Fun learning Stagecast Creator: an exercise in minimalism and collaboration

We are attempting to create a cross-generational learning community who will work together to design, construct, and discuss simulations of community topics. The simulations are built with Stagecast Creator, a state-of-the art visual programming environment. As part of this larger project, we have developed minimalist training materials for middle school students. This paper reports a formative evaluation of these training materials, in which groups of students worked together on two related tutorial modules. In general the students were successful in their work with Creator, needing little aid from the experimenters, and showing evidence of enjoyment. Our aim is to develop materials that will attract participation and enable students to spend their free time and play with this environment, and as a by-product of having fun, learn more about visual programming.