[serf]

if I was to give a kid a breadboard and a bag of components I wouldn't want them to avoid breaking stuff; what I would want is for the child to be able to interpret the event and gain knowledge from the mistake.

This idea can shift the paradigm from "oh, the LED doesn't work", to "Oh, the LED doesn't work, the color around that rectifier area has shifted; why?" , and I think that can help to build intuition.

[nunuvit]

So teach them to check the power and the paint will help them realize when they forget to do so.

[rpearl]

what precisely is wrong with visual feedback?

[nunuvit]

Nothing. It's great. But it's the wrong tool for the job. Like teaching someone to stop a car by using the speedometer to estimate when to let go of the accelerator pedal, instead of introducing them to the brake pedal.

[rini17]

You are supposed to study datasheets before you start a car?

Please. There's nothing wrong with "hands-on first" approach. And the tortured metaphors completely kill your argument...

[nunuvit]

It's too late to edit my original comment. I was responding to the part about when you're breaking a lot of stuff all the time.

Checking limits is for preventing breaks. Visualizing heat is for troubleshooting when they happen anyway. You should do both.