Moodle Plugins Directory: Scratch

Filters: Scratch

filter_scratch

The Scratch filter allows you to embed Scratch games into labels, forums, or web pages automatically - wherever you create a link to a .sb Scratch file that has been uploaded onto the Moodle server (either as an attachment to a forum post, or as a course file).

Maintained by:

Ralf Krause

The Scratch Filter allows you to embed Scratch games into labels, forums, or web pages automatically - wherever you create a link to a .sb Scratch file that has been uploaded onto the Moodle server (either as an attachment to a forum post, or as a course file).

This not only allows you to use Scratch files as teaching aids, examples, or games but also allows students to share their own Scratch games with other students via a forum, giving and receiving feedback and learning from each other's scripts.

To install and configure:

Unzip the Scratch plugin folder to the filters folder on your Moodle server
Log in as administrator and visit the notifications page.
Enable the Scratch filter (Modules > Filters > Manage Filters)
Change the settings to enable or disable autoplay (Modules > Filters > Scratch)
Test out the plugin by adding a link to a Scratch file in a label or creating a forum post with a Scratch file as an attachment

Acknowledgements:

ScratchApplet.jar and soundbank.gm are included with permission from the Scratch team. These files may need updating from time to time as new versions of Scratch are released. They are generally available from:

http://scratch.mit.edu/static/misc/ScratchApplet.jar and http://scratch.mit.edu/static/misc/soundbank.gm

Scratch is developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. See http://scratch.mit.edu

Useful links

Contribute translations for English - United States (en_us)

Screenshots

Contributors

Ralf Krause (Lead maintainer)

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Awards

Moodle Hat

Comments

Show comments

JD Moodle
Mon, May 28, 2012, 11:57 AM
Thanks Ralf, works extremely well. Nice to have students upload the sb file and not have to depend on MIT servers.

You've inspired me to write a pluggin for java applets.
Stuart Purvis
Fri, Feb 1, 2013, 10:10 PM
Are the any problems with it running in 2.4
Ralf Krause
Fri, Feb 1, 2013, 11:32 PM
Hi Stuart,

I found no problems yet. I don't know which problems will come with Java ... you need Java on your client computers if you want to use the Scratch filter. There were some bad news about Java and I don't know what happens with the Scratch apps if the browser get new Java plugins every week.

Scratch will publish Scratch 2.0 during the next weeks and then I will renew the Scratch filter. They are using Flash now

The Scratch apps do not work on a mobile device that can't use Java or Flash so you can't get the Scratch apps on an iPad or an Android.

Ralf
Graham Bowman
Thu, Jul 18, 2013, 3:39 AM
This is really impressive. I don't know why this hasn't had more attention. I suppose with the move to Scratch 2 it may become less necessary because projects can be embedded, but until Scratch2 provides Teacher/Student control Scratch 1 is more appropriate in school.
John Gomes
Tue, Aug 27, 2013, 11:43 PM
Now that the stand-alone of Scratch 2.0has been released, is there anyone developing a Moodle plugin that will able .sb2 files to be viewed in a Moodle discussion forum?
Dan Trockman
Thu, Sep 26, 2013, 4:26 AM
Ralph, we have made good use of this filter in our school for showcasing projects students have made for their parents. We are now using scratch 2 also. Is there any timeline for when an updated filter will be available to handle .sb2 files? I am just fine with a separate filter in the case that one cannot be made to handle both .sb and .sb2 files.
David Morrow
Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 6:14 AM
Ralph, I just today received an email from a teacher (who loves Scratch, Moodle, and your filter!) with a screen shot of a JAVA security warning, including the statement, "Running unsigned applications like this will be blocked in a future release...". She is really worried that she will no longer be able to display Scratch files in Moodle. Is there an update to the current filter that addresses the signing issue? Or is there a filter for Scratch 2 available? Thanks for a great Moodle addition and any further help you can provide.
Dan Trockman
Thu, Nov 21, 2013, 8:26 AM
Those warnings and blocks are about the browsers, browser plugins, and java itself. They are more like disclaimers and becoming ridiculous. I'm still very interested in a scratch 2 Moodle plugin. I've not seen a runtime from MIT yet and cannot get a reply from them. Anyone?
Richard Lian
Mon, Mar 3, 2014, 11:48 PM
Hi all, Can someone tell me how to add a link to a scratch file already present on Moodle as I can't find the "true" url for it, just the php id.

Thanks.
Graham Bowman
Tue, Mar 4, 2014, 2:45 AM
@Richard, this is something I wrote for our staff, hope it helps. How to embed a Scratch file:

Upload the file as a "File" resource. Edit the resource settings (cog) and press "Save and display" - this takes you to a page with a link to the actual file.

Copy the link to the file (not the resource), it will end in .sb

Type any text and make it a link (chain button, you might need to press show editing tools) to the .sb file that you just copied.

Save.

Optionally - hide the original file resource with the [eye] button.
Richard Lian
Tue, Mar 4, 2014, 6:48 PM
Hi Graham,

That's great - worked a treat thanks!

Just struggling with Java now with it blocking due to out of date or expired version of Java. Not sure if that is with the browser plugin or Moodle itself or the Scratch program being used....
Richard Lian
Thu, Mar 6, 2014, 11:30 PM
I don't suppose anyone has any thoughts or past experience with the Java issue?
Ralf Krause
Fri, Mar 7, 2014, 1:25 AM
Hi, I used the original player from http://wiki.scratch.mit.edu/wiki/Java_Player for the Moodle filter.
Richard Lian
Fri, Mar 7, 2014, 4:14 PM
Hi Ralf - have you experienced the Java security issues though? Is it actually a signed applet?

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