NDLI: Evaluating the testing ability of senior-level computer science students

Content Provider	IEEE Xplore Digital Library
Author	Carver, J.C. Kraft, N.A.
Copyright Year	2011
Description	Author affiliation: University of Alabama (Carver, J.C.; Kraft, N.A.)
Abstract	Testing is a key skill for computer science students to acquire during their studies. To determine how well students are learning this skill, we conducted an empirical study in two offerings of a senior-level computer science course. The goal of the study was to determine whether students would be able to create a small, complete test suite for a simple program. The students created a test suite first without the aid of a coverage tool and then with the aid of a coverage tool. The results indicate that without a coverage tool, students achieved significantly less than 100% statement, branch or condition coverage. When provided with a code coverage tool, students increased coverage levels. Still, examination of the test suites indicated that they were significantly larger than the minimum required. These results indicate that students cannot conduct adequate testing of even a small program. To provide context for our results, we provide a literature survey summarizing various techniques proposed for teaching testing in the computer science curriculum. We discuss each technique, its strengths, and its weaknesses.
Starting Page	169
Ending Page	178
File Size	281561
Page Count	10
File Format	PDF
ISBN	9781457703492
ISSN	10930175
e-ISBN	9781457703485
e-ISBN	9781457703478
DOI	10.1109/CSEET.2011.5876084
Language	English
Publisher	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Publisher Date	2011-05-22
Publisher Place	USA
Access Restriction	Subscribed
Rights Holder	Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
Subject Keyword	Testing Software Software engineering Measurement Education Programming
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article

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