Gamification of Software Testing - a bit of fun, or a valuable endeavour

@nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Nicola Sedgwick Gamification of Software Testing - A bit of fun, or a valuable endeavour? @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Current uses of Gamification Exercise 1 - Gamifying a testing mission Discussion - How to spot “gamers” and reduce any negative impact by supporting or thwarting. Exercise 2 - Gaming the system Discussion - Real life application of ideas and techniques Wrap Up & Questions

Current uses of Gamification @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

StackOverflow Badges for contributions @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

FitBit Badges, Trophies, challenges & personal improvement @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Applause (was uTest): Testlio: Crowd-sourced testing Pay per bug, bonuses and focused testing @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Gamifying a Testing Mission Exercise 1 @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

• Rewards • What rewards would you like to receive? • What rewards would you offer others on your project team? @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

• Rewards • What rewards would you like to receive? • What rewards would you offer others on your project team? • How about members of other project teams? @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

• Rewards • What rewards would you like to receive? • What rewards would you offer others on your project team? • How about members of other project teams? • Or non-technical colleagues? (MD, Marketing, Reception, Account Managers, etc.) @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

• Rewards • What rewards would you like to receive? • What rewards would you offer others on your project team? • How about members of other project teams? • Or non-technical colleagues? • Your friends & family? @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

• Rewards • What rewards would you like to receive? • What rewards would you offer others on your project team? • How about members of other project teams? • Or non-technical colleagues? • Your friends & family? • And, how about the average user on the street? @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

• • Obstacles • What gets in the way of success? • What are the practical downsides? Achievements • What would you gain from gamifying? • What would successful gamification mean to your project? @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Obstacles Achievements • Not effort free - lots of admin • Faster coverage • Finding & scheduling volunteers • Respect for tester role • What is the knowledge baseline • Wider understanding of development process • Requires education • Discovering ‘real world’ uses & unexpected edge cases • Multiple viewpoints (avoid bias) • Collaboration & knowledge sharing Collation & management of results • Improved team dynamic Non-bugs • Personal investment in product • Equipment • Definition of a bug & how to report issues • •

How to spot “gamers” and reduce any negative impact by supporting or thwarting. Discussion @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

• • Support: • Use rules to direct, but not stifle, testing • Focus rewards on areas that need testing • Allow exploration and bug discovery Thwart: • Clear unambiguous rules that prevent “technically” in scope bugs • Constrain the focus areas when appropriate @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Gaming the system Exercise 2 @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

You have: • A crowd-sourced testing project style test mission • A list of bugs in the app Game the system • Identify which bugs would be in scope • How could you best raise bugs to maximise your return as a tester? • Do you feel incentivised to help raise the quality of the app? • Can you legitimise bugs that appear out of scope? @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Now, fix the system • Take your learning from “Game the system” • Assess the usefulness of the “in scope” bugs • Identify “noise” in the valid bugs for the project • Identify missed bugs • Rewrite the test mission so that good bugs would have been raised @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Real life application of ideas and techniques Discussion @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Starbucks Public Bug Bounty Program @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com

Wrap Up • Utilise natural enthusiasm • Provide guidelines • Offer appropriate rewards • Put in the effort (it pays dividends) • Keep It Simple • Any Questions?

Thanks! Any Questions? @nicolasedgwick nicola@nicola-sedgwick.com