Break the "Testing Bottleneck" with Acceptance Criteria
Tutorial, 90 min
Abstract:
Why do testers on some agile teams find iterations productive and enjoyable, while other teams struggle to "keep up" with testing, have difficulty getting to "done done", and end up shifting testing to the "next iteration", and/or adding "testing sprints" or "testing iterations" before release just to deliver something that works?
Succeeding with agile testing is more than just automating tests or sitting with the developers. To create working software quickly, your whole team must be able to build a shared understanding of a feature - and do this rapidly, accurately, over and over again, every feature, every iteration.
This short tutorial explains how to get there, using the agile practice of acceptance criteria. You'll learn why acceptance criteria are so important, how to do them well, and how to overcome barriers to make this deceptively simple technique work for your team.
How you will benefit:
- Learn the four keys to effectively use acceptance criteria
- Practice building simple, effective acceptance criteria
- Compare acceptance criteria to traditional big requirements up front
- Understand why acceptance criteria are often undervalued
Process:
Attendees learn the value and technique through lecture, individual and group exercises, and discussion.
- Build Quality In vs. Test Defects Out (20 minutes)
- Introduction and lecture (5)
- Crossword exercise (5)
- Discussion (10)
- Using Acceptance Criteria (20 minutes)
- Lecture - Four keys (5)
- Exercise (Need something here)
- Discussion
- Creating Good Acceptance Criteria (20 minutes)
- Lecture (5)
- Group exercise (Pick best three, add one) (5)
- Discussion (10)
- Overcoming Resistance (20 minutes)
- Guided discussion - How values guide decisions (5)
- Role play (10)
- Debrief and summary (5)
- Ah-has (5 minutes)