The SHAPE framework

Develop computing skills to shape the world

Background

Research tells us that ‘projects’ are a great way to engage young people in computing. This can be a frustrating thing to hear because of the many ways that this word can be interpreted.

  • ‘Projects are when I tell my class to go and make something in Scratch’
  • ‘Projects are passively following tutorials to make a specific game’
  • ‘Projects are part of a whole school ‘Project-based learning’ approach that is learner driven and supported by mentors’

Educators that try using projects in the classroom will comment that ‘it was chaos because there wasn’t enough structure’ or ‘they followed the tutorial but now they can’t work independently’. If the research is telling us that projects are great then why do so many educators experience the opposite?

Creating projects that have an output that is valuable to learners is hugely motivating. Choice is known to be a factor in motivation and also welcomes and values personal and cultural knowledge and experience. When projects are too open it can lead to frustration for learners and become unmanageable for educators. The SHAPE framework carefully scaffolds a learners’ journey to gradually develop interest and independence while maintaining a steady cognitive load and sense of achievement and computing identity.

The stages of the SHAPE framework could be followed through creating one large project or a series of smaller projects.

Skills growth

Teaching skills through closed problems means that learners don’t develop the ability to apply skills in new contexts. This can make computing feel like a non-creative subject and doesn’t develop the skills to allow learners to create their own ideas that have relevance and meaning to them. A good computing curriculum should empower learners to shape the world we live in. This requires them to understand what is possible and how they can use computing to automate their ideas. .

The SHAPE framework introduces small groups of skills that can be combined to take part in a wide variety of different activities. The selected skills need to be worth learning and lead to a useful output.

When following the SHAPE framework, learners work with complete engaging projects from the start. Activities gradually remove scaffolding so that learners gain independence and projects become more varied based on personal interests. This can be done through a series of mini-projects or using one big project. After learning news skills with the SHAPE framework, learners are ready to come up with their own ideas that they will be prepared to create.

SHAPE

Choosing the right level of scaffolding at the right time is an art. Too much scaffolding can lead to a dull and repetitive experience for learners, too little can cause anxiety and disengagement. The key is to meet learners where they are at and provide enough motivation for them to appropriately challenge themselves. To support educators with the right scaffolding at the right time we have created the SHAPE framework which has five stages of skills development.

These are:

Spark

Spark

Mini projects or short activities that introduce a new piece of software or language to spark interest.

The how-to symbol

How-to

A step by step build for making a project that includes some tightly structured choices.

The adapt symbol

Adapt

Learners create their version of a project that has lots of scope for variety. Still guided but with more freedom with their design choices.

The produce symbol

Produce

Learners meet a brief and deliver a project that has been designed to be achievable with their skills. They make something new, using maker cards to help.

The envision symbol

Envision

Learners envision something entirely new and use those maker cards to support them to make it. Be an entrepreneur!

The SHAPE framework explained

Spark

Spark activities allow learners to try out a new skill or technology with the goal of ‘sparking’ interest. They are complete worked examples with opportunities to make small modifications. There is a focus on running the projects before looking inside to see how they were made.

After completing a spark activity, learners should be excited about what they will be able to create if they learn a new skill or set of related skills. Spark activities allow learners to see complete, engaging projects right from day one when learning a new technology or skill rather than building up from the bottom.

Example Spark activities include:

  • Interacting with a web page built using the skills they can learn
  • Exploring a variety of projects that use the collection of skills that they will develop
  • Viewing a collaboratively created fishtank of creatures created with a set of skills in an SVG editor
  • Creating a quick, mini-make to see what the software or environment is like

How-to

How-to activities provide guided step-by-step instructions that model the thought process that goes into using a skill. The cognitive load of learning a new skill, and often a new tool, is managed by having the learner actively follow along. There are small options for personalisation. This approach allows learners to be able to make a real project right from the start.

Example How-to activities include:

  • Follow along to change the points on a vector shape to create the body of a jellyfish
  • Create a mini ‘clicker’ game, choosing a sprite from a selection
  • Create a 3D base with props positioned in 3D space
  • Write CSS code for a card that can be flipped over
  • Edit a pre-recorded clip for a podcast

Adapt

Adapt activities remove some of the scaffolding but still provide the overall structure to allow learners to create different projects of the same type. Learners are guided through choices and the decisions they make enable them to engage more deeply with the skills they are learning.

Example Adapt activities include:

  • Create an interactive book on a topic of their choice
  • Create a 3D prop-hunt game with a graphical reward
  • Use the skills they have learned to create a podcast
  • Create a seasonal decoration with the micro:bit

Produce

Produce activities allow learners to apply their skills to meet a project brief. Now they need to provide the overall structure of the project and decide which skills to use. Project briefs are designed to be achievable with the skills that have been learned but lead to a wide variation in outcomes.

Example Produce activities include:

  • Visualise data to convince the headteacher to change something in the school
  • Use the micro:bit to make play-time more active
  • Use Scratch to create an activity to raise money at the school fair
  • Create an educational web app to help younger children to learn a skill

Envision

Envision is not constrained by a brief. Learners are now able to come up with their own ideas of projects they can make with the skills they have learned. At this point learners are able to identify a need that can be met with the skills they have learned. The familiar maker cards support them.

Example Envision activities include:

  • Build a project for their portfolio
  • Come up with their own idea for a showcase or competition
  • Identify and solve a problem in their community
  • Create a project for a Scouts badge or other award

Use maker cards throughout the stages

A maker card provides an example for a specific skill that can be reused and modified. It also includes guidance on when to use the skill and debugging tips.

Learners who are not yet able to recall or develop the complete code for a skill can find the details on the maker card. The focus is on the higher level skills of understanding the purpose of the skill and when it should be used. This more closely follows the experience of professional software developers who rely on knowledge captured in design patterns and discussion forums.

Showcase

Showcasing gives learners the opportunity to share what they have created. This can be done in-person or virtually. Mini-showcases can be used to share work in progress and end of project showcases can be used to celebrate achievements.

Collaboration

Pair, or ‘ensemble’, coding works well for developing skills with learners taking turns being the ‘driver’ or ‘navigator’. Ensemble coding (also known as mob coding) is another industry practice that is used for larger groups, particularly when developing a new skill. All learners in a pair/group benefit from being part of a shared learning experience with classroom talk providing a way to develop thinking.

From Adapt projects onwards, learners may begin to collaborate and decompose a project into separate tasks to allow them to build larger projects that benefit from a team approach with different team members working on different parts.

Scope

The SHAPE framework is designed to develop computing skills including analysing and visualising data, computer programming, machine learning, prompt engineering, cybersecurity and developing creative media as part of a digital project.

The SHAPE framework supports metacognition with learners being aware of their progress in learning specific skills. It also develops lifelong learning skills that will enable learners to identify skill gaps and seek appropriate learning opportunities to address them.

The SHAPE framework is not specific to any particular age group and works with children, young people and adult learners.

Usage rights for the SHAPE framework

You are welcome to use the SHAPE framework for non-commercial purposes, provided that appropriate credit is given. For any commercial use, please contact us for permission and licensing arrangements.

For enquiries, please reach out to us through our contact form.

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Research and related concepts

The SHAPE framework is research-informed. Relevant research includes: