Syllabus • ITEC 493 Selected Topics in Software Testing • Spring 2011

intro | text | topics | goals | homework | quizzes | exams | responsibilities | assessment | attendance | courtesy | honor code | disabilities | changes | schedule

Instructor: Don Braffitt
Office: 015 Davis
E-mail: dbraffitt@radford.edu
Phone: 540.831.5072 Fax: 540.831.6706
Office: Mon/Wed/Fri 10-11am, Tue/Thu 12:15-1pm, and by appointment
Lunch: Usually Mon/Wed/Fri 11-11:30am Dalton Dining Hall
Instructor home page: http://www.radford.edu/dbraffitt/
Syllabus: http://www.radford.edu/dbraffitt/itec493/2011/spring/
WebCT: https://webct6.radford.edu/webct/logon/352482991001

ITEC 493 Selected Topics in Software Testing (3 credit hours) introduces students to software testing within the broader context of software quality assurance. Students will gain knowledge of the concepts in software testing while applying those concepts to the creation and use of components of a test system including writing a test plan, developing the tests, and analyzing the test results.

This course may not be used to satisfy an ITEC major or an ITEC minor requirement including technical electives. This course may be used for a general elective or a B.S. elective.

Prerequisite: ITEC 120

Course Section

• ITEC 493-01
  • Class: 043 Davis Mon/Wed/Fri Noon-12:50pm (except for 2 Wed exams and final exam)
  • Exams: 221 Walker Wed 16-Feb Noon-12:50pm, Wed 30-Mar Noon-12:50pm, Mon 02-May 10:15-11:05am

Text, Online Materials, Technology Center, LARC, ITEC tutors, other links  top

• Introduction to Software Testing
  • Paul Ammann and Jeff Offutt
  • Cambridge University Press, 2008
  • ISBN: 0521880386/9780521880381
  • Textbook web site
  Note that just some sections of this text will be used as detailed in WebCT.
• WebCT/Blackboard course name: Spring 2011 - ITEC-493 - Spring 2011 ITEC-493-01 - Sel Top Inform Technology
• Revised course flyer (.pdf .docx)
• Supplementary class materials
• BlueJ (for use on student computer systems - includes integrated JUnit)
• CodingBat
• Walker Technology Center Lab Hours
• Learning Assistance and Resource Center (LARC)
• ITEC tutors
• Links to RU calendar, final exam schedule, course syllabus, and flu preparedness guidelines
• Class profile

Topics  top

The course focus includes the following topics:

• Software testing concepts including Test Driven Development (TDD)
• Building the test environment (e.g. automated testing, GUI testing, test harnesses)
• Managing the test project, and testing across the software development lifecycle
• Test planning and types of testing (e.g., unit, integration, system, functionality, routine/method coverage, code path coverage, performance, black box versus white box)
• Developing the tests, executing the test plan, and reporting and analyzing the test results
• User acceptance testing
• Testing software developed by outside organizations
• Testing software controls and the adequacy of security procedures
• Testing new technologies
• Tool support for testing (e.g., BlueJ/JUnit, CodingBat)
• Testing case studies (both successes and failures)
• Testing certifications and exams

Goals and Objectives  top

Students successfully completing ITEC 493 Selected Topics in Software Testing will be able to do the following:

• Describe and use concepts in software testing
• Write a test plan for an existing software system
• Develop and run the tests according to a test plan
• Report the testing results as specified in a test plan
• Modify a software system to insert defects, and rerun the tests and report the testing results as specified a the test plan

Homework and Quizzes  top

Homework will be completed using CodingBat, JUnit, and other tools, and submitted via WebCT. Quizzes will be delivered via WebCT. Students are expected to submit their own work for all homework and quizzes by the due date.

Homework and quizzes are due Fridays at 8pm. Partial credit (up to 80%) will be granted for any homework submitted late or with corrections by Fri 18-Feb 8pm (chapters 1-3), Fri 01-Apr 8pm (chapters 4-6), or Fri 29-Apr 8pm (chapters 7-9). All quizzes are open-book and open-notes. Partial credit (up to 80%) may be earned for one of every four quizzes.

There will be a total of 9 homework assignments due Fridays at 8pm as detailed in the schedule below. Each homework grade counts 2% of the final grade. There will be a total of 12 quizzes, one a week on non-exam weeks. Each quiz grade counts 2% of the final grade. Thus the homework and quizzes given throughout the course will be worth 42% of the final grade. Homework and quizzes will also help prepare students for exams.

Exams  top

Exams will be delivered via WebCT in 221 Walker. Students are expected to submit their own work for all exams. There will be two 50 minute in-class exams during the semester in addition to a 50 minute in-class final exam during final exam week. Each exam will be worth 15% of the final grade.

Exams are closed-book and closed-notes except for one 8.5x11 inch piece of paper on which each student may include typed, handwritten, or photocopied notes (front and back).

Student Responsibilities  top

Students are responsible for the information that is included in the assigned readings, lectures, discussions, homework, quizzes, and any additional information discussed in class or posted in WebCT. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the instructor's office hours and the online supplementary materials provided by the textbook publisher and the textbook authors. The best preparation for exams is to complete readings, homework, and quizzes, and to participate in class and via WebCT by asking questions and participating in discussions.

Excused absences are granted in cases of emergency, illness, religious holiday, or RU-sponsored travel or other RU-related activities (i.e. job interviews) that may cause a student to miss a class provided that the student notifies the instructor via email prior to the absence. Students must notify the instructor 48 hours prior to missing an exam to make alternate arrangements for a makeup exam. All required class work must be submitted via WebCT by the due date whether or not a student has an excused absence for a particular class.

Assessment  top

The assessment will be weighted as follows:

• 24% Quizzes (2% each for 12 weekly quizzes)
• 18% Homework (2% each for 9 homework assignments)
• 13% Participation (1% for each week of classes except for the last week which is extra credit)
• 15% Exam 1 (Wed 16-Feb 221 Walker - chapters 1-3)
• 15% Exam 2 (Wed 31-Mar 221 Walker - chapters 4-6)
• 15% Exam 3 / Final Exam (Mon 02-May 10:15-11:05am 221 Walker - chapters 7-9)

All three exams will include some material drawn from the software testing material discussed in class, some of which will be beyond the specific textbook material.

The final average based on this weighting will be rounded to the next higher integer.

The assessment will be according to the following scale:

• A = 90% to 100%
• B = 80% to 89%
• C = 70% to 79%
• D = 60% to 69%
• F = 59% and below

Extra credit (up to 4% of your total course grade over the course of the semester) will be available as part of each homework assignment and weekly class participation work.

During the semester, grades will be provided to students via WebCT. The class work is structured so that the Midterm grade will be based on approximately 1/3 of the course work.

Attendance and Participation  top

Class attendance is required for students to receive full class participation credit. Absences (excused or otherwise) do not relieve students from the responsibility for subject matter missed or homework, quizzes, or online class participation work to be completed. If the university cancels class for any reason such as inclement weather, the assigned work for the week is still due as specified in the syllabus and WebCT.

The 13% participation portion of the student grade is based on effort and is weighted 1% each week (except for the last week which is extra credit) based primarily on

• Class attendance for weekly class sessions
• Reading of selected course information in WebCT

Class attendance for class sessions and other weekly class participation work will be recorded via a WebCT assessment which each student completes each week. Attendance for any class session is defined as student presence and participation for at least 90% of a class.

All class participation work each week must be recorded in the current WebCT class participation assessment each Friday by 8pm. More than 80% of class participation each week is class attendance.

Class Courtesy Policy  top

Please set cell phones, pagers, and notebook computers to silent during class. Students are encouraged to bring computers to all ITEC 493 classes. Computers should primarily be used for work relevant to ITEC 493 during ITEC 493 classes. Please refrain from any activities while in class that would be disruptive to the class.

Honor Code  top

In accepting admission to Radford University, each student makes a commitment to support and uphold the Honor Code without compromise or exception. Violations of this academic integrity will not be tolerated. Refer to your Student Handbook for details. Each of these classes will be conducted in strict observance of the Honor Code.

Students With Disabilities  top

A student seeking classroom accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act is required to register with the Disability Resource Office (DRO). The DRO is located on the first floor of Tyler Hall, phone number 540.831.6350. To receive academic accommodations for this class, a student should obtain the proper DRO forms and meet with the instructor at the beginning of the semester.

Changes to Course Syllabus or Class Schedule  top

All changes to either the course syllabus or the class schedule will be posted in WebCT and announced in class. Students are responsible for any announced changes even if absent or tardy when the announcements are made. Sometimes changes will be posted in WebCT prior to a class announcement (e.g., schedule adjustments if the university closes due to inclement weather).

Schedule  top

	Topics	Text	Homework	Quizzes	Exams (221 Walker)
Week 1 18-Jan	Syllabus Introduction	Chapter 1		Quiz 1
Week 2 24-Jan	Introduction	Chapter 1	Homework 1-1	Quiz 2
Week 3 31-Jan	Graph Testing	Chapter 2	Homework 1-2	Quiz 3
Week 4 07-Feb	Logic Testing	Chapter 3	Homework 1-3	Quiz 4
Week 5 14-Feb	Case Studies Review		Partial credit	Partial credit	Exam 1 (Wed 16-Feb)
Week 6 21-Feb	Input Space Partitioning	Chapter 4	Homework 2-1	Quiz 5
Week 7 28-Feb	Syntax Testing	Chapter 5	Homework 2-2	Quiz 6
Week 8 07-Mar	Spring Break week
Week 9 14-Mar	Practical Considerations	Chapter 6		Quiz 7
Week 10 21-Mar	Practical Considerations	Chapter 6	Homework 2-3	Quiz 8
Week 11 28-Mar	Certifications and Exams Review		Partial credit	Partial credit	Exam 2 (Wed 30-Mar)
Week 12 04-Apr	Engineering Criteria for Technologies	Chapter 7	Homework 3-1	Quiz 9
Week 13 11-Apr	Building Testing Tools	Chapter 8	Homework 3-2	Quiz 10
Week 14 18-Apr	Challenges in Testing Software	Chapter 9	Homework 3-3	Quiz 11
Week 15 25-Apr	Challenges in Testing Software	Chapter 9	Partial credit	Quiz 12 Partial credit
Week 16 02-May	Final Exam week				Exam 3 / Final Exam

Revised: 14-Mar-2011   Don Braffitt Home   ITEC Home   CSAT Home   RU Home   top