Alan Koch, ASK Process Inc.
Adopting an Agile software development method significantly changes the roles of everyone involved in software projects, not the least among them being the testers. While the Agile methods describe significantly altered roles for developers, managers and even customers, they are silent about the topic of Testers. Some people have taken these methods’ silence about testers (and their focus on developer testing) to mean that the role of tester is obsolete.
While the Agile methods do not anticipate the specialized role of “tester” on Agile projects, neither do they preclude it. This is a current topic of discussion in the Agile community, and the growing consensus is that the tester role can be valuable. Many organizations have been experimenting with Testers on Agile projects, and have identified a variety of ways to integrate testers into their teams.
In this workshop, we will explore the different options for integrating testers into Agile projects. We will investigate the costs, benefits and impacts of each option and discuss the new demands that such roles would put on testers. Ample time will be reserved for participants to discuss options with each other and learn from the experiences of other attendees. Along the way, each participant will use worksheets to apply this information to his or her own situation, and in the end will be prepared to embark on Agile testing in the most appropriate way given his or her context.
When the workshop is completed, the attendees will be able to:
- Describe the Agile methods, the principles upon which they are built, and how they differ from traditional approaches
- Describe how the Agile methods recommend testing is done and what they (don’t) say about the role of Testers
- Articulate the value that Testers can add to Agile projects
- Become an active, integrated member of an Agile Development Team (one option)
- Form an Agile Test Team that operates in parallel with an Agile Development Team (a second option)
Target Audience: Intermediate
2010 Workshop, Alan Koch, Paper, Slides, Notes, Video.
