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A Comprehensive Checklist for Final QA Process in eLearning

by admin | Oct 26, 2020 | E-Learning Testing, Fixed, Blog | 0 comments

Once a software developer has formulated a product and has gone through sufficient code reviews, post-production quality checks will occur. It will involve assessing various e-learning course elements, which will be further examined in this article.

Quality Assurance is an inevitable process in eLearning course development. After the course production, the QA team needs to ensure that myriad elements of the incumbent course work properly while providing proper functionality. Given below is an eLearning quality assurance checklist that will help you understand the checkboxes you need to cross before you roll out your course in the market.

Title Check

Course developers must ensure that the primary title in the browser title bar of the course window and the launch window is uniform. The title in the storyboard should match with the displays of the bookmark page, screen title, and course menu. It is necessary because the students or targeted demographic will access your course through various devices. Therefore, a sense of uniformity across all devices is imperative for functional operation and aesthetic display.

Content Inspection

Every course’s objective is to teach students concepts that could be translated into daily life and entail practical viability. Therefore, the course content should fulfill this primary criterion. Ensure that your content is comprehensible and entails clear instructions. However, we have also enlisted a few steps or standards based on which you can test the quality of your eLearning course:

• Verify that the on-screen text is as specified in the storyboard (SB).
• Assess whether the audio script’s content has been placed in the transcript area, of course, without the instructions.
• Test whether the audio is in sync with the textual animation, as illustrated in the storyboard.
• Proofread your content and guarantee that there are no spelling errors in the course content. Even trivial grammatical errors can through your audience off. However, most eLearning course developers overlook this delicate detail.
• Inspect that the images are placed as per the instructions prescribed in the storyboard.
• Ensure that the bullets are aligned with the course content, and the text font is legible and easily understandable.
• Examine whether the course developer has provided or at least left a window for mentioning appropriate instructions for interactivity slides and screen restrictions.

With all these points in mind, your course’s content can prove to be highly optimized. However, if you are in the production team, ensure that the quality assurance contingent does not slack in their work. Testing a product’s viability in an enclosed and correctional facility can reduce your losses and increase the chances of your course’s success in the competitive market.

Interface Functionality Scrutinization

Interface functionality is imperative to ensure the smooth functioning of the course dashboard. It is critical for comprehensive learning. Given below are some objects that you need to verify to guarantee that your interface is off the charts, and you are one step closer to rolling your product out in the market.

• Operational effectiveness of the interface buttons (like Next, Previous, Help, Exit)
• Progress bar status
• Navigational features of the menu
• Page navigation restrictions
• Audio overlaps in pop-ups or inter-slide transitions
• Tick marks or checkboxes in the menu
• Functionality of interactivity slides (like Click on tabs/ images, drop-down, click on hot spots, etc.)

Course developers must guarantee that their interface exhibits no potential problems. Any flaws in interface operations can discourage viewers since nobody wants to enroll in a course that will eventually pose problems.

Quiz Checks

In an eLearning course, a quiz is a critical element. A quiz may contain various types of questions. These questions could be single/multiple select, drag and drop, drop-down, match the following, true/false, and so on. However, the functionality of quiz questions and their various categories needs to be assessed and verified. Course developers must examine that the instructions for each question are clear and correct. There must also be a provision for start button functionality on the welcome page if the need arises. Quiz checks are essential as once learners complete with the course, you will be required to test their knowledge using comprehensive tests.

Result Page Verification and Loading Checks

The result page displays the pass and fails criteria details along with the score that a learner has acquired in a test. Summary tests are conducted upon the conclusion of the course. Other buttons like review quiz, finish, or retry, enable individuals to check their scores, complete the test, or give it a try again. ELearning course teams must verify that all the required buttons are present and are linked correctly to their relevant screens.

Also, all conventional courses have a pre-loading feature for Interface and Page. Therefore, ensure that your eLearning module has background loading to load the pages before screening it.

Compliance Testing

The Quality Assurance team should verify the features with the compliance standards in both SCORM and AICC versions of the eLearning course. These standardized versions include verifying bookmark features, course completion criteria, and whether the resulting score is updated in the LMS.

Online Version

The QA team must ensure that all the course links are operational and should direct to their relevant pages. If you plan to roll out an online version of the course, you need to assess whether all pages and images are being loaded without any hiccups.

AQL (Acceptable Quality Level)

AQL alludes to the standard where the number of errors in a random test is calculated, and a maximum error acceptability criterion is set. Based on the number of bugs found, the testing level is categorized into critical, high, medium, and low. Every organization is different and, therefore, prescribes its AQL standard.

To wrap up

It is essential to adhere to the eLearning quality assurance checklist since your product is important and deserves to do well in the market. Every quality assurance team follows an eLearning quality assurance checklist, but how far is that list up to the standard? Compare and contrast it with this article to find out.

Everything you need to know about STEM Education

by admin | Oct 15, 2020 | E-Learning Testing, Fixed, Blog | 0 comments

STEM alludes to an educational curriculum based on the idea to teach students in four specific academic disciplines: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Rather than teaching these subjects under separate categories, STEM education integrates them and provides a holistic learning experience. Since the subject presents absolute practicality, it reflects a paradigm shift that enables cohesive learning.

The United States of America has conventionally been a leader in these fields. However, recently fewer students are focusing on this topic. According to a report by the U.S. Department of Education, only 16 percent of the students are interested in pursuing a career in the STEM field and have proven a proficiency in mathematics. Moreover, 28 percent of high school goers have expressed an affinity by declaring a career in a STEM-related field, but 57 percent out of them will eventually lose interest by the time they graduate.

Consequently, the United States government declared an initiative known as “Educate to Innovate,” which aimed at inspiring and motivating students to join STEM-related careers. The goal is to get American children right into the hearts of these subjects, while they gain traction in the international arena. The government has further invested $3.1 billion in federal programs on STEM education.

The Significance of STEM Education

STEM careers are growing in popularity. According to a report conceded by STEM Connector, by 2018, projections estimate that there will be a spike in stem-related jobs, and the demand would rise to 8.65 million workers. The manufacturing sector has been facing an alarmingly substantial shortage of workers who are proficient in this field. The report accounted for their number to be nearly 600,000. Furthermore, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics assessed that by 2018, the major STEM careers would be:

• Computing – 71 percent
• Traditional Engineering – 16 percent
• Physical sciences – 7 percent
• Life sciences – 4 percent
• Mathematics – 2 percent

United States has continually been the champion of STEM education careers. However, studies have shown that all of it is just to meet a need, fill in the demand gap when the markets are high. Not all STEM jobs necessitate higher education or even a college degree. Less than half of entry-level jobs require a bachelor’s degree or higher. However, a four-year degree instead of a diploma would be incredibly helpful with salary. Surveys have further shown that the average advertised starting salary for STEM jobs with a bachelor’s degree is 26 percent higher than the non-STEM fields. For every job posting for an individual who possesses a bachelor’s degree in a non-STEM field, there are 2.5 more entry-level job postings for an individual who has acquired a degree in a STEM field.

Combining Culture

Do you know what separates STEM from conventional math and science education? Yes, it is the holistic environment that the discipline presents. It teaches students computational skills and helps them focus on real-world problems while applying their knowledge to practical and realistic situations. STEM education begins when children are very young, and the skills are inducted further into their middle and higher school studies.

Elementary school – STEM education at the elementary level focuses on the introductory level courses, as well as a comprehensive awareness about career options and occupations. It is the primary step of induction and motivates children to pursue a career in the field. It further provides structure and opens up a channel for inquisitive students who have legitimate inquiries. It further prompts students to solve real-world problems while developing their aptitude.

Middle school – As the students transcend into middle school, the course becomes rigorous and challenging. The awareness is still furthered; however, the academic requirements of the field are unleashed onto the students. For under-represented populations, student exploration teams formulated by STEM begin recruiting students at this level.

High school – Course pathways are now laid down as the children tumble into high school. An inclusive and wide-embracing approach has opted, and students are taught to apply the subject in realistic scenarios. Learners are further taught as well as prepared for post-secondary education and employment. The goal is to pique their interest. The course strives at students wanting to pursue a career in the field, rather than being forced to have to. It also emphasizes bridging learning opportunities, both in and out of school.

A large portion of the curriculum is aimed at attracting under-represented populations. For instance, female students are far less likely to pursue a college major or career. Though it is not something we as a community witnessed momentarily, the gap is significantly increasing. Therefore, the curriculum focuses on amplifying every section that under-represents their role in prudent fields. Moreover, the discipline aims at deescalating stereotypes such as male students preferring to opt for engineering or technological fields, while female students stick themselves to science, like biology or chemistry. However, it must not be the case since education must be open to all, equally.

Although bridging the gap that has already been created in the impressionable minds of students is challenging, the feat is not impossible. The field also witnesses ethnic under-representation and over-representation. For instance, students with Asian descent have historically displayed more interest in the field. Prior to 2001, children from African-American communities also showed higher interest levels, second to only the Asian demographic. However, since then, the statistics for the community has plummeted drastically, far more than any other ethnicity.

To Wrap up

The importance of STEM education has been re-iterated over the centuries, where humans have stood witness to revolutionary inventions and medical marvels. Therefore, furthering the students to pursue a career that will help evolve mankind is imperative. STEM education presents opportunities that only a few fields can offer. With doctors and engineers commanding the highest salaries, the world runs at their behest. Not only would we be incapable of accessing the phone, but the disruptive invention of high-speed internet is also something that has gotten our hands tied and lips sealed today. Therefore, promoting your child to craft a career in the most prosperous field could be a prudent choice.

Top 6 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Learning Management System

by admin | Jan 6, 2020 | E-Learning Testing, Fixed, Blog | 0 comments

Globally there are innumerable learning management systems available for use. It could be tough for a business to decide which LMS would suit them best. The LMS should help a business deliver corporate learning, scale up training efforts, and consistently achieve the learning goals for your company. It would be important to elicit the help of an expert QA outsourcing and software testing firm with proficiency in elearning testing services. They would be able to let the business know and take top factors into consideration when helping the business choose a Learning Management System.

User Friendly

Usability of a system should be a critical factor in the process of evaluation when looking to adopt an LMS system. It must be extremely easy for users / employees to navigate through the learning courses and receive scores and certifications. The LMS introduction must be in-depth, all-inclusive and be customizable to suit individual needs, and have simple guides to help with easy acceptance.

Accurate Reporting

It is important for a company to know whether employees are making any progress in an assigned course. A proper tracking and reporting mechanism is an indispensable part of a good learning management system. Reporting capabilities are amongst the essential factors for selecting an LMS system for a business. Event tracking and real-time participation are accurate measures for whether a course is working as it should and whether employees are actually undertaking the courses they are required to complete. External training programs attended by employees should also be tracked, since every training program does have an effect on the performance of the employees. It should also be easy for employees to be able to print their certification of completion instantly.

Functionality

The purpose of an LMS is to serve a particular function of the business. The LMS must be scalable and comprehensive enough to grow along with the business. This is an important factor which many managers/business leaders often forget to take into consideration, and it becomes a problem when the system is unable to meet their expectations and the demands of the business. An expert partner in the E-learning domain testing will be able to assess and verify the system for your business.

Flexibility and Accessibility

The premise of an e-learning system is that it allows users to learn at their own pace, in a location best suited to their learning needs, and at a time that is convenient to them. The LMS should be accessible and allow 24/7 flexibility all through the year. By ensuring that the LMS has these capabilities, your employees would be encouraged to complete their assigned courses and not miss out on their work schedules either. Since an LMS is web-based, it can also be accessed from any mobile device, but a business must ensure that the system works seamlessly across all platforms and devices. This requires the support of an expert partner who would be able to ensure that the LMS works as designed at all times and flawlessly.

Robust Customer Support

If the LMS is expected to work round the clock, the software testing partner must also have around the clock availability and offer top class service at any time of day or night. The online vendor support must be functional and easily accessible, and should efficiently answer any questions that users may have when operating the system. Your outsourcing partner must have a reputation of robust customer service around the clock.

Privacy, Safety and Security

The data being entered into the LMS is online and this immediately raises concerns of privacy and security. The LMS would hold personal information such as address, email ids, phone and social security numbers, and other confidential data. The vendor managing the LMS must ensure privacy controls are in place, the automatic backup system functions smoothly, and each person has a password protected login. This will keep company and employee records safe from unwarranted access and users.

In Conclusion

This is not an exhaustive list but these are amongst the main considerations for a robust learning management system. In addition, the LMS must have a provision for communicative work, discussion boards, and inter-user ‘conversations’. There should be a provision to exchange files and have group discussions and note-taking as well. For such a system to work well it would need constant support and management through a highly proficient and experienced team – connect with us to work with such a team and gain optimum advantage from your Learning Management System, now and in the future.

Localization in eLearning -Top Tips

by admin | Oct 10, 2019 | E-Learning Testing, Fixed, Blog | 1 comment

E-learning localization is all about modifying a product to suit a specific culture, language, and is an effort directed and adapting the “look-and-feel” to match a locale. E-learning localization is the approach of translating e-learning content to match the location in which the maximum target audience would be located. The idea is to reach the entire geographical spread of the target audience, and through E-learning localization, the possibility of engaging with a local audience is a lot higher. Despite all the advantages associated with e-learning localization, it is not an easy task, except for an expert. We at Codoid have been providing top-class e-learning localization services and have a large number of happy clients to our credit.

Why Work with an Expert for e-learning localization? Enterprises are expanding and branching out globally and there is also a rise in immigrant communities across locations. These factors necessitate that companies remain aware of the need to make websites and content that is inclusive, which further adds to the need for localizing training content, and e-learning testing plays a decisive role. E-learning domain testing is important to ensure that content localization does not cause any defects or hitches in the smooth working of the content for users across the globe. The demand for globalization means that companies must comply by ensuring their e-learning content is accessible and understandable to suit the needs of the target audience based on location.

As experts in this realm, we endorse the view that localization must never be afforded secondary status but must be part of the development phase of e-learning content. This is so because localizing content transcends the mere translation and or integration of the audio to a different language. Preparing e-learning content for global consumption is definitely no mean task, and there are several aspects to be kept in mind to ensure that localization hits the mark and is a smooth process.

Tips for Enhanced Localization of E-Learning ContentAs an ELearning Testing Company, we know and understand the many benefits that localization in eLearning brings. The two most important benefits are being able to reach employees and a specified target audience across countries in the language they understand and would be at ease when learning the courses. Through localization, a business would gain access to a broader audience and wider market – those that might not have been accessed so far.

Our experts offer some relevant and important tips to accelerate and enhance localization in e-learning content:

Make localization a part of the design phase – This is important since translations can expand the content by up to 30%, and it is necessary to ensure flexibility in design to accommodate these changes. The onscreen content and videos too must be taken into consideration – localization would be a lot simpler and effective when incorporated in the design stage.

Incorporate the Best Practice of Single Worldwide Binary – This is the technical theory of the language-neutral model of testing any localized technology-based training programs. By using this model one of the major issues associated with localization testing can be done away with – that is, to create distinct versions of the source code for each language for the target audiences in varying locations. Through this method, the core functionality of the e-learning material, including support for individual languages and globalization, would require only one round of testing. This in turn is a great way to save time and is highly cost-effective too. As experts in the realm of software testing, we affirm that time and cost savings can prove to be game-changers.

Share All Source Materials with the Software Localization Partner – It is important to view your e-learning testing vendor as your partner in success. By providing a complete set of files, storyboard information, and every workflow process, your vendor partner would be able to present you with proper costs, fixed timelines, and resource requirement details. This is beneficial for a business since it eliminates ambiguities and any unpleasant surprises – irrespective of the industry within which the business operates.

Easy to Adapt and Translate Content – The fact is that words, colors, and even images have different connotations in various countries and regions. If neutral content is not a possibility, there must be enough flexibility to ensure that all these features can be adapted in a manner that would be culturally and by way of language, suitable for the target audience.

Use pseudo-localization – This is a test run within the website or application to ascertain whether the content in the target audience language is being displayed properly. Additionally, this will enable thorough checking of whether there are any issues with contractions and expansions and character encoding in the pages.

Finalize Course-Source Version First – As experts, we know that launching localization through several languages must never happen prior to finalizing the source version of the course. Course content should be properly developed, tested, and finalized in the main language such that any bugs would be restricted to a single language, rather than dealing with the same problem multiple times.

Important to Automate GUI test – Automation testing software is extremely useful for testing GUI components in any language and this significantly reduces the cost of GUI testing while elevating the efficiency of localization. As experts we recommend the use of contemporary cloud-based automation testing tools since they are scalable and well-suited for agile projects, eliminating the need for a full-fledged in-house IT infrastructure for a business.

Combine Recurring Elements – Elements/components such as next or back buttons should be part of the page template such that localization is a one-time activity for these elements. This cuts down on turnaround time while reducing effort on desktop publishing since the elements would function properly across the module in several languages.

Managing Audio Considerations – Localization would be incomplete without taking into account both text and lip-synch VO and developing a complete and meticulous pronunciation guide with the translation terminology. It is necessary to make a final assessment, smoothen out changes and ensure that the voice-over script is adjusted as per the language before the final approval and recording. As experts, we highly recommend this process since we know it saves costs and time-consuming retakes.

Partnering with an Experienced Partner – Despite all the tips provided, there are no absolutes, and issues are bound to crop up. As an experienced and expert partner, we will manage every part and step of the project, taking out the guesswork of the critical localization projects. In addition, our team will provide guidance on how to elevate organizational workflow and help your business to manage cultural issues such that the brand image and goals of your business remain at the fore.

In Conclusion

When e-learning was fairly new, creating top-quality content alone was an onerous, manual, and lengthy process, and hence localization was an insurmountable task. However, now with automation, tools, and several strategies localization of e-learning is a lot simpler. We at Codoid are your go-to partner to ensure that you reach the global audience without ‘any loss in translation’. Connect with us to stay ahead of the crowd.

Top Tips on Conducting User Acceptance Testing for ELearning

by admin | Oct 15, 2019 | E-Learning Testing, Fixed, Blog | 0 comments

It is not surprising to see businesses rush through final reviews and the QA cycles for their E-learning course material once it reaches the end of the development cycle – getting it published speedily becomes paramount. However, as experts of E-learning Testing, we can guarantee that this approach will result in shoddy and below-average content. We recommend and undertake user acceptance testing for E-learning content to ensure high quality and functionality – our team consists of experts in Elearning domain testing and the broader realm of software testing. We put forth some top tips on conducting User Acceptance testing for E-learning.

Form a team consisting of diverse combination of testers

This is an important aspect for user acceptance testing – the testers must be from a diverse mix including age, sex, background, and other factors. The best team would be one that would mirror the diversity of the target audience – it would be a lot easier for such a team to understand the diverse set of audiences. People experience and use content in different ways, and it would be simpler for a diverse mix of testers to learn from watching how different people connect with and use the course material.

Allow Testers to Assess how to Use the Course being TestedA brief outline and context about what they need to do would suffice. They should receive only as much information as the average user who would use the course once finalized. This is to ensure that the testers explore the course in-depth and interact with it as they deem appropriate. Testers would be able to identify faster which components and areas of a course need more work, which ones could be enhanced or removed, and which ones work the best. Post successful completion of the course, the next step in user acceptance testing is interrogation and listing out questions for the tester. The answers provided by the tester will help understand the problems, uncover defects, and put forth simple solutions to enhance the UI of the E-learning course.

Ask Testers to Provide Inputs for ImprovementEspecially when working with experts, businesses tend to feel the need to justify their decisions with regard to components and design of the course. This is not required – instead, it is important to gain feedback and suggestions for improvement on the course design.

Implementing UA Test CasesIt is now the job of the testers to implement the test cases designed for the User Acceptance Testing. They must also conduct some additional random but relevant tests.

Uncovering and Documenting DefectsAny defects / bugs recorded during User Acceptance testing must be suitably recorded in a well-drafted document. The testers must provide their comments and observations for evaluation and closure of the defects.

Solving the DefectsThis is a crucial stage within UAT – resolving bugs would be amongst the final adjustments that the testing team would make to the course. Once this is done, testers would be able to finalize the acceptance of the E-learning course – meaning that it meets the requirements of the users and can now be deployed accordingly.

In Conclusion:

Within the realm of E-learning, User Acceptance Testing essays a central role – validates that the course functions in the manner that meets the expectations and needs of the users. For businesses, it is necessary to indicate to the users what they can expect from the course rather than keeping them guessing – this is where UAT is critical. To ensure that your users receive exactly what they want and expect, partner with an expert E-learning Testing Company – connect with us for UAT and a lot more within the realm of software testing.