147 pages pdf - ICT Digital Literacy

Testing Here, External Testing There, Quality Assurance Everywhere
#426: Creating Quality: How Can You Produce Cleaner Results Faster?
1. Plan for more than one round of testing. The first round of testing is traditionally called the Alpha test with
the second round usually being called a Beta test. Once you do plan for more than one round of testing,
still attempt to find all of the defects in the first test.
2. Use the 80/20 Rule. Have just a few people test the first round, and have several test in later rounds.
Following the old 80/20 rule, 2-3 people can find the majority of the problems. However, it sometimes takes
several people to uncover the remaining problems.
3. Don’t take any issue for granted. In other words, keep a detailed log of every problem that is found as
well as clear notes about how and when it was resolved. This list can be an important reminder later of why
you made certain decisions along the way, especially if there is ever a difference of opinion among team
members about why an issue was resolved a certain way.
4. Verify every fix. Personally my least favorite part of the process, this step is extremely important. As a
project manager, WBT producer, or one-man-team, you need to make sure that every defect is taken care
of before delivering it to your client. Remember though, if you are the one that made the fix, be sure
someone else verifies the fix for you.
5. Where possible, perform testing micro-cycles. Instead of having all of the testers test at the same time,
then consolidate notes, have them test one at a time and perform quick fixes between testers. Be ready to
get their feedback quickly, even real-time if possible and make the fixes as the issues come in or shortly
thereafter. This allows the next tester to spend his/her time finding other problems for you rather than
submitting the same problems the previous tester submitted. I call these “micro-cycles” because of the
quick turnaround time. Using testing micro-cycles, you’ll get more testing bang for your testing buck.
Garin Hess
Papid Intake
#427: Get Tough On Testing
Have a good testing plan for courseware and never cut corners from testing time. We plan for 5
days of testing time for every course we develop and at least 10 days for 3rd party courses. We
have a checklist of testing requirements that each course must pass. In the event the course
does not pass a requirement, we have a process in place where we return the course to the
developer and project leader for corrections. This keeps everyone in the loop regarding the
status of the project.
Debbie Strong
Country Insurance and Financial Services
#428: Execution = Perfection
e-Learning has to be obviously easy to use so that anybody can figure it out with a minimum scan of the
screen navigation. And every feature must work impeccably. Testing, Testing, Testing!
Sally Heinz
St. Paul Travelers
#429: Get Real
Always test your e-Learning in the environment most similar to the environment that the learner is using.
Joseph Dunlap
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance
#430: This Is Not Simple Stuff - Learn From Professional Testers
Develop a test plan at the very beginning. If possible, get your organization's Testing & Integration
department to conduct the testing. A good test procedure will be based upon written project requirements.
We are talking about software development and/or systems integration and T&D professionals need to
learn the proper tools to execute these projects efficiently. You cannot wing testing and failure to do proper
testing will result in technical "gotchas" and e-Learning that doesn't satisfy customer requirements.
Tom Swider
701 e-Learning Tips by The MASIE Center www.masie.com 85