programming platform developed by the MIT Media Lab to help novice users, especially teenagers and educators, learn basic coding concepts. The programming language in Scratch is presented through animated and colorful blocks that are easy for users to assemble and manipulate. Each block represents a specific command or function, allowing users to easily understand coding logic without having to deal with syntax. The Scratch platform not only simplifies the process of learning to code but also encourages creativity and computer-based thinking through projects that can be freely explored.

Dr. Taufik Ikhsan Slamet commenced the workshop by providing a comprehensive overview of the functions associated with various categories of blocks in Scratch. The Events block serves as the mechanism for initiating a sequence of commands based on specific triggers, such as the activation of a button or the interaction with a sprite (an object or character within Scratch). The Motion block is responsible for managing the movement of a sprite, enabling it to shift its position, slide to designated coordinates, or rotate in a specified direction.

The Looks block allows participants to enhance the visual aspects of a sprite, including the addition of text, costume changes, and size adjustments. The Sound block facilitates the integration of music and sound effects into projects. Finally, the Control block offers critical functionality, including loops (which execute repetitive commands), if-then commands (which enact specific actions contingent upon certain conditions), and sensing capabilities that enable the sprite to respond to user input or movement.

Participants were also taught about operators and variables. Operators are a collection of blocks used to perform mathematical operations such as score calculations, logic (for example, if a sprite touches something and the user presses a button, the next command will be executed), and text manipulation, which allows a program in Scratch to process words or sentences. Variables, on the other hand, serve as storage for information that the program needs, such as scores, lives, and other relevant data.

After learning the various functions of programming blocks in Scratch, workshop participants were then trained to create a simple game. At this stage, participants began to design the game flow, define characters or sprites, and manage interactions using blocks such as events, motion, and controls. Through trial and error, participants learned how each programming element is interconnected and affects the player experience. This exercise not only strengthened their technical understanding but also fostered creativity and systematic thinking skills in designing educational games.

By learning Scratch and practicing the creation of simple games, FOE UIII students not only gained technical skills in visual programming but also gained an understanding of how technology can be used to design more creative and interactive learning experiences. Through this workshop, participants are expected to be able to transform the knowledge they gain into more innovative learning methods, thereby increasing student motivation and engagement in the classroom. This workshop also serves as a first step for FOE UIII students to utilize game-based learning as part of educational practices that are relevant and adaptive to current needs.