For over 20 years SQM has prepared and presented many public and private courses on software testing, test automation, quality assurance, engineering management, and information technology. Public courses are available periodically through AST, ASQ, and UCSC-Extension. Private corporate classes can be customized to fit organizational standards, environments, and content requirements.
Course Descriptions
One of the most difficult things about software testing is determining whether or not software behavior is correct. The mechanism used to make that determination is called a test oracle. This course shows the kinds of oracles available and methods to use them.
Student completing this course will understand the role of oracles in software testing and the practical application of that knowledge. Outline
This course describes how to design powerful automated tests based on characteristics of the software under test (SUT) and available oracles. The approach identifies oracles using the model and bases the design of the automated test on the available oracles. Combined with comparators, the oracles determine whether or not the SUT behaves as expected. When used effectively, these automated tests can detect more defects than automated regression tests.
Student completing this course will come away with an approach to design of automated tests based on available oracles. Outline
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This course presents a pragmatic approach to black box testing, using examples derived from experience with a broad spectrum of applications on a number of different operating systems. It covers basic and advanced issues ranging from an overview of software development and testing to a management-level analysis of the risks and trade-offs associated with starting a GUI-level test automation project. Students completing this course will have been given a brief tour of the basic information needed to design, plan, and conduct black box testing. The class consists of eight half-day or four full day sessions. Outline
Required Text: Testing Computer Software, Cem Kaner, Hung Nguyen, and Jack Falk ( TCS on Amazon)
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This class provides an review of materials in the 2008 body of knowledge (BOK) and teaches how to convert an understanding of the vocabulary and subjects into the ability to answer typical exam questions for the ASQ Certified Software Quality Engineer examination. The class consists of eight half-day or four full day sessions. Although students will review all areas of the BOK, coverage in depth of any particular area is not possible due to time constraints. Outline
Required Text: CSQE Primer, Barbara Frank, Phil Marriott and Chett Warzusen ( Quality Council of Indiana)
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This class provides an overview of software test automation and teaches the vocabulary, basic concepts,
and how to use an understanding of the material to automate high-benefit tests.
The class consists of four half-day or two full day sessions.
The first class stands alone and covers the fundamentals for advanced software test automation.
The second class extends the concepts and explores architecture and design of automated test tools and tests in more depth.
Outline
The success and risk factors for each of the automated testing approaches are analyzed and evaluated as part of the class. Students completing this course will have been given a brief tour of the basic information to design, plan, and implement automated testing.
Recommended Text: Lessons Learned in Software Testing, Cem Kaner, James Bach, and Brett Pettichord ( Lessons Learned on Amazon)
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This class focuses on advanced concepts in software test automation and how to use an understanding of the material to automate high-benefit tests. The class consists of four half-day or two full day sessions. This second course provides more specific descriptions for the advanced architectures. Outline
The success and risk factors for each of the automated testing approaches are analyzed and evaluated as part of the class. Students completing this course will have been given more detailed information to design, plan, and implement automated testing.
Recommended Text: Lessons Learned in Software Testing, Cem Kaner, James Bach, and Brett Pettichord ( Lessons Learned on Amazon)
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This class provides an overview of how to design a test automation framework. Although automated software testing has been done for decades, software test automation efforts still frequently fail for numerous reasons (see Cem Kaner's paper from the Los Altos Workshop on Software Testing). Often, organizations only realize in hindsight that they would have done more and better manual testing if the effort invested in test automation had instead been used to design and run tests. Even more frequently, automated tests require fixing or complete replacement as soon as the release is complete. The key to good return on automation investments is through understanding the things test automation can and can't do, planning for test automation, and engineering the automated tests. Many failed test automation initiatives we have seen would not have been begun if the return on investment had been considered. Outline
Recommended Text: Lessons Learned in Software Testing, Cem Kaner, James Bach, and Brett Pettichord ( Lessons Learned on Amazon)
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Updated April 6, 2009
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