Code Shrew: Software platform for teaching programming through drawings and animations
This tool addresses the problem of engaging beginners in programming education through interactive, visual methods, though it is incremental in applying existing educational principles.
The authors introduced Code Shrew, a software platform that teaches programming fundamentals by allowing users to create drawings and animations, using a Python-based syntax with instant feedback to enhance learning.
In this paper, we present Code Shrew, a new software platform accompanied by an interactive programming course. Its aim is to teach the fundamentals of computer programming by enabling users to create their own drawings and animations. The programming language has a straightforward syntax based on Python, with additions that enable easy drawing and animating using object-oriented code. The editor reacts seamlessly and instantly, providing an engaging and interactive environment for experimenting and testing ideas. The programming course consists of lessons that cover essential programming principles, as well as challenges to test users' skills as they progress through the course. Both the lessons and challenges take advantage of the editor's instant feedback, allowing for a focus on learning-by-doing. We describe the software and the content, the motivation behind them, and their connection to constructionism.