Test Cooldown Demo

A minimal one-step demo of the test cooldown feature: clicking 'Test My Work' locks the button for a few seconds with a live countdown, while an 'I'm sure' button runs the same tests silently — passes still unlock Next, but no result panel appears.

1

The Test Cooldown

Why this matters

Real homework benefits from thinking between test runs. A short cooldown nudges students to read failure messages instead of mashing the test button. The I’m sure override is there for the rare case a student is confident the code works and is willing to skip the visual feedback to advance.

🎯 You will learn to

  • Apply the cooldown gate by running the visible test and observing the timer countdown
  • Evaluate the I’m sure silent path: when does it advance the tutorial without showing test results?

What to try

  1. Click Test My Work. The starter code returns None, so the test fails. The button is replaced by ⏱ Test My Work (0:03) and I’m sure.
  2. While the timer runs, click I’m sure. The test panel is not updated — silent runs hide their results. The Next button stays locked because the test still fails.
  3. Fix answer() in main.py to return 42. Click I’m sure again. The test panel still doesn’t change, but Next unlocks (the silent pass is the gate, the panel is just feedback).
  4. Wait for the countdown to reach zero. The ⏱ button is replaced by the normal ✓ Test My Work again, and the I’m sure button disappears.
  5. Refresh the page mid-cooldown. The countdown picks up from where it was — the end timestamp lives in localStorage, so reloading can’t bypass it.
Starter files
main.py
def answer():
    # TODO: replace `None` with the right number.
    return None
2

What You Just Saw

Why this matters

A short cooldown does for testing what a thoughtful pause does for replying: it gives the failure feedback time to sink in. The I’m sure override keeps the gate from being annoying when you really do know better.

🎯 You will learn to

  • Recall the difference between the visible run and the silent override
  • Evaluate when a cooldown helps vs hinders learning

Recap

  • The visible run gives feedback and starts the cooldown.
  • The silent run hides the result panel; if it passes, Next unlocks anyway.
  • The end timestamp lives in localStorage, so refreshing can’t bypass the wait — but the entry is auto-cleaned once the timer expires.