Common Bugs in Scratch Programs

Abstract

Bugs in SCRATCH programs can spoil the fun and inhibit learning success. Many common bugs are the result of recurring patterns of bad code. In this paper we present a collection of common code patterns that typically hint at bugs in SCRATCH programs, and the LitterBox tool which can automatically detect them. We empirically evaluate how frequently these patterns occur, and how severe their consequences usually are. While fixing bugs inevitably is part of learning, the possibility to identify the bugs automatically provides the potential to support learners.