Automatic generation of high coverage usability tests

ABSTRACT

Software systems are often complex in the number of features that are available through the user interface and consequently, the number of interactions that can occur. Such systems are prone to errors when interactions do not work as anticipated. This research introduces a combinatorial method for setting up task-based usability tests. The method bridges contributions from mathematics, design of experiments, software test, and algorithms for application to usability testing.

REFERENCES

• 1: Renée C. Bryce , Charles J. Colbourn , Myra B. Cohen, A framework of greedy methods for constructing interaction test suites, Proceedings of the 27th international conference on Software engineering, May 15-21, 2005, St. Louis, MO, USA [doi>10.1145/1062455.1062495]
• 2: C. J. Colbourn, M. B. Cohen, and R. C. Turban. A deterministic density algorithm for pairwise interaction coverage. Proc. of the IASTED Intl. Conference on Software Engineering, pages 242--252, February 2004.
• 3: Dean Hoskins , Renée C. Turban , Charles J. Colbourn, Experimental designs in software engineering: d-optimal designs and covering arrays, Proceedings of the 2004 ACM workshop on Interdisciplinary software engineering research, November 05-05, 2004, Newport Beach, CA, USA [doi>10.1145/1029997.1030009]

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Evaluation/methodology

General Terms:
Human Factors, Measurement, Theory, Verification

Keywords:
covering arrays, design of experiments, interaction testing, mixed-level covering arrays, usability testing