Creative Thinking
A comfort with making mistakes (errors) is a key to thinking creativity. You see, one must be willing to experiment and explore without seeing failures as a bad thing. Jade fosters open-ended exploration: its durability and patent-pending technologies means that your mistakes are helpful and will not lead to failed parts.
MORE ABOUT CREATIVE THINKING...
Creativity is the ability to boldly connect unrelated ideas. It cannot be taught directly, but creative thinking can be developed. The process requires many trials, very similar to a budding artist learning to master a paintbrush: these trials will undoubtedly have many errors. In industry, this process is known as design thinking.
>>>> Image above is the overcurrent lockout screen art (?AOUT0) <<<<
>>>> Make it a GIF that shows broken wire detection too? <<<< |
We believe that programming can be art; Jade is the paintbrush.
Try something out. Tweak it. Try again. This is the start of creative thinking. Go ahead, try out anything. Jade will tell you if you have miswired a circuit and will immediately cut power to protect the parts. For example, if your code would switch on the TMS Port and overload a pin, you will get an on-screen error, and your pin will stay safe. |
Repeatable Baseline
You have meticulously set up a project or an experiment. And now, you want to test out something. So you change some code or rewire a portion of a circuit. Something stops working as it used to – maybe that light won't blink now – and you don't know how to get back to a working state.
Jade neatly packages your code, wiring, and notes as you work in a version-controlled repository. It also allows you to take snapshots as you work so that you always have a good state to return to: in this case, a certain circuit with specific code. Expand what you are building with no frustration. |
>>>> Show a screen from the electronics video -- wiring sequence plus what has been created already <<<<
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What has just been described is known as a repeatable baseline. It is central to Jade's experience, as some experiments involve games that teach you how to write more efficient code (for durable devices). Part of the fun is tweaking your code without worrying about breaking anything.
Jade's goal is to ensure that you are having fun trying things out. The baseline especially comes in handy when you need a break. If a friend wants to use your CB and removes the wiring you built, Jade will provide on-screen instructions for you to rebuild your creation.
Jade's goal is to ensure that you are having fun trying things out. The baseline especially comes in handy when you need a break. If a friend wants to use your CB and removes the wiring you built, Jade will provide on-screen instructions for you to rebuild your creation.
Test and Measure
>>>> Screen art of tests above -- show code coverage and revision? Need something simple and effective <<<<
>>>> 2018-07-08 Renderings needed here, show code function creating exact number -- also show DMM screen artwork measureing a precise voltage <<<< |
Code creates exact results. If your code adds 2 and 2, you should have an exact answer of 4. This should always be repeatable: it should not be 4 on Wednesday and 5 on Thursday. Or, if your code draws a cat on the left side of a screen, it should not appear on the right side after you switch projects and come back.
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Within each experiment or project repository, Jade allows you to store repeatable tests for your code. You provide these tests. Cat on the left screen. Check. Try out some stuff, and Jade will notify you as soon as a change you make affects the result. If you want to keep the new result, you update the test. Jade keeps old copies of your code and associated tests handy so you can always go back.
>>>> Show a circuit with annotated measurements (ranges) for testing, label DC / bias, frequency, time, etc. as possible params <<<<
Measurements of the real-world are also exact numbers. The numbers may not be correct – two thermometers may not show the same the temperature – but each gives an exact number. Similar to the repeatable code tests, Jade allows you to specify ranges for your STEM and electronics projects. Suppose that you are building robot circuits. If you are working on the motors, you would not expect the distance sensor to behave differently. Jade keeps tracks of circuit input and output measurements, stored in the repository with each circuit.
Confidence Builder
>>>> FIX BULLET COLORS <<<<
- Jade provides scaffolding that falls away as your confidence, skills, and creativity develop
- Errors are helpful when the environment is carefully prepared for design thinking and exploration
- Trial and error is sometimes the best way to learn, and Jade provides instant, interactive feedback for most every action
- Jade stores your work every step of the way so you or friend can always pick up where you left off