Unit of competency details

Unit descriptor 

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to manage the testing of interactive media products.

No licensing, legislative, regulatory or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of endorsement.

Application of the unit 

This is a central team role, working with the whole production team, including designers, authors, programmers and graphic artists.

In larger projects and particularly in games, testing is a continuous process and may have a quality assurance unit devoted to testing.

A person in this position plans and coordinates the testing process and is also responsible for analysing testing results, writing reports and communicating the results to appropriate members of the production team.

Prerequisite units 

Employability skills 

This unit contains employability skills.

Elements describe the essential outcomes of a unit of competency.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element. Where bold italicised text is used, further information is detailed in the required skills and knowledge section and the range statement. Assessment of performance is to be consistent with the evidence guide.

ELEMENT 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Determine the criteria for testing

1. Define testing criteria  that ensure products meet technical and quality requirements

2. Identify with relevant personnel  the production points  at which development will be measured

3. Document and communicate testing criteria to relevant personnel

Plan an approach for product testing

4. Identify the various testing methods  relevant for interactive media products 

5. Determine characteristics and appropriateness of testing methods to be used during development and on completion

6. Consider testing methods in relation to appropriate testing strategy 

7. Develop a plan for testing products at specified points during development and on completion

8. Establish records system  to document testing results, including problems and faults

Test interactive media at specified production points

9. Determine progress towards completion of identified production points

10. Coordinate testing of products at identified production points

11. Apply testing methods to ensure that products meet creative, production and technical requirements

12. Record problems and faults detected by testing and remedial steps taken in records system

13. Resolve problems and faults detected during testing in accordance with agreed project or industry practice

14. Evaluate final products against the previously determined criteria

15. Document the testing process

16. Convey summarised evaluation report to relevant production personnel

Evaluate the testing process

17. Identify testing methods that were successful and those that led to difficulties

18. Evaluate the testing process and records system

19. Document findings to inform subsequent projects

REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE 

This section describes the skills and knowledge required for this unit.

Required skills 

• communication, teamwork and literacy skills sufficient to:

• interpret and clarify project specifications
• interpret and analyse information and statistics, and write summary reports
• convey information to others in the production team
• work as a member of a production team, including providing leadership in relation to product testing

• organisational skills sufficient to:

• plan testing processes
• coordinate testing staff
• establish records systems

• ability to address and solve problems and challenges in a timely and collaborative manner
• self-management skills sufficient to:

• prioritise work tasks
• work under pressure and meet deadlines
• seek expert assistance as required

Required knowledge 

• industry knowledge, including:

• roles and responsibilities of project team members, e.g. designers, content creators, information architects, programmers and coders
• sound understanding of the relationship between technical and creative aspects and requirements of interactive media projects
• issues and challenges that arise in testing interactive media products
• testing criteria
• range of methods for testing interactive media products

• OHS standards as they apply to computers and environments in which testing may be conducted

EVIDENCE GUIDE 

The Evidence Guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package.

Overview of assessment 

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit 

Evidence of the following is essential:

• documented plans for testing interactive media products
• ability to identify appropriate testing methods for specific interactive media products
• analysis of test results
• summary reports containing test results
• effective coordination of the testing process, including ability to work collaboratively with team members.

Context of and specific resources for assessment 

Assessment must ensure:

• development of more than one test plan to ensure that skills can be adapted to different circumstances
• development of a test plan within commercially-realistic time constraints
• involvement of and interaction with others to reflect the collaborative nature of the testing process
• access to interactive media products under development
• access to equipment used for testing
• access to appropriate learning and assessment support when required
• use of culturally appropriate processes and techniques appropriate to the language and literacy capacity of learners and the work being performed.

Method of assessment 

A range of assessment methods should be used to assess practical skills and knowledge. The following examples are appropriate for this unit:

• direct questioning combined with review of portfolios of evidence and third-party workplace reports of on-the-job performance
• evaluation of at least two test plans developed by the candidate
• evaluation of at least two test reports written by the candidate
• written or oral questioning to test knowledge of the process followed to test an interactive media product, testing methods, testing criteria and the respective roles and responsibilities of team members.

Guidance information for assessment 

Holistic assessment with other units relevant to the industry sector, workplace and job role is recommended, for example:

• BSBPMG510A Manage projects.

RANGE STATEMENT 

The range statement relates to the unit of competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included.

Testing criteria  may include:

• accessibility
• bug detection
• controls
• ease of learning
• effectiveness
• efficiency
• functionality, including flow
• interoperability
• learning outcomes
• levels of difficulty
• performance
• reliability
• satisfaction
• security
• usability.

Relevant personnel  may include:

• author
• game designer
• game level designer
• information architect
• instructional designer
• interaction designer
• producer
• programmer
• user interface designer
• visual artist
• other specialist staff.

Production points  may include:

• alpha
• beta
• completion
• continuous
• milestone
• prototype
• staged.

Testing methods  may be:

• aggressive
• automated
• black box
• card sorting
• concept
• debugging
• focus group
• heuristic analysis
• inspection
• platform testing
• prototyping
• regression
• survey
• user trial
• visual impact
• white box.

Interactive media products  may include:

• e-commerce
• e-learning resource
• game
• information product
• promotional product
• training product
• web environments.

Testing strategy  may be determined by:

• complexity of the project
• money available
• project specifications
• time available.

Records system  may include:

• metadata that includes:

• description of fault
• identification of code
• user responses
• written or verbal comments
• quantitative data
• remedial action taken
• retest result
• date
• tester's details

• questionnaire
• survey.

Unit sector 

Competency field 

Visual communication - digital content and imaging

Co-requisite units