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Creative iMedia · R097 TA3

R097 TA3: Testing and Reviewing Interactive Digital Media

Section A: 10 multiple choice questions, 10 marks. Section B: 3 written questions, 13 marks. Total 23 marks.

Name

Class

Date

Mark  / 23

Section A

Circle the letter of the correct answer. One mark each.

  1. 1What must be recorded before a test is run?1
    1. AThe tester's name
    2. BThe expected result
    3. CThe time taken
    4. DThe actual result
  2. 2What does usability testing involve?1
    1. ATesting in several browsers
    2. BChecking every link works
    3. CWatching a real user attempt a task and recording the difficulties
    4. DProofreading the content
  3. 3Roughly how many users are needed to find most usability problems?1
    1. AOne
    2. BAbout five
    3. CTwenty
    4. DFifty
  4. 4Why is a test log with no failures a problem?1
    1. ATests must always fail once
    2. BIt is too short
    3. CFailures are not allowed
    4. DIt suggests only the working parts were tested
  5. 5Which test checks the product on different devices and screen sizes?1
    1. AUsability testing
    2. BContent testing
    3. CFunctionality testing
    4. DCompatibility testing
  6. 6What makes an improvement suggestion score well?1
    1. AIt blames the time available
    2. BIt lists more content
    3. CIt says how it would be implemented and what effect it would have
    4. DIt is ambitious
  7. 7Which review statement is evidence rather than opinion?1
    1. AFive of six testers completed the task unaided
    2. BThe product is easy to use
    3. CEverything worked as planned
    4. DThe design looks professional
  8. 8What is further development?1
    1. AFixing the bugs found in testing
    2. BWriting the test plan
    3. CMaking the product shorter
    4. DHow the product could grow beyond the brief
  9. 9Which is the best accessibility test for keyboard users?1
    1. AUse the whole product with the keyboard only
    2. BCount the screens
    3. CAsk a friend if it is accessible
    4. DCheck the colours look nice
  10. 10Why test with members of the target audience rather than friends?1
    1. AFriends are not allowed
    2. BThey are representative and less likely to hold back criticism
    3. CFriends cannot use computers
    4. DIt is quicker

Section B

Answer in the space provided. The number of marks tells you how many separate points to make.

  1. 1ExplainExplain why an interactive product should be tested by someone other than its creator.3
  2. 2DescribeDescribe four types of testing that should be carried out on an interactive product.4
  3. 3ExplainA student's review of their interactive product says: "Everything worked well and my friends liked it. If I had more time I would add more content." Explain three ways this review could be improved.6

Mark scheme

Section A

1B2C3B4D5D6C7A8D9A10B

Section B

1 Explain why an interactive product should be tested by someone other than its creator. 3

One mark for each of the following, to a maximum of 3.

  • The creator already knows how it works
  • So they cannot experience being confused by it
  • A new user reveals real problems

Model answer. The creator has an unavoidable advantage: they built the navigation, so they know where everything is and cannot experience the moment of not knowing. That means they are blind to exactly the problems testing is meant to find, and will unconsciously take the route they designed rather than the route a stranger would try. Someone from the audience, given a task and left alone, hesitates in places the creator never considered, taps things that are not buttons and looks for features that are not there, and every one of those moments is a finding that can be fixed.

2 Describe four types of testing that should be carried out on an interactive product. 4

One mark for each of the following, to a maximum of 4.

  • Functionality testing
  • Navigation testing, or content testing
  • Compatibility testing
  • Usability or accessibility testing

Model answer. Functionality testing checks that every button, link and interactive element does what it is supposed to do. Navigation testing confirms that every screen can be reached and that there is always a route back, so no user becomes stuck. Compatibility testing runs the product on different browsers, devices and screen sizes, which catches layouts that only work on the machine it was built on. Usability and accessibility testing put it in front of real users, including keyboard only and screen reader use, to find where people struggle rather than where the code fails.

3 A student's review of their interactive product says: "Everything worked well and my friends liked it. If I had more time I would add more content." Explain three ways this review could be improved. 6

One mark for each of the following, to a maximum of 6.

  • Compare against the brief point by point
  • Why that matters
  • Gather feedback from the target audience, not friends, and quote it
  • Why that matters
  • Identify specific weaknesses honestly
  • Give improvements with the method and effect

Model answer. First, it should work through the brief requirement by requirement, quoting each one, saying whether it was met and pointing to the screen where it was met, because the review is assessed on evidence and a general statement that everything worked proves nothing. Second, the feedback should come from people in the target audience rather than from friends, who are both unrepresentative and reluctant to criticise, and it should be quoted: what the tester was asked to do, what they actually did, and what they said. Third, the improvements have to be specific and come with a method and an expected effect. 'More content' is not a plan; 'two of five testers looked for a search function, so I would add a search field to the header, which would let users reach a topic directly instead of scanning the menu' identifies the evidence, the change and the benefit. Underneath all three is the same point: a review that finds nothing wrong reads as a review that was never carried out, and honest criticism of your own work is the thing being credited.