Exam-style question
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A college commissions a room-booking system. Its requirements are that staff can create, amend and cancel bookings; students can view available rooms; a booking must not be lost after it has been confirmed; and a new user should be able to make a booking without extensive training. Explain how the system could be evaluated against four suitable criteria. For each criterion, state what could be tested and what evidence would indicate success.
Model answer
What a good answer should say
- The system could be evaluated for fitness for purpose by checking that staff can create, amend and cancel bookings and that students can view availability.
- Successful completion of these required functions would provide evidence that the system meets its stated purpose.
- It could be evaluated for reliability by repeatedly confirming bookings, including under normal and unusual conditions, and checking that confirmed bookings are not lost or incorrectly changed.
- It could be evaluated for usability by observing representative new users making bookings without extensive training; users completing the task accurately and with few errors would be evidence of success.
Explanation
Why this works
A strong evaluation links each criterion to the requirements of the particular system and identifies measurable evidence rather than merely naming general qualities. The exact tests and acceptable results should be agreed before evaluation where possible.
Common mistake
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