This document discusses software testing coaching. It provides an overview of coaching techniques for testers, including establishing connections with students, diagnosing skills, and developing a testing strategy. It also outlines common student and coaching syndromes to watch out for, such as passive learning or leaping to judgment. An example coaching simulation is included where the coach questions a student to help them understand what an oracle is and that requirements alone are not enough - the requirements must be applied or used as a mechanism for recognizing problems. The coach sets homework for the student to reflect on why they thought something was a bug and what oracle they were using.

1. COACHING TESTING
Anne-Marie Charrett
@charrett
http://mavericktester.com

3. TESTING IS A SKILLED
ACTIVITY

4. TESTING
➤ Observation
➤ Modelling,
➤ Strategic thinking,
➤ Critical thinking
➤ Logical Reasoning,
➤ Question Assumptions

5. https://flic.kr/p/spFvyJ

6. https://flic.kr/p/edz61A

8. Full Detail Available:http://goo.gl/t2PRV6

9. COACHING PROCESS
➤ Connections
➤ Qualifications,
➤ Previous Coaching
➤ Testing Experience
➤ Diagnostic Task
➤ What is Software Testing?
➤ Test a website
➤ What is an Oracle?
➤ Analyse a Story to identify Risk
➤ Story Planning
➤ Developing a Testing Strategy
➤ Post Work
➤ Debrief
➤ Homework

10. STUDENT SYNDROMES
➤ Unfocused
➤ Aversion to something
➤ Blindness at skill level
➤ Passive Learning

11. STUDENT PATTERNS
➤ Shallow Answer
➤ Long Pause
➤ Scribbler (IM)
➤ Asking Questions
➤ Going Meta
➤ Spoon Feeding

12. COACHING SYNDROMES
➤ Feast or Famine
➤ Leaping to Judgment
➤ Trouble blindness
➤ Wandering Shepherd
https://flic.kr/p/5kqXLW

13. COACHING PATTERNS
➤ Boomerang - responding to a question
by asking another question
➤ Define Terms - clarify what a student
means
➤ Drill Down - explore depth of
understanding
➤ Mighty Pause - waiting adds pressure
➤ Polarisation - take statement to extreme
➤ Stonewall - repeat or return to a request
https://flic.kr/p/5kqXLW

14. JANE COACHING SIMON
ON ORACLES
(An oracle is a principle or mechanism used to
detect a problem)

15. Simon: In my point of view testing is trying out a system and his
functions to see if it works as expected by somebody
Jane: what do you mean by "see if it works as expected"?
Simon: checking against somebodies requirements: that can be
a specification, User Stories, Acceptance criteria, prototype.....
Simon: I just read today the "Testing without a map" by MB - so
there he explains the ORACLE
Jane: how does that fit into to what we are discussing?
Simon: checking against an oracle....which provides the right
answer of a requirement from somebody would that be correct?
in your view?
Jane: what is an oracle?
Simon: source of THE right answer
What will
Jane do
next?

16. Click and hold the red square.
Now, move it so that you neither touch the walls nor
get hit by any of the blue blocks
If you make it to 18 seconds, you are doing brilliantly!

17. JANE: TELL ME YOUR TESTS
What will
Jane do
next?
Jane: is your test an important test?
Simon: yes
Jane: why?
Simon: main functionality in my point of view - hit the
wall or get hit by the blue squares - quits the game
Simon: I tested if touching the walls or get hit by the
square blue rocks by moving around the red square,
quits the game and yes it does. So I was testing the
description of the game

18. IS IT A BUG?
Jane: who says it quits the game - how do you know its not
a bug?
Simon: you are right, it could be a bug...
Jane: what do you think? Is it a bug?
Simon: I don't know - missing specification ;)
Jane: you seem to think that without a spec your unable to
determine if this is a bug or not
Simon: no no
Jane: well then, is it a bug?
Simon: yes, nothing says that the game has to be quit
Jane: so its a bug
Simon: yes

19. SERIOUSLY, IS IT A BUG?
Jane: why is it a bug?
Simon : :D
Simon : that I call CHALLENGING
Simon : wow
Jane : What's challenging?
Simon: your questions
Jane: what we are looking at here is an example of a unidentified
oracle
Simon: ahhh
Jane: you think its a bug, but you're unable to explain why you think
its a bug
Jane: because you don't know the oracle you are using
Simon: yes

20. DEBRIEF
Jane: you mentioned that an oracle was a source of the right answer
Jane: it is the source but also its how you apply that source in your
testing
Simon: ahh
Jane: an oracle is a principle or mechanism used to *recognise* a
problem
Jane: requirements on their own are just that - they are a source of
knowledge
Jane: its only when you compare and evaluate your product against
the requirements that they become an oracle
Jane: you *use* them to recognise a problem
Simon: ahh, so requirements are becoming oracles...
Jane: yes

21. DEBRIEF (CONTINUED)
Jane: its like saying "water puts out fires" - well ...yes it
does....but
Jane: its useless unless someone pours water over the
fire
Jane: I mean it could be sitting in a bucket beside the fire
Jane: people could use it to wash their hands and all
Jane: all very useful , but its not putting out the fire
Simon: so oracles have to be applied...
Jane: yes exactly!
Simon: wow great!

22. HOMEWORK SET
Jane: but I want you to think about why you think you're bug is a
bug
Jane: what oracle are you using
Jane: but to be an excellent tester you need to be comfortable
with these terms and be able to apply them in your testing
Jane: I look forward to your email
Simon: ok
Jane: bye for now and thanks for contacting me. IT was a
pleasure!
Simon: I have to thank YOU - for your precious time which you
spent by coaching me

23. HOMEWORK
I thought ...& I feel confident that this isn’t a bug finally.
The oracle I’m using when there is no specification .. and I can’t
decide whether it works properly according to someone,
I should test this functionality according to “What could be the
users’s expectations”. So I’m using an oracle which may sound
“a functionality should behave consistently with my
understanding of what the user reasonable expectation might
be.”
I checked the behaviour game quits now against the oracle and
come to the result, that from my point of view the oracle is
fulfilled à conclusion: the “game quits” works as the user would
expect, so this isn’t bug.

24. EXERCISE

25. TEST A MOBILE APP OR AN OBJECT (PEN/BRICK/CUP)
➤ Group into pairs, one person is coaching, one is testing
➤ Get an understanding of the depth of testing experience
➤ Decide on Coaching Task
➤ Test an App/Object
➤ Determine an testing strategy for the app
➤ Find 3 most important bugs
➤ After 10 minutes stop
➤ Debrief for 5 minutes
➤ Group Discussion

26. THANK YOUAnne-Marie Charrett
amcharrett@testingtimes.com.au
mobile: +61410560923
Twitter: charrett