Sense (programming)

Sense
Paradigm	object-oriented, educational, event-driven
Designed by	The Open University
Developer	The Open University Sense at the Open University
First appeared	2008
Stable release	Build 136
Typing discipline	None, uses a drag-and-drop interface
Implementation language	Squeak
OS	Windows, Mac, Linux
Filename extensions	.sb
Website	sense.open.ac.uk
Major implementations
Scratch
Influenced by
Scratch

Sense is an educational programming environment created by The Open University in the United Kingdom. It uses a drag-and-drop programming environment designed to teach students the fundamentals of programming languages, using different shape and colour "blocks" selected from a palette of available commands, meaning that the student needs to have no previous experience of programming nor do they need to learn a syntax. It is based on the Scratch programming language developed by the MIT Media Lab, and uses .sb files like Scratch but the two pieces of software cannot use each other's files.

The Sense programming environment is designed to work in conjunction with the SenseBoard, a specialised piece of hardware which connects to a user's computer via a USB connection. The SenseBoard has different input types such as an infrared sensor, light sensor, microphone and thermometer as well as outputs such as a motor & LEDs.

Sense and the SenseBoard are primarily used as part of the OU's My Digital Life (TU100) module, but is also used to a lesser degree on other modules. Sense will also be trialed in London schools in late 2012.