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Course 88 · Digital course 13

Test and Debug Digital Products

Turn expected behavior into test cases, write a reproducible bug report, and check whether a repair creates new problems.

Before you start

Prepare a notebook or plain text document for the test packet.

See everything you’ll need
What you’ll leave with

A practical test plan, a clear bug report, and a way to check whether a repair works.

Start course Start without an account. Sign in to save lesson progress across devices.

Your project

Start with the practice files. Build your project one lesson at a time.

Practice files are free without an account. Sign in to save your project record in My Proof: a description, checklist, and optional work link. Keep the original files in your own app or notebook; saving a project record does not upload them.

  1. Get your materialsDownload the practice worksheetUse the downloadable worksheet or toolkit alongside the lesson instructions.
  2. Make your projectView the project checklist Work in your own notebook, document, or software. Use the supplied practice examples when you prefer.
  3. Keep a private recordSave a project record Sign in to save a description and checklist, then return to update them.
Course handbook

Know the route before you begin.

Here’s what you’ll need and what you’ll make. You can return to this guide during any lesson.

Who this is for

Learners age 14 and older, including adults exploring technical work or strengthening school and community projects. No employment or university enrollment is needed.

Prepare before lesson one
  • Prepare a notebook or plain text document for the test packet.
  • Use the supplied Room Picker rules and observations; no software account is needed.
  • If using another demo, use only one you own or are explicitly authorized to test and keep its results separate.
Your final project

Finish with proof you can use.

Review the Room Picker simulation from initial contract through a verified rule repair.

Save a project record in My Proof
See project checklist and review criteria

Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.

What to include

  • Define scope and observable acceptance criteria.
  • Record eight diverse cases with expected and observed outcomes.
  • Write a minimal reproducible bug report with impact.
  • Show a one-change repair experiment and relevant comparisons.
  • Deliver retest evidence and a usability hypothesis with honest limits.

Review and revise

Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.

  • Coverage: cases represent relevant classes and boundaries.
  • Reproducibility: state, steps and results are sufficient to repeat.
  • Reasoning: the repair follows evidence and preserves valid behavior.
  • Handoff: claims stay within the observed version and scope.
Three ideas to help you along the way
Three useful ideas

The rules behind the steps.

01

Expect before observing

Use requirements to define the result a test should produce.

02

Isolate one cause

Change one relevant factor during a focused experiment.

03

Keep evidence specific

Record versions, observations and uncertainty separately.

What do these words mean?
Key words

Key terms worth knowing.

Acceptance criterion
An observable condition that defined behavior should satisfy.
Boundary case
A value at or near the edge of an allowed class.
Regression
Previously working behavior that fails after a change.
Reproduction steps
The actions and starting conditions needed to demonstrate an issue.
Usability observation
A record of how someone attempts or completes a task.
Your route

6 lessons.
One useful project.

Work in order the first time. Each lesson makes something the next lesson can use.

  1. 1
    Up next

    Define expected behavior

    Turn a product rule into a checkable statement of what must happen. This is called an acceptance criterion.

  2. 2
    28 min

    Choose cases that expose mistakes

    Build a small test plan using typical, boundary and invalid inputs.

  3. 3
    24 min

    Write a reproducible bug report

    Capture the smallest sequence that demonstrates a mismatch.

  4. 4
    28 min

    Isolate the cause with one change

    Test a narrow hypothesis and preserve a passing comparison.

  5. 5
    22 min

    Distinguish usability evidence from a functional failure

    Read task observations and propose a testable improvement.

  6. 6
    34 min

    Retest and explain what is ready

    Recheck the repair and explain remaining uncertainty.

Use the tools

Tools to help you practice.

See all tools
Text worksheet

Your course project worksheet

A downloadable text worksheet with each lesson’s working output, space for your answers, and the shared final-project checklist. Save your own copy.

Source transparency

Sources and further study.

Explore the references behind the lessons and take your learning further. Source notes explain access and reuse.

MIT 6.031 — Reading 3: Testing
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Read systematic testing and boundary discussion. Original reservation examples and questions do not reproduce the university exercises.

Access: Free public university reading; examples on the source page assume more programming experience. No enrollment, credit or certificate is needed for the adapted beginner concepts here.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

MDN — Introduction to Cross-Browser Testing
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Read testing scope, device differences and reporting sections; source is technical further reading, not a requirement to build a website.

Access: Free public reading; no account or certificate is required for this Life Starter course.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

W3C WAI — Involving Users in Evaluating Web Accessibility
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-10

Read the distinction between standards evaluation and user evaluation; synthetic observations are explicitly labeled and no disability simulation substitutes for user involvement.

Access: Free public reading; no account or certificate is required for this Life Starter course.

Reuse: Linked for reference. Examples, activities and assessments here are original; free access alone does not grant permission to reuse source text or branding.

Ready when you are

Start with the first useful move.

You’ll always know what to do, what to make, and where to go next.

Start lesson one