Course summary: What have you learnt?

Congratulations, you have made it to the end of the course. We hope you have enjoyed it and gained some insight into the world of software testing and validation.

Let’s take a few moments to recap on what you have learned:

Week 1

During Week 1, you began your journey into the fascinating world of software testing, starting with the fundamentals and progressively delving into its deeper aspects. Through this exploration, you have gained a deeper understanding of software testing’s significance and its implementation within the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).

We began the week by identifying and describing different types of software testing, each serving a unique purpose in enhancing the quality and efficiency of software. By understanding these various types, you have built a foundation to navigate the broad landscape of software testing.

Next, you discovered the critical role that testing plays in the software development process. From catching bugs early to ensuring the software behaves as expected, the importance of software testing cannot be overstated. This understanding has hopefully helped to emphasise the value of your learning in this course.

As we delved deeper, you were given the opportunity to apply your knowledge practically. You wrote tests for a simple software programme, using the different types of testing techniques you had learned. This hands-on experience gave you a taste of real-world software testing, instilling a sense of confidence in your ability to apply these skills in a practical setting.

We also explored the advantages and disadvantages of different types of software testing. By analysing the strengths and weaknesses of each type, you have started to develop the critical ability needed to determine the most effective testing approach for different situations.

Further, you critically evaluated the effectiveness of the tests you had written, identifying areas for improvement and ways to enhance their efficiency. This evaluation exercise honed your skills in test assessment and improvement, a vital part of any software tester’s toolkit.

You also had a chance to reflect on your experience of writing tests. This reflective practice is a powerful learning tool, helping you consolidate your understanding and gain deeper insights from your hands-on experience.

To wrap up the week, you engaged in discussions around various software testing techniques. By sharing your thoughts and reading different perspectives, you deepen your understanding of these techniques and how they can be used effectively in different scenarios.

Week 2

During Week 2 of our course, we’ve delved deeper into the world of software testing, moving from the broad scope of different testing types to the more focused area of dynamic testing. We discovered its importance and how it fits into the software development process.

We started the week by emphasising the necessity of dynamic testing – executing (running) the software and observing its behaviour to catch defects. You learned how this method complements static testing, the technique you looked at in Week 1, to provide a comprehensive software testing strategy.

You explored industry standards and best practices for dynamic testing, gaining an understanding of the professional processes followed in real-life settings. These practices are crucial for maintaining consistency and enhancing the effectiveness of testing efforts.

You then had the opportunity to apply your new found knowledge. We introduced you to test design techniques, such as boundary value analysis (BVA) and equivalence partitioning (EP). Using these techniques, you were able to create and run test cases for a simple software program. This hands-on experience helped you understand the practical applications of these techniques and their potential to streamline the testing process.

You looked at the advantages and disadvantages of various test design techniques, enabling you to critically analyse and select the most suitable method for different scenarios. This exercise aimed to strengthen your decision-making skills in the context of software testing.

Furthermore, you evaluated the effectiveness of your test cases and identified potential areas for improvement. This iterative process of creating, executing, and improving test cases is at the heart of dynamic testing, leading to more reliable software.

You spent time reflecting on your experiences, designing and executing test cases using BVA and EP. This reflective practice deepened your understanding of these techniques and their practical implications.

Finally, we turned our attention to software validation and QA, discussing how it can significantly improve the quality of a software system. This conversation underlined the broader goal of all our testing efforts – to deliver software that meets our customers needs and expectations.

Thank you

Thank you for your hard work and dedication throughout this course. We hope that the concepts and skills you have learned will be valuable tools in your future endeavours in software testing. As you proceed in your career development, remember to keep asking questions, stay curious and, most importantly, enjoy the process.

How has this course supported you?

Now you have almost completed the course, it’s a good time to consider how your knowledge, confidence and aspirations have changed. Please answer this short end-of-course survey. It includes some prompts to help your reflection and will help us improve and evidence the impact of the course.

Note: this optional survey does not affect your completion of the course. Further detail on how we (University of Leeds) use survey responses is included at the start of the survey and in this Privacy Notice.