[Year 12 SofDev] Testing techniques

[Claudia Graham]

Hi Heath,

Desk checking is certainly a required skill, students should be able to desk check algorithms, particularly as a method to work out output, thus errors. However, I would say in general we would get them to check algorithms we have prepared. Even in the past I’m not sure students would have desk checked their SAC algorithm. The exam has had algorithms, in multiple choice – ie what is the output produced? And then there is the algorithm that is generally more detailed relating to the case study that often has an error. Neither of these can be done without understanding the fine art of desk checking – if students can produce a table as they desk check, ‘normally’ they can identify errors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9HjAeLmt9k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpbvuAJG_xc&NR=1

Two You Tube clips on how to desk check.

Testing their solution well that a different story students should be able to do this and I know I have this on my assessment sheet for Outcome 2.

I try and keep the term desk checking connected to algorithms (design) and testing to programming solutions (development).

Regards
Claudia


From: sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au [mailto:sofdev-bounces at edulists.com.au] On Behalf Of Matheson, Heath A
Sent: Friday, 20 May 2011 11:07 AM
To: Year 12 Software Development Teachers' Mailing List
Subject: [Year 12 SofDev] Testing techniques

Heya All,

Is desk checking as a testing technique a thing of the past? Certainly students need to be able to follow pseudocode with sample data for the exam but there doesn’t seem to be any suggestion of desk checking the test data that they come up with for this sac.
Just wondering what the consensus is.

Heath Matheson
Mt Beauty

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