Instruction

EG4361/EG6334 Software Quality Assurance and Testing

Author

Yike Zhang

Published

January 12, 2026

Assignments

Assignments will be evaluated based on the correctness of solutions, clarity and completeness of explanations, and adherence to the stated assignment guidelines and learning objectives. Detailed grading criteria may be provided in advance through the assignment instructions or rubric. Unless otherwise specified in an individual assignment rubric, grading will follow the policies outlined in the course syllabus, available here:

Discussions are graded using criteria that differ from other question/answer types. Please refer to the Discussions section for the detailed grading rubric. For multi-choice/close-end questions, the grading is straightforward as correct answers receives full points, while incorrect answers receive zero points. For open-ended questions in exam and/or assignments and project presentation Q&A sessions, responses will be evaluated using the following five levels for grading rubric. For example, in questions that are worth a total of 10 points, the instructor will apply the following guidelines:

  • No Answer / Not Relevant at All: 0 points
  • Partially Correct / Incomplete Answer: 3 points
  • Half Correct / Partially Complete Answer: 5 points
  • Mostly Correct / Nearly Complete Answer: 8 points
  • Fully Correct / Complete Answer: 10 points

Overall, I try not to give out zero points unless the answer is completely irrelevant to the question or simply missing. As an instructor, I aim to encourage students to write down the answers to the best of their knowledge for credits. If the total points of a question is not 10, I will typically scale the points accordingly. For example, for a question that is worth 6 points, a “Mostly Correct / Nearly Complete Answer” will receive 4.8 points (8 * 6 / 10 = 4.8). For a question that is worth 20 points, a “Partially Correct / Incomplete Answer” will receive 6 points (3 * 20 / 10 = 6). For a question that is worth 15 points, a “Half Correct / Partially Complete Answer” will receive 7.5 points (5 * 15 / 10 = 7.5). Other specific grading rubrics may vary for different assignments and exams; however, they will be clearly communicated in advance.

Assignments following each course session may include, but are not limited to, the following components:

  • General Homework assignments
  • Recap Questions on Canvas
  • Disussions

Discussions

There will be two discussion assignments scheduled throughout the semester. Students are responsible for noting the dates and monitoring the Canvas To-Do list for reminders. The discussion grading policy is outlined in the course syllabus and can be found here.

Discussion assignments are typically worth 40 points (up to 10 extra points), and their grading rubric differs significantly from that of other question/answer types. The grading of discussions generally includes the following criteria:

  • Length of the Initial Post (20 points): Students are expected to write a minimum of 250 words for their initial post. Posts below the word requirement will only receive half credit (10 points).
  • Quality of Initial Post (20 points): The initial post should show a good understanding of the topic, provide relevant insights, and be well-structured. Points will be awarded based on depth of analysis, clarity of expression and organization, and relevance to the discussion topic. Well-rounded and clearly structured written posts will earn full credit; otherwise, points will be deducted based on the quality of the post.
  • Engagement with Peers (Earn Extra Points Opportunity): Students are encouraged to respond to at least one peer’s post. Responses should be thoughtful, respectful, relevant, and contribute meaningfully to the discussion (e.g., asking questions, offering insights and thoughts, expanding on ideas). All repsonses should be made before the discussion deadline, and any responses made after the that will not be considered for earning the additional credit. Five extra points will be given based on each interaction with peers. Up to a total of 10 extra points can be earned for engaging with multiple peers.

Exams

This course includes the following exams: Graded Quiz I, Graded Quiz II, Midterm Exam, and Final Exam. Students must join the designated Zoom session while taking the exams. The camera must remain on for the entire duration of the exam. For the Midterm and Final Exams, questions will be drawn from the recap questions provided throughout the course. Students are strongly encouraged to review these materials in advance.

Presentations

Select one from the following topics and prepare a 10-15 minute presentation. You can use slides, demos, or any other format that you find suitable. The presentation should cover the key concepts, benefits, challenges, and real-world applications of the chosen topic. You will be evaluated based on the depth of your research, and clarity of your presentation.

Presentation I Topics

  1. Software Quality Assurance Best Practices
  2. Automated Testing Strategies
  3. Risk Management in Software Projects
  4. Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD)
  5. Case Studies of Software Failures and Lessons Learned

Final Presentation Topics

  1. … to be announced

How to submit assignments

Assignments are submitted through Canvas only. Assignments submitted directly to the instructor’s email address will not be accepted and will be recorded as missing in Canvas.