Top 5 Tips To Improve The eLearning Quality Assurance And Testing Process

Optimize Courses Using eLearning QA Checklist

Quality assurance testing is not just about content and visuals but includes many more elements (i.e., text, context, visuals, audio, navigation, quizzes, interaction, compliance, user access, and system compatibility). Each of these categories has at least 5 assessments. By ensuring you have quality tested all the element categories, you will raise the standard and ensure delivery of a quality online course. With so many checks at every stage of the process, quality assurance testing might look cumbersome and complicated. So let's look at how you can improve the eLearning quality assurance testing process.

1. Creating Testing Scenarios

Before you even start quality testing the online course, you should create testing scenarios. Testing scenarios are any functionality that can be tested. This set of actions assists in the actual execution process of verifying a particular online course element. Once you have created a testing scenario, you will have a high-level idea of what items will be tested and how to execute the QA testing process.

For example, let's say your online course will have a test at the end of every module with X no. of attempts and an X time limit, and the score will be calculated for evaluation.

An example test scenario for eLearning courses in the scenario mentioned above could be:

• Test Scenario 1
  Check whether the learner can go back to the course material once they start the test (ideally, they should not be able to).
• Test Scenario 2
  Check whether the user can open the quiz in a new window while still browsing through the course in another browser window.
• Test Scenario 3
  If the user fails to attempt the answer right and get the minimum required score, are they able to retake the test? And, if so, how many times?

I hope you get the idea. Having this kind of test scenario for your course will help you efficiently complete QA testing while being wholly aligned with the approved storyboard. (Learn how you can create a testing scenario in this article.)

2. Make It Easy To Report Bugs

You must already be aware that every bug is different. But do the details of the issues need to be spread across all platforms that your team uses for communication? No, right?

Instead of putting effort upfront to talk about a bug in chats, emails, and messages, take the time to report it in full detail, mark all its attributes, provide its characteristics—all in one place. Sharing all feedback in one system helps everyone who will review the bug know all aspects of the reported issues.

And this is why it becomes crucial that you make it easy for your team members and external stakeholders to be able to effectively report bugs. So how do you do it specifically in regard to improving the eLearning QA process?

1. Breakdown the bug reporting process based on the online course elements.
2. Do report multiple or duplicate bugs for a single issue.
3. Ask team members to first review existing bugs before adding a new one, chances are someone from the team has already reported it.
4. Monitor and track bugs to make sure they are worked on and dealt with on time.

3. Use A Centralized System To Report Bugs

We already discussed making the bug reporting process easy and how you can do it. But where do you report the issues and defects? Do you make notes and write docs about it, have an email thread, or a chain of chat messages? No, you don't need any of this. All you need is a visual review and bug tracking tool to create and manage issues and defects.

Using a centralized bug reporting tool allows project teams to collaborate to help during development and testing. Because team members can report, review, and work on the same bug after it has been found during the QA process, it helps speed up and improve the eLearning QA testing process and assist in fixing those issues and defects.

4. Stick To The Initial Project Plan/Finalized Storyboard

Throughout the content development process there are going to be iterations requested. But if you keep incorporating all the iterations as and when they come, you will create something that the client didn't ask for and wasn't visualized during the storyboarding process.

It is imperative to stick as much as possible to the original and finalized storyboard. Sticking to the initial and approved project plan makes the QA testing process easier and quicker, as there are either zero or very few modifications to the content; therefore, the tester can stick with the finalized storyboard and testing scenario while running through the QA testing checklist.

5. Use A Checklist To Guide You Throughout The QA Testing Process

Last but not least, a tip for improving the eLearning quality assurance testing process is using an eLearning quality assurance and testing checklist. Numerous elements, features, and functionality need to be tested before delivering an excellent and engaging experience to the learners. A checklist acts as a guide in assessing an eLearning course. The QA checklist does not need to be a complex and exhaustive list, but it should include all the elements that should be checked. Also, having testing scenarios when running through a checklist is helpful.