This makes me want to find an old BBC Micro and a LOGO Turtle :)
I Think the initial page has too many paths that I can start on. I think it needs a single clear starting point (higher up the page) that lets one get used to the UI... for instance it took me a while to work out how to 'start', then a while before I noticed that there was a tab for the 'robot' I was controlling.
That's a great point! I've heard that a couple of times actually. For the first couple of dares it would probably be better not to have any tabs, in order to be able to get started right away.
I did want to have the game on the frontpage however, both as a showcase of what's possible with the platform and because making games might appeal to people. But maybe on the frontpage there should be a number of different examples to explore, including some with robots. What do you think?
I also didn't find the actual tutorials below the fold at first. I thought we were supposed to start at the big game, which is rather complex for novices.
Consider placing the main/default path at the top of the page (start your first lesson, a la Codecademy) and below that (but still above the fold) 3 or 4 examples inside small squares of the kind of programs you can write (possibly starting points for more advanced students).
I Think the initial page has too many paths that I can start on. I think it needs a single clear starting point (higher up the page) that lets one get used to the UI... for instance it took me a while to work out how to 'start', then a while before I noticed that there was a tab for the 'robot' I was controlling.