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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2013/2014
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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Informatics : Informatics

Undergraduate Course: Software Testing (INFR09024)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Informatics CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Course typeStandard AvailabilityAvailable to all students
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) Credits10
Home subject areaInformatics Other subject areaNone
Course website http://course.inf.ed.ac.uk/st Taught in Gaelic?No
Course descriptionThis module is intended to provide in-depth coverage of software testing further to develop the introductory material covered in Inf2C. The goal of the course is to provide students with the skill to select and apply a testing strategy and testing techniques that are appropriate to a particular software system or component. In addition the student will become a capable user of test tools; will be able to assess the effectiveness of their testing activity; and will be able provide evidence to justify their evaluation. The course will be supported by two practical exercises involving the development of appropriate tests and the application of a range of testing tools. This course is based on the IEEE Software Engineering 2004 Software Testing syllabus.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Students MUST have passed: ( Informatics 2C - Introduction to Computer Systems (INFR08018) OR Informatics 2C - Introduction to Software Engineering (INFR08019)) OR Informatics Research Review (INFR11034)
Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements This course is open to all Informatics students including those on joint degrees. For external students where this course is not listed in your DPT, please seek special permission from the course organiser.
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesNone
Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus?Yes
Course Delivery Information
Delivery period: 2013/14 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1) Learn enabled:  No Quota:  None
Web Timetable Web Timetable
Course Start Date 13/01/2014
Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Lecture Hours 20, Seminar/Tutorial Hours 8, Summative Assessment Hours 2, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 68 )
Additional Notes
Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) Written Exam 75 %, Coursework 25 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Exam Information
Exam Diet Paper Name Hours & Minutes
Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May)2:00
Resit Exam Diet (August)2:00
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
1 - Analyze requirements to determine appropriate testing strategies.
2 - Design and implement comprehensive test plans
3 - Instrument code appropriately for a chosen test technique
4 - Apply a wide variety of testing techniques in an effective and efficient manner
5 - Compute test coverage and yield according to a variety of criteria
6 - Use statistical techniques to evaluate the defect density and the likelihood of faults.
7 - Evaluate the limitations of a given testing process and provide a succinct summary of those limitations
8 - Conduct reviews and inspections
Assessment Information
Written Examination 75
Assessed Assignments 25
Oral Presentations 0

Assessment
The coursework will comprise two, equally weighted, assessed practicals the first will concentrate on unit and integration testing the second on acceptance and performance testing. Both practicals will involve working with a reasonably large sample of code.

If delivered in semester 1, this course will have an option for semester 1 only visiting undergraduate students, providing assessment prior to the end of the calendar year.
Special Arrangements
None
Additional Information
Academic description Not entered
Syllabus # Testing techniques and principles: Defects vs. failures, equivalence classes, boundary testing.
# Types of defects.
# Black-box vs. Structural testing.
# Testing strategies: Unit testing, integration testing, profiling, test driven development.
# State based testing; configuration testing; compatibility testing; web site testing.
# Alpha, beta, and acceptance testing.
# Coverage criteria.
# Test instrumentation and tools.
# Developing test plans.
# Managing the testing process.
# Problem reporting, tracking, and analysis.

Relevant QAA Computing Curriculum Sections: Software Engineering
Transferable skills Not entered
Reading list * Mauro Pezzè and Michal Young, Software Testing and Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, 2008
* Glenford J. Myers, et al, The Art of Software Testing , John Wiley & Sons Inc, 2004
* Scott Loveland et al, Software Testing Techniques: Finding the Defects That Matter , Charles River Media, 2004
* R. Patton, Software Testing, SAMS, 2005
* C Kaner, J Bach & B Pettichord Lessons Learned in Software Testing: A Context-Driven Approach, Wiley Europe, 2002
* There is also extensive supporting material online which will be used in teaching
Study Abroad Not entered
Study Pattern Lectures 20
Tutorials 8
Timetabled Laboratories 0
Non-timetabled assessed assignments 40
Private Study/Other 32
Total 100
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserMr Vijayanand Nagarajan
Tel: (0131 6)51 3440
Email: vijay.nagarajan@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Claire Edminson
Tel: (0131 6)51 7607
Email: C.Edminson@ed.ac.uk
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