OctoStudio is developed by the creators of Scratch at MIT, and applies the core design principles of Scratch and creative coding approach. Below are: (1) publications documenting use of OctoStudio in diverse cultural contexts; (2) related research studies on learning and skill development with Scratch which OctoStudio builds upon; (3) documentation of how school systems and NGOs are adopting OctoStudio.
Use of OctoStudio in Diverse Cultural Contexts
Use of OctoStudio to support learning of digital creation, computational thinking, and other 21st century skills has been documented in a variety of cultural contexts with diverse learners.
Honoring Practices of Community-Based Educators: Lessons Learned from the Collaborative Design of a Creative Mobile App (2024): This article describes how OctoStudio is designed to support creative learning and computational thinking in diverse cultural contexts, based on experience and insights from community-based educators in Brazil, Chile, India, Mexico, South Africa, and other countries.
Breaking Barriers in Education: Leveraging 3E Approach and Technology to Foster Inclusion for SEN Students (2025): Researchers in Chile present a case study of a student with special educational needs (SEN) using OctoStudio to create a project that documents his observations about the natural environment.
Crystalising Maker Moments: Postdigital Storying Across Contexts (2024): This paper from University of Sheffield documents how OctoStudio can be used to support children to make animated stories that combine use of digital and physical materials.
Introducing Computer Programming With Octostudio: Development Of Simple Games (2025): A researcher in Brazil documents use of OctoStudio to support elementary school students learning math through creating games for learning.
Learning Through Play! Playful Learning and Creative Coding (2024): This paper describes how OctoStudio was used to support creative and playful learning across four different themes by educators at the Reggio Children Foundation in Italy.
Research on Learning with Scratch
OctoStudio is developed by the creators of Scratch at MIT, applying the same creative learning approach, research-based design principles, and core computational concepts, though adapted to work well on mobile devices in diverse contexts without internet. Below are some of the research studies from universities from several different countries on learning and skill development through creating projects with Scratch, which OctoStudio builds upon.
Ingenuity of Scratch Programming on Reflective Thinking Towards Problem Solving and Computational Thinking (2022): A mixed method approach with 524 elementary-school students and 8 mathematics teachers in Turkey which found that using Scratch to design games significantly strengthened students’ reflective thinking skills for problem solving and computational thinking, with no differences across genders.
A Multiyear Investigation of Student Computational Thinking Concepts, Practices, and Perspectives in an After-School Computing Program (2020): A mixed-methods study of 138 students using Scratch in an after-school program which found significant gains in student learning of computational thinking concepts, with gains persisting over time.
Visual Programming Languages Integrated Across The Curriculum in Elementary School: A Two Year Case Study Using “Scratch” in Five Schools (2016): A two-year research study across five schools in Spain investigating the impact of project-based learning in Scratch on motivation, learning across subject areas, and computational thinking.
Integrating Scratch with Project-Based Learning to Cultivate Students' Academic Performance (2024): A study of 105 students in Indonesia which found that students who did project-based learning in biology with Scratch significantly outperformed two other comparison groups in learning outcomes, motivation, and ability to apply knowledge in creative and meaningful ways,
Coding to Learn Mathematics in 5th Grade: Implementation of the ScratchMaths Project in Spain (2021): A research study involving 3,700 students on the improvement in students' mathematical competence through programming activities with Scratch in 5th grade Primary Education in Spain.
Remixing as a Pathway to Computational Thinking (2016): A study of 1 million users and 2.4 million projects in the Scratch online community which found that Scratch users learn and use new computational concepts as a result of remixing others' projects.
Documentation on Government and NGO Adoption
OctoStudio was launched in October 2023, and continues to grow in adoption by government school systems and non-governmental organizations around the world. Below are some of the evidence related to adoption of OctoStudio:
São Paulo Municipal Schools Digital Learning Planning Document (2025): The Secretary of Education for the City of São Paulo, Brazil, which serves more than 500,000 students, has adopted OctoStudio as a key tool for supporting digital skills across the curriculum. This document highlights some of the ways that educators can use OctoStudio as a tool for students' development of digital literacy and communication skills.
Digital Minds - OctoStudio - Secretary of Education Jalisco (2026): The Secretary of Education in Jalisco, Mexico has been leading an initiative to empowet educators across the state to use OctoStudio as a tool for students to develop digital and problem solving skills by creating animations, stories, and games. They offered a series of six video webinars in Spanish for educators (available on YouTube) demonstrating how learners can create interactive projects with OctoStudio across multiple subject areas.
ProFuturo Digital Education Program in Spanish (2023): The ProFuturo digital education program, an initiative of the Telefónica Foundation and the La Caixa Foundation, developed a free teaching guide about OctoStudio in Spanish to support digital education goals for use across multiple Latin American countries.
National Geographic Society's OctoStudio Learning Resources (2026): National Geographic Society website offers three sets of resources for educators to support learners in developing important skills by creating projects with OctoStudio to communicate their ideas and observations about the natural world. These are free open educational resources that educators around the world can use, translate, and adapt for their local context.
Transformation Inclusive Learning System: Insights and Outcomes from Research of Dr. Imran Yousuf (2025): Documentation on use of OctoStudio and Scratch for students with special needs in Pakistan. This excerpt from a book describes how OctoStudio's design supports learners, particularly those with neurodiverse needs, to engage with coding in an accessible way, encouraging both independent creativity and the development of technical skills.
OctoStudio - Brazilian Creative Learning Network (2026): The Brazilian Creative Learning Network is supporting educators around the country in using OctoStudio as a tool for creative learning. Their educator portal hosts a webpage where educators can access and share examples of different ways that learners are using OctoStudio to express their ideas about the environment and other topics.
Pedagogical and Curricular Approaches to Teaching Digital Skills: What Are Some of the Most Effective Ways to Teach Digital Skills in Both Formal and Non-Formal Educational Settings? (2025): The World Bank released a working paper reviewing and providing recommendations on pedagogical and curricular approaches to digital skills development in formal and nonformal primary and secondary education. Throughout, the paper recommends MIT's Scratch as one of the key platforms to support teaching and learning digital skills. The benefits and qualities of Scratch highlighted also apply to the OctoStudio platform on which it is based.