Information Systems Design and Development

1. Computing Science Information Systems Design and Development Testing

2. Learning Outcomes By the end of this topic you will be able to: • explain why there are different forms of testing; • explain beta testing; • explain why an information system should be tested in terms of usability; • discuss compatibility issues including memory, storage requirements and Operating System compatibility.

3. Testing information systems • Initial testing done during or immediately after implementation stage • Testing at this stage concentrates on correcting errors that prevent the system from operating correctly • In a website this might mean checking that links work, that text and graphics display correctly and that interactive features work correctly • This type of testing is known as alpha testing and is usually done by the developers of the system

4. Beta testing • Testing done by ‘real-world’ users of the system • Can be done by small group of potential users or by releasing beta version to public • Beta testers feedback all errors to developers • As beta testers are the group that would use the system, their testing should be more realistic than the developer’s testing

5. Usability testing • Websites should be tested for their usability. Factors tested include • Screen layout • Navigation • Target audience • Finding information

6. Usability testing Usability can be evaluated Quantatively by creating numeric scores for features Qualitatively by asking for comments on features

7. Compatibility • Information systems now accessed and viewed by different types of devices • Factors that need to be taken into account include • Screen size • Processor speed • Input methods • Amount of RAM • OS type

8. Compatability Methods to deal with these issues • Allowing users to select appropriate version of website • Automatically detecting type of device the site is being accessed by