Digital Scoreboard with AppInventor

Students will develop an app to track the score for point-based competitions like football or any other sports.

CreatorsJan Pawlowski, Martin Idzik
SubjectComputer Science, Sports
Length90 Minutes
Pedagogical ApproachExplorative Learning
CompetenciesTechnologies: App Inventor, Block languages
GradesGrade 5 to 9
TechnologiesMIT App Inventor

Learning Activities

Introduction: The teacher introduces the topic using an example (soccer). Together, the students can consider which games/sports can be supported with the app.

Development: The students develop the app together. The individual steps are given on the worksheet.

Reflection: The students try out the app by playing games and keeping score with the help of the app.

Worksheet: Step by step to the digital scoreboard

Dear children,https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/7n3_Ps_MyyZtxFjVTDkuSu3jI5LnbIHH4T3FFu4tWpQ205ftjmCeJ0hMYMxyaYjXGt7k1NN9noA1OOUpSP1J4Uxp7YzyxHjlD_AumTsuGqrHdELWHlqgDpCplEjiwkcLg2DuOhwn

the following worksheet will guide you through the development of your scoreboard app. 

To do this, first open the App Inventor. 

  • Now open a new project “Scoreboard”

The scoreboard should be able to do the following:

  • For team A and team B should capture a display of goals scored / points in a match. 
  • There should be a button to increase the goals scored
  • There should be a key to reset the counter to 0
  • A text field is to be used, with which the number of points is displayed

To arrange several elements among themselves, use the “Arrangement -> Vertical alignment” element

Have fun!

And this is what your screen could look like: 

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/cVIenDpDVr59ZvfoUghgk5fGZ5nkLpDtcmdW4MRs4peh8x4MTBhUH5ZkuSdO6OzfJxznZnToffjRdYVZnf70ItpH0QzqkkNiOHB2G8ZEqO2BPMoDEOFDlEIOfnLstSKCZ1mmfcgJ

Now the blocks must be designed in such a way that you have a counter available for each team. To do this, use one variable each with the starting value 0. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/xib-0vMoaGeHi79XS9lw-AyukFLZTySc577g7I9BXQung9mF6-wAVGML1s05LgJy8gCHOcHEmPS3bXUsdyu32jWjjLTDYwdKSZfUfAHqxtwgcN1aJ9wc6lndx9qQLHGGAVT8scZH

Now you use the already known block “If key.click”: For key 1 the variable is increased by 1, for key 2 it is set to 0. Then set the value of the text field to this number.

And this is how it might look: 

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/tKpNH9FeWwHl0A33Cs9EBqA_B8KhM94o7jwAvmGCZw8y_hHUt3-7lrIz0hkxuEBw0xuWS72kRosoYpQQK4A8AKsuPyvKYXucrExuIJSqZRI8fE-nHWbF0pU1P5ne_ml2KJOc__m3

A small extension:

Uses another key to display the final result. The final result should be displayed below the count. The name of the winning team and the result should be displayed. A draw is also possible. After the display, use another key to return to the scoreboard (back to 0).

This is what your blocks and the app should look like….

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jxDd8wNjLOYxUtfF6OK9O1PkMBCr-hqr12FNPYISrM_fmoB09jxW1prKn2MM8qfCRTu9VlzMNrGOjf2k_KBiYQfIJq2SE17fgODTu1EY-MoEIU8b2mLGe_9yLZWe2q2Wk_3lJSbv

Published by Jan Pawlowski

Professor in Business Information Systems at Ruhr West University of Applied Sciences

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