Specialist online learning college benefits from software testing

Roland Amm, Director: Delivery, Inspired Testing

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After an extensive assessment process that saw five software testing providers pitch for its testing business, e-learning specialist Virtual College has selected software testing expert Inspired Testing to implement functional testing to evaluate its course modules.

Virtual College offers accredited, certified and self-enrichment courses covering six categories across multiple industries to over 3.7 million online learners, including, among others, food safety and hygiene; health and safety; business; construction; healthcare; and hospitality. Virtual College’s Continuing Professional Development programme provides content across a wide range of industries and subject areas.

Virtual College has seen exceptional growth in the past three years and demand for additional courses has resulted in many new modules being added to its online offering. “After the selection was concluded, we received feedback that Virtual College really liked our process and approach, which allows for the easy identification of failure paths and how well the system executes its functions. We aim to live up to this high expectation and fulfil our testing mandate to Virtual College as the partnership develops,” says Lloyd Dignan, Director: New Business Growth, Inspired Testing.

The need for each module to deliver exactly what the user requires is a fundamental and critical requirement for the digitally based learning model.

“Inspired Testing has paid particular attention to communication with the Virtual College team, with daily stand-ups and reviews, which is essential given the level of testing detail required for the project,” says Roland Amm, Director: Delivery, Inspired Testing.

The Inspired Testing team tests each module in the role of the end-user – the person utilising the site for learning. Menus, glossary, definitions, language, editing, layout, terminology, infographics and every clickable link are checked to find ‘bugs’ in the system, which can then be fixed. All aspects of the course and system functionality are tested in the context of the learner.

“Through our detailed application of functional testing, Inspired Testing is able to provide Virtual College with a comprehensive evaluation of the functionality of each module,” says Amm. “Importantly, we also test different aspects of each course on multiple browsers, different servers and a range of devices.”

"We always put our learners first, sparking their enthusiasm for learning. By making our content and systems intuitive and engaging, they are able to meet their professional and personal goals,” says Chloe Weatherhead, Senior Project Manager, Virtual College. “Not only do we listen to our learners and act on their feedback, but we want to ensure our content is accessible to all. Inspired Testing is an integral part of delivering this.”