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Mobile app testing
webadmin December 28, 2021 No Comments

Top 3 Mobile App Testing Methods for Optimal Performance

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]As per a report published by App Annie, users spent nearly 3.5 hours on mobile every day (on average) in 2019. This was a 35% increase from 2017. It made businesses realize the importance of pushing a mobile app into the market that users can interact with. This digital transformation started long ago, but the pandemic has only expedited it. People worldwide are turning to mobile apps to take care of their requirements and necessities anytime and anywhere. Challenge for brands? To deliver a user-friendly, fast, and seamless mobile experience for consumers. It’s not an easy job to do. Build a non-satisfactory app that doesn’t meet the performance standards. It takes just one uninstallation to push it into oblivion. People can probably find dozens of other apps that can exceed their expectations, which is why you can’t afford to go wrong with mobile apps. In this article, we have listed the best mobile app testing methods based on common performance indicators they are expected to meet. Let’s begin! 1. Performance Factor: Mobile App Backend The backend architecture of a mobile app is based on a database, web server, and application server. Performance issues can crop up in the backend that can render a mobile app unresponsive. Some of these backend issues are: Breakpoints or bottlenecks in the application server resources and database High server response times Poor implementation of policies related to escalation So, what type of mobile app testing method is imperative to determine the above-mentioned backend issues? There are many tests, including load testing, endurance testing, peak testing, stress testing, etc. You simulate load in different ways on the backend and see if the mobile app passes all these tests. 2. Performance Factor: Mobile App Network  When running tests on your mobile app, it’s important to measure the bandwidth and latency of mobile apps connected to a network. Latency (measured in milliseconds) is the time elapsed when data is sent from a mobile app on the network. The maximum amount of data that a mobile app can transmit through the network is termed bandwidth. It is measured in bits/second. Depending on whether the app is connected to a 4G or 3G network, the app’s performance can vary. Even though this is beyond the control of a developer, it’s possible to simulate various types of networks when testing the mobile app. During the mobile app testing process, measure the impact of these network types on the app’s response times – on the client-side and the server-side. Did you notice that Facebook runs well even on low bandwidth, whereas LinkedIn requires a strong network to run efficiently? That’s the kind of latency and network difference we’re talking about here.  3. Performance Factor: Client In the mobile app jargon, a ‘client’ is none other than the software that the user’s device runs on. It’s important to understand how your mobile app will behave in that software environment, sharing its resources with other applications on people’s phones. Functionality testing can help measure the software performance.  It’s a pivotal factor that makes or breaks the user experience. Many businesses lose money because of the below-par client-side performance of their apps. Even after you incorporate automation, conduct functional testing, or have CI/CD at your disposal, client-side issues can still slip through the cracks. What type of mobile app testing methods do you need to undertake to ensure that does not happen? It’s tricky. You have to be thorough while testing various screen sizes, operating systems, and devices – all part of client-side testing. Since the variety of mobile devices in the market only seems to increase in number each year, it’s becoming even more challenging to ensure that your app runs seamlessly on all of those devices. But unlike the network, you do have some control over a few elements of client-side performance. Some of these areas include: Device resource usage: This test measures how your mobile app uses the device’s resources when it’s running. These resources are – % Battery usage, memory (Kb), % CPU, data received and sent by the application. Rendering: This involves checking the render lag (janks), frames per second (fps), render time (milliseconds). A respectable rendering you should aim for is 60 frames per second, with each frame completed within 16 milliseconds. Otherwise, the app could end up freezing on the user’s device. The above two criteria are important for all kinds of apps. But if yours is a gaming app, you must aim for a higher rendering and lower device resource usage – or you could risk losing an ardent gamer![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Should You Use Real Devices or Emulators for Mobile App Testing? Experts recommend using real devices for mobile app testing because you never know how your mobile app will behave on real devices if you end up using the emulators. If you need to determine the actual performance of your mobile app, avoid using emulators. It’s especially important during the client-side performance testing, otherwise what’s the point? You may use profiling tools such as Instruments and Android Studio for debugging an app. Another common question that enterprises have is – how early in the mobile app development cycle should we begin the mobile app testing? And, the answer is – as soon as possible. Testing early allows you to understand client-side metrics, run tests alongside to see if the first version of your mobile app meets those performance metrics. Subsequently, you can release updated versions by fixing the performance errors.  Mobile Test Automation Frameworks Listed below are the three important mobile test automation frameworks: Appium: This mobile test automation framework can be used for both iOS and Android apps. Espresso: It’s an Android-specific test automation framework that you may try for mobile app testing. XCUITest: An iOS-targeted mobile test automation framework, XCUITest is a popular choice among developers and enterprises. Wrapping It Up By fixing the performance issues that may crop up at the client-side, network, or backend, you’ll create a mobile app that’s loved by

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Online Stem Activities
webadmin December 22, 2021 No Comments

Top 6 Online STEM Activities To Have In K-12 Curriculum

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Online STEM activities are specifically designed to allow K-12 students to explore digital tools while creating something using the steps of the innovative engineering design process. What is most exciting here is that nearly every topic and subject area can be easily incorporated into these challenges, and they can be used as a part of day-to-day academic activities. In this blog, we explore some of the top digital STEM activities that educators must include in the K-12 curriculum to enhance learning. What are Digital STEM Activities? Digital STEM activities simply refer to incorporating STEM or science, technology, engineering design, and math into K-12 curriculum and classrooms to promote creativity, inspiration and critical thinking in students along with other benefits of STEM education. The best part is that these activities can be implemented either in a whole-group setting or as an individual STEM station or center.  Here are some of the must-have online STEM activities in any K-12 curriculum. 1. STEM-based Quick Build Challenge  A STEM-based quick build challenge is a good way to engage K-12 students during a live virtual class. An educator needs to select a building task that can be done with a range of simple materials available at home. Students can then participate in the activity in an online classroom setting. For this digital STEM activity, ask your students to gather all the available material, which can be anything from straws, papers, paper plates/ cups, legos, newspapers, tape etc. Once done, prompt your students to come up with an initial design before building. Here, the aim is to make them brainstorm and discuss ideas that focus more on problem-solving, creativity, and perseverance during the building phase. The time element is an added attraction to this fun STEM activity. 2. Estimating Volumes STEM Activity This is a simple measurement and math activity that is an exciting way to introduce the concept of volume to K-12 students. The other advantage of this activity is that it also includes excellent fine motor skills practice for students. The activity requires everyday items such as plastic measuring containers, a pitcher of water, a funnel, a tray, paper towels and containers in different shapes and sizes. Alternatively, students can also try this activity with several other materials including shells, gems, blocks and rocks. The activity allows students to learn the concept of volume and it is the space a substance/object takes up or that can be enclosed in a closed container. It is also a great way to get students thinking, problem-solving, exploring and observing what is happening around them. 3. STEM-based Coding Communication Challenge If you have been looking for an activity to promote communication and collaboration among your students, this is an ideal STEM-based coding activity through virtual platforms. The activity requires one student to direct the other on the way of building a specific object and can be done with building materials like legos, index cards, papers modeling clay or any other material available easily. To implement the activity, teachers can either conduct live class sessions where students offer commands and attempt to build the tool, or students simply post a video with commands on how to build the tool. Their peers then respond by posting a video of their tool using the instructions given.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 4. Virtual Field Trips STEM Activity For K-12 students, field trips hold immense importance as they can enhance a lesson plan for almost any subject. However, some of the biggest field trips aren’t available to many students. Most educators would agree that, in such a scenario, there’s also plenty to learn from implementing fun and informational virtual field trips.  These virtual field trips bring two key benefits to K-12 students over in-person visits- zero cost and no crowds, along with offering an interactive & immersive experience to the students.  For instance, to learn the concept of space and solar system, K-12 students can take a virtual field trip through space, where different stars and planets can be conveniently labeled and they can closely observe several planets and stars up close using the solar system scope. Various view selections can allow students to see the solar system in different (planetary and panoramic) views. 5. Mathematical Operations Concept Using Real-life Example This is a simple movement-oriented math STEM activity that can be done with everyday items such as a sheet of paper taped to the wall, a few sticky notes and a marker.  This activity helps kids understand the mathematical operators and meaning of numeric values in a simple way. Similarly, for students just learning to count, understanding the concept that numbers increase in size can be quite confusing. However, with things such as pipe cleaners and beads, you can help students learn to count while also allowing them a simple visual of how numbers increase in size. All you need to do is take small pieces of paper and label each of the pipe cleaners with a number. Students then have to simply arrange the pipe cleaners from small to big and start putting on the correct number of beads while counting aloud at the same time. 6. STEM-based Creating Model- Working Lungs In this activity, students will be required to explore the inhalation/exhalation process that happens in the lungs during respiration. The activity can be done using everyday materials, where every student team will be required to create a model pair of lungs.  The objective of this activity is to allow them to describe the function of the respiratory system and create a model of the lungs, along with explaining what happens to them when we inhale and exhale. To Wrap STEM education programs in the K-12 curriculum specifically aim to integrate all four STEM disciplines for practical use in real-life applications. The big focus of these activities is often project-based learning and problem-solving. By including the above digital STEM activities in the K-12 curriculum, you can ensure that your students gain practical, real-world skills through career-focused pathways in different fields such as health

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Black box testing
niranjana Srinivasan December 20, 2021 No Comments

What Is Black Box Testing?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Black Box testing is a software testing method wherein the functionalities of software applications are tested without any knowledge of the internal code structure or paths. The tester selects a function and gives an input value to check for functionality. The tester then creates test cases with selected inputs, such as decision table, all pairs test, equivalent division, cause-effect graph, error estimation, etc. Test cases are constructed around what the application is supposed to do. They are generally drawn from external descriptions of the software, such as specifications, requirements and design parameters. The tester chooses both valid and invalid inputs (for positive and negative test scenarios). This is to ensure that the software processes the positive ones and detects the negative ones. The tester sets the expected outputs for all the inputs and then executes the tests to see if it (actual output) gives the expected output. If it does, then it has passed the test; if not, it has failed. The bugs or defects are fixed in the process and re-tests are conducted. The testing team reports it to the development team and proceeds to test the next function. Black Box testing is also called Behavioural Testing. The Black Box test can be performed on any software, website or any custom application: the input and output are significant, not the internal code.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Among the several types of BB testing, the following are significant. 1. Functional testing: As the name indicates, it involves the functional requirements of a system.  2. Non-functional testing: This is not about testing specific functionality but performance and usability.  3. Regression testing: It is performed after any upgrades or maintenance to see if the new code has in any way affected the existing code. Different tool are used in Black Box testing. Functional or Regression testing tools are QTP, and Selenium, while non-functional tests require the likes of LoadRunner and Jmeter.  Major Black Box testing techniques: Among the many Black Box testing techniques, there are:  Decision table testing: A matrix is created placing the causes and effects in a decision table. Each column yields a unique combination. Equivalence class testing: It is used to bring down the number of test cases to an optimum level and maintain reasonable test coverage. Boundary Value Testing: It focuses on the values at boundaries. Useful in systems where the input is within a certain range, this technique tests whether the system accepts values of a certain range. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Black Box Testing White Box Testing Focuses on validating functionality of requirements Focus on validating the internal structure and working of the coding/software. Focuses on giving abstraction from code and tests efforts on software system behaviour. Knowledge of the software language is critical. That is not always possible especially as there are software systems using multiple languages. Testing communication among modules is possible. Testing communication among modules is not possible. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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White box testing
niranjana Srinivasan December 16, 2021 No Comments

White Box Testing – Types, Need & Techniques

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]White box testing is a software testing technique that tests the internal structure and coding of software to verify the input-output flow and to improve the design, usability, and security of software.  Since the code is visible to testers, it is called a White box or Open box or Clear box testing. One can apply White Box testing at the unit, integration, and system levels of the software testing process. In this blog, we cover why knowing the need of white box testing has been increasing, knowing what is white box, types of white boxes, techniques, and more. Types of White Box Testing Several testing types fall under White Box testing used to evaluate the usability of a software program. Unit Testing: Typically, Unit testing is one type of White box testing that is done on each unit of code as it is developed. It is done by the programmer. In this type, bugs are identified early on and hence are easier to fix.  Testing for Memory Leaks: It is yet another type that is extremely useful in slow-running applications, as memory leaks are responsible for slow-running applications. White Box Penetration Testing: In this type of testing, the tester has complete information, right from the application’s source code to the server that the application runs on. Thus it is easy to troubleshoot from various angles to identify security threats.  White Box Mutation Testing: It involves developing the best coding technique for expanding a software solution.  Why do we need White Box testing? We need White Box testing for:  Addressing broken paths in the coding processes. Addressing internal security leaks or holes Verifying the flow of specific inputs through the code. Conditional loop functionality Testing every function and statement individually. In White Box testing, the working flow of an application is verified. A series of preset inputs are tested against expected outputs: when the expected output is not produced, there are bugs and those bugs are resolved. Methods of White Box Testing include two important steps: understanding the source code and creating test cases and executing them. The tester should have a strong command over the application used in the coding as well as the security of the software. The tester looks for security issues and addresses them. Also, the source code is tested for proper flow and structure. This is done by writing more code. In this process, the developer usually creates small tests at each stage to check the flow for each of the series of processes.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] Techniques of White Box Testing Among the techniques of White box testing, Code Coverage Analysis is an important one. It helps identify those areas of a software program that are not exercised by test cases. Those untested parts are then tested by a code, thus raising the quality of the software. Statement coverage requires every statement in the software to be tested at least once during the testing process. Branch coverage covers every possible path including loops in the software.  There are other techniques such as Condition coverage, Multiple Condition coverage, control flow testing, and data flow testing. How do you perform White Box testing? Testers employing white box testing typically understand the source code and create test cases and execute. Understanding white box testing in software engineering involves a good working knowledge of the programming languages used in the software that is being tested. Besides, the tester should be aware of the secure coding practices as well, to identify security issues and prevent attacks. Also, the tester would develop tests for each process. This is often done by the developer as it requires a strong command over the code. Other methods employed are Manual Testing and trial and error testing. Merits of White Box Testing: Optimization of code by identifying hidden errors Thorough testing as each path and statement are covered. Testing can start even without the graphic user interface Ease of automation is present in White Box testing. Demerits of White Box testing: It is complex, expensive, and time-consuming. It requires a lot of detailing which if not performed can lead to production errors. It requires professional resources and in-depth knowledge of the software. It is detailed and each statement or path is covered. Unless one has adequate time and resources at hand, it cannot be performed successfully. Conclusion White box testing is complex on the one hand but thorough and detailed on the other. While small applications can be tested in minutes, larger applications may even take weeks to fully test. White box testing is done on software applications as they are being developed and once again after any modification. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Immersive Animations
webadmin December 14, 2021 No Comments

Advantages of Using Immersive Animations for Better Learning Outcomes in K-12 Education

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Student engagement plays a vital role in making learning impactful and engrossing for K-12 learners. This is simply because the majority of the students may not find subjects such as science, history or mathematics interesting as it takes a lot of mental effort to grasp the concepts. The use of technologies such as immersive animations and simulations can prove to be instrumental in making concepts interesting, thus improving student engagement and overall learning outcomes. In this blog, we learn more about the use of animations in K-12 learning and how these immersive animations help improve learning outcomes. How does Animation in K-12 Learning Works and What are the Advantages Animation accounts for a massive part of the multimedia sector and is quite a popular medium with young students. It is something students want to explore, experience and learn as it enables them to think out of the box and apply their own imagination as well as rational thinking.  Animation in learning occurs when various pictures, images or drawings are placed and played in a particular sequence to create an illusion of movement. The last few years have seen the use of animation in education gaining rapid popularity due to the several advantages it offers. Apart from easing the process of learning complex concepts for students, the use of immersive animation also brings learning to life and can be applied to nearly all K-12 subjects. This allows educators to make learning fun, easily explain various concepts with the help of visual representations, and promote experiential learning. Some of the key advantages of using animations in improving K-12 learning outcomes are explained below- 1. Clear understanding of concepts Research suggests that K-12 learners tend to understand different topics well when the information is offered to them in the form of an immersive experience using animations. Animation in K-12 education makes use of visuals for learning to present various abstract concepts and give a clear picture of the lesson to the learners. For instance, the use of animation makes a demonstration of body parts functioning much more fun and understandable in biology. Similarly, in physics, the concept of force can be made more engaging and interesting through the use of animations by demonstrating different examples of the topics with the help of various animated characters performing certain tasks. 2. Interactive learning  Since different learners have different learning styles, the use of animation, graphics, videos, and audio makes learning much more interactive and participatory in nature. Apart from this, animated videos are short and cover specific, relevant content to grab learners’ attention and ensure that they don’t digress from the concept. As a result, learners develop their skills and knowledge conveniently through short visual representations.  Different interactive learning strategies allow learners to interact with the course content easily and comprehend the concepts faster. Further, in this learning style, the retention rate is higher as the concepts are in the form of interactive and fun videos. 3. Enables visualization  Using 2D and 3D animations in K-12 learning allow students to visualize and better understand a variety of complex questions in an easier way. As an audio-visual medium, animation keeps learners engaged physically as well as mentally.  For instance, questions related to algebra and word problems are quite difficult for K-12 students to understand and comprehend. However, demonstrating the same questions in an animated form helps students to visualize the problem and better understand the question. This makes it more meaningful for the students and leads to better learning outcomes.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 4. Experiential learning Animation in K-12 education helps present different abstract concepts through virtual reality, which brings more flexibility in learning intricate concepts. There are various science experiments that are dangerous for students to perform in real-life even though they form a crucial part of learning. Bringing animation and VR for such concepts or experiments allows learners to perform them in a much safer environment with complete accuracy of results.  This gives learners an invaluable experience that they could only get when doing these experiments in real life. Moreover, animation offers an alternative to learners through experiential learning as they cannot learn each concept practically while attending virtual classes.   5. Easy accessibility and affordability Another advantage of employing animation in K-12 education is its easy accessibility and affordability. Unlike the popular notion that animated videos are expensive to implement, they are quite affordable, thus allowing educators to use any form of animated videos without compromising on quality. Easy and ready availability is another benefit of using animation in education. One animated video can be used by educators to teach many learners. Further, students can also revisit a video for revising the concept anytime, anywhere with just a smart device and a stable internet connection. 6. Fast and easy learning Although time-consuming to produce, animations are much more time-saving material for students to learn. This is simply because visuals are processed much faster than text in the brain and also help to retain information for longer. Additionally, immersive animations create a visually enticing learning experience for students that allows for a real interactive experience without having to bear the cost of expensive machinery rentals or live shoots. The best part is that once created, the number of learners who can use the material is unlimited, thus recovering the cost of investment of creating animations.  To Wrap Using animation to achieve better learning outcomes in K-12 education is a rising trend. Besides improving engagement and students’ creativity, it also helps to enhance learner motivation. However, to ensure that animated educational videos fit K-12 learners’ specific needs, it is important to consider thoughtful instruction design and powerful implementation strategies to ensure that students receive the maximum benefit in terms of better learning outcomes.    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Educational Program Design
webadmin December 13, 2021 No Comments

Best Practices in Educational Program Design

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]A professional instructional designer uses several best practices and excellent strategies while designing their courses that help the learner understand, grasp, and retain the content effectively. Following instructional design best practices is critical to driving maximum learning impact while also taking care of learners’ time and short attention spans. Further, it also ensures that knowledge transfer happens seamlessly, thus leaving a lasting impact on learners’ skill sets. This blog aims to outline some of the most important best practices adopted by expert instructional designers to make the most effective educational program designs. Best practices in educational program design 1. Set clear learning goals and objectives As an instructional designer, it’s important to clearly explain the goals and objectives of the course or the educational program you’re creating. Clearly understanding the overall learning requirements, the audience who needs to take the training, and how the training is supposed to benefit learners should be established before you begin to work on the course design. You must know what you want your learners to achieve at the end of the course. Remember that any content that does not align with a learning objective, course goal, or the desired learning outcome is irrelevant information. It is something that students do not need to know to develop required skill sets, knowledge, or to be successful.  2. Promote active learning strategies When it comes to online learning specifically, it is often self-paced and self-directed, making active learning an important aspect for engaging with students, keeping them focused, and improving their motivation.  Active learning strategies help address various learning needs and cultivate a strong sense of community among students. Some of the active learning strategies you can employ here include- Connecting lessons to the real world to make the course material and overall educational program design more relevant to the participants Incorporating more interactivity into your courses, such as simulations, quizzes, polls, exercises, and drag-and-drop activities Facilitating active collaboration by either inviting learners to share their ideas/notes or generating a discussion prompt for everyone to participate in a discussion 3. Create 10-20 minute lessons Breaking down the content into 10-20 minutes short lessons is an excellent way to help learners stay focused on the topic while learning. Adopting such a microlearning approach of breaking your content into smaller, more manageable chunks makes it easier for your learners to fit it into their schedules, along with making it more accessible and easier to consume. While designing the course, make sure to review your content and consider ways to break it down into separate topics and sub-topics. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] 4. Gamify the content Gamification refers to the application of gaming mechanics to non-gaming environments to make difficult tasks more palatable. Some of the common game mechanics you can include in your educational program include points, badges, leaderboards, and levels. Incorporating these game elements while designing the courses makes learning more fun, engaging and also enables you to tap into some powerful human emotions. Learners in any scenario love to compete against others and get rewards. It also gives you several indicators of learner progress and makes the overall learning experience more engaging and effective.  5. Focus on reliable and measurable outcomes It is important to accurately and effectively gauge learner performance by making learner engagement and performance data the heart of your educational program design process. Some of the questions that can help you at this stage include- What exactly are you teaching and why? How will you know that your learners have met the desired level of mastery? What is your instructional goal, and what your learner’s participants will be able to do differently or what they will know that they didn’t know before? Apart from this, take advantage of a combination of various multimedia elements to keep your learners engaged and focused on the content. For instance, using a short, concise and relevant video clip to reinforce a concept/topic is much more impactful as compared to static graphics and on-screen text. 6. Provide feedback to the learners Providing clear and consistent feedback to the learner is just as important as the course design itself. It is also important to remember that feedback should be quick and explanatory in nature. For instance, if a learner selects a correct option, the feedback shouldn’t simply say ‘that’s correct!’ Instead, it should offer a brief explanation of why it is correct, which helps to reinforce the key concepts of the topic. On the contrary, if the learner selects an incorrect option, the feedback, instead of just saying ‘Sorry, that’s incorrect,’ should explain why the answer is wrong. Final thoughts Designing an educational program can be a challenging task for instructional designers. However, there are things that instructional designers can do to make learning programs more impactful. By following the above-mentioned best practices, you can make a real difference in learning. The key here is to start by thoroughly assessing your audience and clearly establishing their needs. This will allow you to fine-tune your program design until it’s perfectly optimized for learners. Once done, all you need to do is to craft active learning experiences and ensure that your content is easily accessible on all digital devices, and use various game mechanics to incentivize your participants into action.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Online Science Experiments
Nilesh Gutte December 9, 2021 No Comments

Benefits of Online Science Experiments For K-12 Students

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]One of the most significant impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education sector is the adoption of online learning in all stages of education. It affected the K-12 learning environment significantly across the world. The situation also offered various new experiences and perspectives, thus pushing education advances forward like never before. With instructors across subjects at various educational levels moving to a virtual environment instantly, K-12 institutions are also realizing the need to be fairly prepared for this situation by encouraging their students to perform science experiments and enjoying the various benefits of using virtual labs.   In this blog, we explore some of the key reasons why allowing students to conduct their experiments virtually makes a smart choice for K-12 institutions. a. Saves time Unlike the traditional labs where the instructor spent a great deal of time demonstrating the theoretical background and the procedure related to science experiments, online science experiments are much faster and give students a feeling of being more comfortable while experimenting.   Moreover, transitioning science labs online also removes the burden of repetitive and tedious tasks that don’t require much thought or effort but simply take up a lot of time, like preparing supplies for a lab every time before the experiment. Apart from this, it also cuts down on the budget required to research for educational institutions and free up funds that can be used more productively to spur some creativity in students.  b. Offers a flexible learning environment The online science labs pave the room for more flexibility, allowing learning to happen at any time and also ensuring that many more students have the opportunity to do science experiments. For instance, while some students prefer to watch the experiment videos before lab time, others like to watch them simultaneously as they experiment to be better prepared.  Apart from this, it also allows students to learn from just about anywhere, home, library, or in virtual computer labs. These online science experiments can be delivered to students through a dynamic webpage, thus allowing students to interact with them using their own devices, including smartphones, computers, tablets, or any other device which can encourage them to study easily. c. Better pace of learning  When learning online, students invariably like the convenience of being able to watch the online videos again and again at their own pace. The reasons could vary from having the option to repeat the theoretical and explainer videos to ensure that they understood the concept or scientific idea well or the comfort of learning and performing experiments from the comfort of their home.  Further, virtual labs and online experiments save the hassle of reaching out to the instructor for simple queries as students can find answers to their questions through watching videos immediately without having to postpone the written experiment report until they visit the instructor. Overall, online science experiments offer more accessible references than instructors, as many students can have questions before, during and after the experimentation that cause undue pressure on the instructors. d. Engage learners Lengthy science experiments or other project-based activities in a physical setting can be quite demotivating for students due to the sheer amount of time and effort they take in setting up and implementation. Online mode of science experiments, on the contrary, allow K-12 institutes to capture learners’ attention by allowing them to easily test and conduct all those procedures virtually. Virtual labs help students learn better.  The students in this mode can conduct the same science experiment as many times as they want as per their ability to absorb and retain information. This is otherwise very difficult to provide in a real science laboratory setup with limited inventory/ material and the lack of equipment in proportion to the total number of students.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] e. Offer instant feedback Another advantage of encouraging K-12 students to perform online science experiments is that it allows students to redo experiments on the spot while they are still exploring the concept in a critical thinking mode. Since most of the experiment results are recorded, it also makes it easier and more efficient to maintain communication between teachers and students. Unlike the traditional science lab setup, online science experiments no longer have a single chance option, and students can analyze, reflect and go over their mistakes in terms of what went wrong and give it another chance immediately. f. Brings in more diversity Encouraging students to do science experiments online gives K-12 educational institutions a unique opportunity to bring in more diversity by incorporating animated characters that are either color neutral or gender-neutral. This inspires many more students to explore science.  Further, it also gives an opportunity to experiment with the idea of cloud-based science labs that will allow both students and researchers to remotely design and perform science experiments either via a web interface or connected lab equipment. g.  Guarantee safety In a virtual learning environment, students get the option to try various kinds of experiments without the risk of damaging equipment or even injuring themselves. Besides, they can also test multiple science scenarios, compare them thoroughly and determine which one is the most effective without having to necessarily try them in real life. All in all, doing online science experiments in a virtual lab setup protects students from the dangers they face while conducting some of the dangerous experiments in physical laboratories. Further, it also eliminates the need for students to deal with toxic/radioactive chemicals and other similar hazards and offers a more effective way to avoid laboratory accidents.  In Conclusion Transitioning to virtual learning in science education is relatively more challenging as compared to other nonscience courses simply because of the experimental nature of the subject, where students are required to base their answers purely based on observations and evidence.  However, if more educational institutions can teach science online and encourage their students for online science experiments, it will help bring the magic of science to many more students before they’re able to set foot in a physical laboratory.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Regression testing
niranjana Srinivasan December 8, 2021 No Comments

A Guidebook to Regression Testing

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Regression testing involves re-running functional and non-functional tests. Regression testing ensures that the previously tested software performs well post any code changes in the software. It checks if the previous functionality of an application continues to work even with the addition of a new feature. It also checks for any new bug or error in the existing software. Whenever a new software is released, there is a need to test it for its new functionality. The old tests need to be re-run to make sure that the new software does not re-introduce old defects nor does it create fresh defects. The regression testing is thus a verification process that gains maximum significance when there are continuous changes and improvements made in the software or application. When should one perform regression testing? New functionality: When a new code has been introduced by a developer, its compatibility is not tested. The software should be tested for any likely bugs or issues after the addition of new code. Modification in the existing functionality: When developers revise existing functionality and edit or exclude or include features as per requirements, regression and functionality testing is to be done to check if the changes have in any way impacted the existing functionality or not. New integrations with other products: When there are new integrations to be made with other products, regression testing helps ensure that the integrations are smooth. Regression testing can be done manually or through an automated regression testing framework. If the software undergoes frequent changes, then automated regression testing would be the better option than manual testing.  The various methods of regression testing are: Retest all Regression test selection Prioritization of test cases Retest all: In this method, all the test cases in the suite are to be re-executed. While it ensures that there are no errors, it is expensive as it consumes a lot of time and resources. Regression test selection: In this method, only select cases from the test suite are run to check the impact of code changes on the software. This is because the cost of retesting all methods is very high. Prioritization of test cases: In this method, test cases are scheduled such that those in higher priority get tested first and those in lower priority get tested later. There is general prioritization and version-specific prioritization. Prioritization is based on business impact, critical functionality and frequently used functionality.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Choosing the test cases for regression testing can be quite challenging. It is, indeed, an art. Some of the test cases that gain priority over others are: Test cases with frequent defects Functionalities that are more visible Test cases of functionalities that have undergone more changes All Integration Test Cases Test cases that verify the core features of the product All Complex Test Cases Test cases of functionalities that have undergone recent changes. Successful test cases – a sample  Failed test cases – a sample Important tools for regression testing are –  Avo Assure Eggplant Selenium Quick test professional Major testing challenges while performing regression testing When there are successive regression runs, test suites become large, making it expensive in terms of time and resources for the entire regression suits to be executed. It is challenging to minimize the test suite while gaining maximum test coverage. Determining the frequency of Regression Tests, whether after every single modification, build update, or after bug fixes is a challenge. An effective regression strategy saves both time and money for organizations. Regression testing is used not only to test the correctness of a program but also to track the quality of its output.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Open access and ORCID
niranjana Srinivasan December 8, 2021 No Comments

Open Access And Principles Of ORCID

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Open access (OA) refers to the free online availability of articles and publications and other digital information with limited restrictions on the reuse of the same. All one needs is the internet and the copyright holder’s consent. This is especially important for authors and readers. The readers and researchers have no restrictions to access, download, distribute, print and search within the information: the information is completely free of charge and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. OA started in 2000 and is a relatively new publication model in the history of scientific journals.  Types of Open Access: Gold: In the Gold open access, articles and content of journals are entirely open to access — available to anyone on the internet without any subscription fees or sign-in. The “article processing charges”, which are the publication costs, are paid for by the authors or by their institutions. Alternatively, the organization, review, formatting and archiving expenses are covered by charging the authors or the institution a fee. Green: In this type of open access, the publisher of a subscription journal allows the author to retain the non-commercial rights to his/her article so that it can be posted in open internet archives. These archives consist of institutional repositories or discipline-based archives that are maintained by scholarly associations. In some cases, the publisher could require that open access in the archives be delayed by 6 to 12 months. Hybrid: In the Hybrid open access type, anyone on the internet would be able to access one or more articles in a subscription journal, but the rest of the content would be available only to people and institutions with paid subscriptions. While this is better than a closed subscription journal, it makes the freely-accessible articles hard for faculty and students to know about.Open access is a relatively new publishing model (since 2000) that makes research information available to scholars and readers at no cost, thereby enhancing scholarly communication as opposed to the traditional subscription model in which readers can access scholarly information only after paying a subscription fee (usually via libraries). Advantages of Open Access An increase in the visibility and reuse of academic research results. The Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge in the Sciences and Humanities (2003) has been signed by various organizations globally. The principles of open access were set out for academic research.  Since in most fields, authors of academic or scholarly journals are not paid, they consent to OA without losing revenue. Also, OA is perfectly compatible with peer review: just as authors of articles donate their labour, most of the journal editors and referees participating in peer review also donate their labour. While OA literature costs less to produce than conventionally published literature, it is not free to produce. This is about finding better ways to pay the costs than by making the readers pay. How OA is delivered determines the business models for paying the bills. The two primary methods of delivering OA to research articles are: via OA journals and via OA archives or repositories. OA archives or repositories make their content freely available on the internet, but do not perform peer review. They include both unrefereed preprints and refereed postprints. The archives comply with the metadata harvesting protocol of the Open Archives Initiative, so they are interoperable: thereby, users would be able to find their contents without knowing which archives exist, their location, or their contents. There is also an open-source software for building and maintaining OAI-compliant archives. OA journals perform peer review and make the content available for everyone. Their expenses comprise manuscript preparation, peer review, and server space. With proper equipment, everyone gets free access. This is how OA journals pay their bills. Besides this: OA journals that charge processing fees usually waive them in cases of economic hardship.  Those OA journals that have institutional subsidies do not charge any (processing) fees.  If there is income from other sources such as other publications, advertising or auxiliary services, then OA journals get by on lower fees. Some institutions and consortia arrange for discounted fees.  If an institution has purchased an annual membership, then some OA publishers waive the fee for all researchers who are affiliated to it. [/vc_column_text][vc_custom_heading text=”ORCID and it’s Principles” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:18|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:900%20bold%20regular%3A900%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1638967277931{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}”][vc_column_text]ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) is a non-profit organization, which is supported by an international community of member organizations, including publishers, funders, research institutions, professional associations, service providers, and all the other stakeholders in the research ecosystem. It is built by the community and governed by a Board of Directors. ORCID envisages a world where all research scholars and innovators possess a unique identification and are connected with their contributions across borders, disciplines, and time. ORCID aims to be a transparent organization. The software developed are publicly released under an Open Source Software license. ORCID will always prefer Open Source for all the software.  Policies on terms of use, fees, membership and privacy are all available on the Website. The researchers can access information on their policies, principles, and mission. There is also a new governance area where there is information on bylaws, incorporation papers, board meeting summaries, and their annual financial statements.  Founding Principles of ORCID:  ORCID would transcend discipline, geographic, national, and institutional boundaries. Any organization that has an interest in research and scholarly communications can participate in ORCID. The transparent and non-discriminatory terms determines the access to ORCID services. Researchers can access an ORCID identifier and records for free. ORCID identifiers and record data (subject to privacy settings) would be made available through a combination of no-charge and for-a-fee APIs and services. Any fee charged will be to ensure the sustainability of ORCID as a not-for-profit, charitable organization. ORCID will be governed by representatives from non-profit organisations and will strive for maximum transparency by posting publicly all reports.  [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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accessibility consulting
niranjana Srinivasan December 8, 2021 No Comments

The Importance Of Accessibility Consulting

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Accessibility is a concept that determines if a software product or service or a website can be used by everyone, including those with disabilities and those who use assistive technologies and devices like screen reader software, speech recognition software etc. Even though usability and accessibility seem similar, accessibility is distinctly differentiated by its full focus on people with disabilities.  In accessibility consulting, the level of accessibility of a company is measured against the accessibilities standards such as Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 and compliance services.  Ironically, even as a critical factor impacting design, many brands seem to overlook it. Interaction Design points to a 2011 World Health Organization report about disability which states that over 15% of Earth’s population suffers from some form of disability. Also, many jurisdictions, the E.U. for instance, penalize those who fail to create accessible designs. Accessibility design offers many benefits: Much improved search engine optimization from semantic  HTML Widespread opportunities that reach many more users on more devices and in more environments A better public image for the company’s brand There are accessibility laws to help people with disabilities. However, it is in the company’s best interest to incorporate into the design of the software or website usability by all potential users. [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Accessibility Issues: Types As Interaction Design points out, the common issues that ought to be considered with regards to the number and kinds of potential accessibility issues are: Visual impairment (e.g. colour blindness) Motor/mobility (e.g. use of wheelchair) Auditory  Seizures Learning/ Cognitive Ability issues that arise for users include Incidental (e.g. sleep deprivation) Environmental (e.g. using mobile devices underground) Interestingly, accessibility consulting is very beneficial when compared with DIY accessibility checks which inevitably involve a learning curve. There are some key merits of engaging an accessibility consultant: Superior knowledge about accessibility: They possess in-depth knowledge about accessibility. Importantly, for them, accessibility is the main focus. They are already certified by the IAAP and possess extensive training in specific technical areas. With this kind of backing, they will work more efficiently and quickly than when compared to employees who do not have such training or knowledge. Firsthand knowledge and experience with disability: An accessibility consultant of repute typically has first-hand knowledge of people with disabilities or works with them as colleagues. This enables them to know how much people access the web or use software, using their assistive devices. Functional testing: DIY assessment of one’s own digital accessibility involves accessibility testing tools, which are software programs and online testing tools that look for certain attributes, such as alt text (captions of images for the visually challenged). Yet, these tools only look for certain, limited attributes. They cannot toggle and navigate web pages nor do other actions which can only be done by manual testers. An accessibility consultant on the other hand will do a combination of manual and automated and functional testing to ensure that it is free of issues every step of the way. An accessibility consultant makes judgement calls: Making judgement calls is a key part of checking a website’s accessibility or program accessibility. For instance, an automated tool might conclude that alternative text is in place for all images, but whether they are properly used is a call that only a consultant can make. Alt text ought to be implemented properly, depending on what the images convey: whether they are merely decorative in nature; whether they are multiple images that are part of a group or whether they are graphs and diagrams conveying a lot of data. Up-to-date knowledge: Digital accessibility is an area that is in a state of constant flux. Accessibility consultants stay atop the latest developments in the industry and are aware of the most up-to-date technical requirements for digital accessibility. New releases in assistive technology devices and software, and which of these are in the most widespread use – these are things that they make it a point to know. Most importantly, they possess knowledge about legislation such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act – including recent updates such as version 2.1 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, new requirements and compliance deadlines.  [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]In accessibility consulting, first off, the accessibility services are in alignment with business strategy; the current state is assessed, accessibility issues and gaps are identified, and a roadmap is charted with the goal of establishing a full-fledged accessibility program with quantification benefits. The assessment phase includes the following steps: Risk review and gap analysis, mobile accessibility audit, legal compliance audit, web accessibility audit, and compatibility testing of assistive technology  After the assessment is done, remediation is carried out. In this step, the detailed recommendations of the assessment phase are implemented, transforming an inaccessible product to an accessible one-usable by all including those with disabilities. The remediation measures include program management support, usability testing, assistive technology compatibility testing, document accessibility, QA testing, UAT accessibility testing, accessible website development and help desk support. The final step is to integrate accessibility into the company to maintain continued accessibility compliance. With this step, the ongoing accessibility requirements are met with and managed, risk mitigated and efficiency improved across the life cycle providing much-needed support to maintain, on an ongoing basis, web accessibility compliance testing with the ADA and Section 508. Corporate accessibility policy development, VPAT update and certification of accessibility, disability community marketing, monitoring ongoing accessibility, and help desk support are some of the steps in the integration exercise conducted by Interactive Accessibility. Final Word In conclusion, whether accessibility compliance is carried out by means of DIY methods and tools in-house or by hiring a consultant, given the many jurisdictions that have made it compulsory for products and for services to be accessible, accessibility is here to stay and it is up to the company or organization to have accessibility included in their product and service design for maximum reach and benefits.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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