Visual Communication Questions and Answers

About Visual Communication

Easy ~45 min study

Most chapters in this book explain something about the physical world. This one explains a tool instead. A computer is where a great deal of school and working life now happens, and the chapter begins with the plainest question of all: once you have made something on a computer, where does it go and how do you find it again? The answer is the file and the folder, and the comparison the book uses is a library shelf, where each book is a file and the shelf itself is a folder.

From there the chapter moves to something more creative. Scratch is a programming environment designed so that beginners can build animations without typing a single line of code. Instructions come as coloured blocks that snap together, so a program is assembled rather than written. That design choice removes the usual barrier of syntax and lets a first program do something visible straight away, which is why it is used here rather than a conventional language.

For the examination this chapter is almost entirely about naming things correctly. The questions ask which part of the Scratch window does a particular job, or where a particular kind of item is stored. Knowing the purpose of each pane by name is what earns the mark, so the vocabulary matters more than any calculation.

What you'll learn

• Distinguish a file from a folder and explain why work is organised this way.
• Create a new folder and save files into it using the right click menu.
• Name the three main parts of the Scratch editor and state what each one does.
• Explain the difference between the script area and the block menu.
• Build a simple Scratch script by dragging and joining blocks.
• Add a sound to a sprite and include it in a running program.
• Save a Scratch project and run it from the green flag.

Before you start

• Basic familiarity with a computer screen, keyboard and mouse from earlier classes.
• An understanding of what software and hardware mean.
• Confidence with clicking, dragging and using a menu.

Visual Communication explained

What this chapter covers

Files and folders

A file is a single saved item of work and a folder is a storage space that holds many files. Folders are created through the menu that appears on a right click, choosing New and then Folder. Organising work this way is what makes it possible to find something later, and the chapter treats it as the foundation for everything that follows.

Operating systems and creating files

Windows and Linux are the two operating systems named here. The Start button lists the programs installed on the machine, and choosing a program is how a new file is begun. The book gives collecting notes in a simple text editor as its example, alongside drawing, animation, spreadsheets, documents and presentations as the other everyday uses.

What Scratch is

Scratch is programming software developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab, created to make programming easier and more enjoyable to learn. Rather than typing statements, the user drags blocks into place, which means a beginner can produce a working animation before learning any formal syntax.

The parts of the Scratch window

Three parts make up the editor. The stage is the background that appears when Scratch opens, usually white, and its colour can be changed. A sprite is a character placed on that background, and a cat appears as the default sprite. The script editor is where programs and the sprite's pictures are edited. Laid out on screen, the stage sits at the top left, the sprite list below it, and the scripts tab to the right, which also carries tabs for costumes and sounds.

Building a script

Inside the script editor the work divides between two areas. The script area is where blocks are joined together to build a script. The block menu is where the category of blocks, meaning the group of programming statements, is chosen before use. Keeping these two straight is the single most tested idea in the chapter, because the questions ask about each one separately.

Adding sound and running a program

Sound is added by selecting the sprite, opening the sounds tab and either keeping the default sound or choosing another from the sound library. The matching play sound block is then dragged from the sound category into the script. A finished project is saved from the File menu, and clicking the green flag above the stage runs it.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Confusing the script area with the block menu. Blocks are chosen by category in the block menu, then joined together in the script area.
• Treating the stage and the sprite as the same thing. The stage is the background; the sprite is the character standing on it.
• Naming Inkscape as the place where Scratch programs are edited. Programs are edited in the script editor, and Inkscape is separate drawing software.
• Answering that files are stored in a box or a scanner. Files are stored in a folder.
• Assuming a program runs as soon as it is built. It runs only when the green flag above the stage is clicked.

Test yourself on these with the practice test, then check the worked reasoning in the solved MCQs.

Frequently asked questions

What is Scratch used for?

Scratch is programming software used to create animations and simple interactive programs. It was developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab to make programming easier and more enjoyable for beginners, who build programs by dragging coloured blocks into place rather than typing code.

What is the difference between a file and a folder?

A file is a single saved item of work, such as a set of notes or a drawing. A folder is a storage space that holds many files. The textbook compares them to a library, where an individual book is the file and the whole shelf of books is the folder.

What is a sprite in Scratch?

A sprite is a character placed on the background of the Scratch window. When Scratch is opened a cat normally appears as the default sprite. The software allows the sprite to be changed, and its pictures can be edited through the costume editor.

What is the stage in Scratch?

The stage is the background that appears when the Scratch window is opened. It is white most of the time, and the user can change its colour. Sprites stand on the stage, and the stage sits at the top left of the Scratch window.

What is the difference between the script area and the block menu?

The script area is where blocks are joined together to build a script. The block menu is where the category of blocks, meaning the group of programming statements, is chosen before use. One is for selecting; the other is for assembling. Examination questions test them separately.

How do you add sound to a Scratch program?

Select the sprite in the sprite list and open the sounds tab. Keep the sound already there or click the speaker icon to choose another from the sound library. Then drag the play sound block from the sound category into the script and run the program.

How do you create a new folder on a computer?

Right click with the mouse so the popup menu appears on screen. Choose the New option, and a second menu opens with a further set of options. Select Folder from that menu. Files can then be saved into the folder that has just been created.

How is a Scratch program run?

After the blocks have been joined into a script, save the project using the Save option in the File menu. Then click the green flag at the top corner of the stage window. The program runs and the result appears on the stage.