Osmo Coding is a tablet game that works in conjunction with smart blocks that teach users the fundamentals of coding, while utilizing the power of hands-on learning.
While there is a growing consensus that children should learn to code, many of the educational coding platforms out there are entirely computer-based. Researchers have expressed concern over the amount of screen time children receive, and the impact of working on-screen versus hands-on has yet to be determined. Startup Osmo wanted to offer parents an alternative to working exclusively on screen or hands-on. Osmo Coding bring the benefits of LEGOs to the screen.
The iOS platform is called Osmo Coding, and it works in tandem with smart blocks that click together to execute computer commands. It begins with an iPad and an Osmo hardware piece that allows the mobile device to recognize the position of the smart blocks using fancy computer interface technology. Each block represents a different command, and users can create simple or complex commands based on how the blocks are snapped together.
I have to be honest, the buttons look super-useful for other types of projects. Like the Amazon IoT button for ordering products.
The story behind the game features a loveable character, Awbie, whose favorite food is strawberries. Users are tasked with helping Awbie eat as many strawberries as it can, while overcoming obstacles such as bodies of water and trees. The blocks represent commands that can help Awbie maneuver the virtual world, such as “jump,” and “grab” commands, and users can piece them together in any fashion they like. More advanced users can even create super commands and use Boolean-style functions to help Awbie move through the world faster.
With this, kids are allowed to learn through mistakes. If Awbie falls into a small lake or bumps into a tree, it’s OK. Users can simply try a different function to see how the outcome changes. Like coding, each problem requires a different function, or set of functions, so creator Ariel Zekelman wanted the game to mimic that.
Zekelman is actually a 23-year-old hardware engineering student at Evanston’s Northwestern University. She will be the youngest person to ever design a product that will be sold in Apple stores.
Osmo Coding launched in Amazon, Apple, and PlayOsmo.com stores last week, and the set is available for $49 to $75 (depending on whether or not you already have Osmo’s mirror attachment). You can get it here.
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