News_

Exciting news!

An innovative new version of the Pytch editor is now available_

The team has developed and trialled a new innovative version of the editor that makes it easier for learners to create programs. This work is based on feedback from educators and students in the Pytch community and is the result of our co-creation activities over the last year and a half.  An even more friendly coding environment gives the students the chance to write Python code in a Scratch-style script-by-script editor.

You can try the new version now to create your own Pytch game: Blue Invaders demo

The new features included in the new release have already received very positive feedback from the learners testing it. We would like to thank the students who participated in the pilot and TU Dublin for hosting us.

The recent release also includes a new version of one of our step by step tutorials, which aims to be more interactive and supportive. The new style is currently available in one tutorial, and we will release more soon, refining the approach based on feedback.

You can try the new version out now, learning Python while creating a fun Pytch game: Catch the Apple Script by Script tutorial

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More Details

Why did we make this?  From early in the project, we received feedback from educators that, in some settings, the classes and methods used by Pytch could be confusing to learners — “classes and decorators aren’t on the syllabus”.  We also noticed that it was easy for learners to make indentation and other errors in the “boilerplate” code needed for classes and methods, distracting them from the core task of writing the Python code needed for their project’s behaviour.

What have we built?  Pytch users can now choose to use a new Integrated Development Environment (IDE) which has user-interface elements for creating sprites and their costumes and scripts.  Within each script, they write just the Python code they need for that script, without the cognitive and practical overhead of having to write out the class and decorated method definitions.  The existing “all one big program” editor is still available.

Is the “one big program” editor still there?  Yes!  You can have a mixture of “one big program” and “script by script” projects stored on your device.  You can choose which one to use when you create each new project.  Our existing “one big program” tutorials and lesson resources are all still there too.

What supporting materials are there?  As well as the new IDE option, we have developed a framework for follow-along tutorials using this mode of development.  We have added a rewritten version of one of our existing tutorials in this style, and more will follow soon.  We’ve reviewed the integrated help which shows learners the relationship between Scratch blocks and Pytch methods, making it more responsive to context.

Is this still “real Python”?  Yes!  The individual scripts are full, real Python code.  Under the covers, the Pytch webapp assembles the learner’s sprites and their costumes and scripts into one big Python program.  We are planning to explore the idea of making this process visible to the learner, so they can expand their knowledge of Python when they’re ready.

What else has changed?  When designing the new IDE layout, we have taken some cues from professional development environments, and incorporated some graphic design advice.  We will be bringing a cleaner new look to the rest of the app soon.  We’ve also made some error messages more helpful to the learner and made various other minor improvements.

Has this been tested with real learners?  Yes!  We’re grateful to our pilot group of learners who provided very valuable feedback, and to the educators who have been our co-creation partners throughout the Pytch project.

Are there any examples?  Yes!  The follow-along tutorial in the new style is script by script “Catch The Apple” tutorial, and a demo is script by script Blue Invaders demo.

Can I start editing my own Pytch program with the new version? Yes! You can just open pytch.org and click on the “Try it!” button as shown in the image below. We hope you will enjoy it — let us know your feedback and what great Pytch programs you are creating!

In the news

• Northside Today – Interview with Glenn Strong (October 9, 2023)
• Pytch – C2iTICE (cnrs.fr) (November 10, 2023)
• Pytch workshop in Stratford College (May 5, 2023)
• Pytch CodeWeek article (August 30, 2022)
• TCD School of Computer Science and Statistics news article (March 9, 2023)

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