Elearning developers should provide the first, and maybe the most thorough, quality assurance (QA) of an elearning module. Our team uses an elearning QA checklist to ensure that we hand off a high quality course to teammates or stakeholders.
Our team at Endurance Learning was inspired to improve how elearning developers do quality assurance based on what we know about software development unit testing. A unit test is a method for testing your work before you hand it off to someone else to review. The goal is to reduce errors and frustration on the part of the reviewer and time to fix issues.
QA Testing Approach
A unit test is best done by taking the course in the way it will be delivered while have your development tool (Storyline, Rise, etc.) available make fixes as you find issues.
Click through slides and interactions in the expected (and unexpected) order to verify that all content/visuals appear and remain on-screen as expected. Use the checklist below as you review each screen.
While you may not need to test the entire course in multiple browsers and devices, you should attempt to see the course in several environments and use basic functionality like buttons and drag and drops to see how usable they are.
Items in this checklist that are followed by an * represent tasks that should always be conducted in a unit test, however testing for all items in this list is best practice.
Testing Basic Course Functionality
Ask yourself the following questions when unit testing in regards to course functionality:
- Navigate forward and backward through the course more than you typically would. Do interactions appear as expected if already completed?*
- If the course includes a locked navigation menu, does each item enable at the correct time?*
- Is the Player Menu set up appropriately for QA/client review or delivery? If the Player Menu is turned on, are the slides within the Menu in the correct order?*
Reviewing Visual Formatting
Visuals can make or break an elearning module. Make sure you check for these formatting elements when unit testing:
- Is the text for headers, body, etc. consistent throughout the course, including font style and size?*
- Is the formatting aligned throughout the course, including font positioning and spacing, image and video formatting and placement, etc.?*
- Do the logos, colors, font style, visuals, etc. adhere to the branding or style guidelines?
- Are images and videos approved, relevant, sized correctly, and high quality?
- Do images and video appear as expected and aligned with any on-screen text or voice over?*
- Do audio files and/or text-to-speech match script? Are they clear in quality and volume, and timed appropriately with on-screen text, media, and animations?*
- Do all links to resources and external sites work as expected?*
Validating Course Content
Transferring content from the script into an elearning module seems like a simple CTRL C, CTRL V action, but there are areas that, if containing errors, can cause major issues. Use these questions to make sure you’ve covered all of your content bases:
- Is all content from the script present? This includes all text and media elements. With text, check for any grammatical, spelling, or copy and paste errors. *
- Are the base slide and layer titles consistent with the script?*
- Are there clear and consistent instructions for interactions, etc. where needed via voice over or on-screen text?
- Has inclusive language and imagery been incorporated throughout the course?
Test for Accessibility
Depending on the developer, content, and/or client, accessibility requirements can range from basic to extensive. Use these questions to test for basic accessibility elements in your elearning course:
- Are closed captioning for audio and video files correct and aligned?*
- Is the alt text correct and present for all appropriate objects (such as objects the learner interacts with or OS text that does not offer audio)?*
- Is tabbing consistent with alt text?
- Do video files have the option for learners to play and pause if they need to/if requested by the client?
