Goolalang: A Coding Educational Platform for Kindergarten Children

Introducing Goolalang: A New Drag-and-Drop Programming Language

Goolalang App, developed by Hangzhou Maiyike Technology Co., Ltd., is a programming platform designed specifically for young children. It is based on Goolalang, a new drag-and-drop programming language. What sets Goolalang apart is its unique visual representation of programs, resembling a top-down road with signs representing the direction the program runs. As the program executes, a footprint stops at each step, making it easy for children to understand and follow along.

One of the strengths of Goolalang is its creative programming blocks, which allow children to easily write multi-sprite stories and animations. By grabbing a programming block, finding a suitable position, and attaching it under or inside another programming block, young children can build scenes and bring their ideas to life. Goolalang App also provides a series of courses to guide children in learning the language and exploring their creativity.

The development process of Goolalang involved various technologies and tools. The initial prototype was created using pencil and paper, and then further refined using Axure RP. The user interface design was done using Adobe Illustrator, while the application itself was developed using Xcode. The application is optimized for iPad size and requires iOS 9 or above.

Goolalang has been well-received in the field of programming education for kindergarten children. Its unique approach to teaching programming concepts and its user-friendly interface have garnered positive feedback from both children and educators. The Goolalang App allows young children to import their favorite sprites and backgrounds, build scenes, and write programs using the drag-and-drop blocks. The app also provides online video courses, allowing children to learn programming while watching instructional videos. Programs created using Goolalang can be easily shared through Airdrop, fostering collaboration and creativity.

The Goolalang project began at Zhejiang University in China in 2017 and is currently being developed by Hangzhou Maiyike Technology Co., Ltd. Extensive research was conducted, including studies on children's pedagogy and real user testing with children aged 5-7 and adults such as kindergarten teachers and parents. The testing results showed that children were highly interested in learning Goolalang programming and were able to create their own stories and animations, demonstrating the effectiveness of Goolalang as a programming language for young children.

Despite the challenges faced, including the limited attention to programming education in kindergarten and the design of a programming language suitable for young children, Goolalang has emerged as a valuable tool for introducing programming thinking at an early age. With programming education becoming a global focus, Goolalang App provides illiterate children with the opportunity to learn programming and express their creativity through coding.

Goolalang and the Goolalang App are trademarks of Hangzhou Maiyike Technology Co., Ltd., and are protected by intellectual property rights. In recognition of its innovative and practical design, Goolalang received the Iron A' Design Award in the Education, Teaching Aid, and Training Content Design category in 2020. This award is given to designs that meet professional and industrial requirements, integrating industry best practices and competent technical characteristics.