Syllabus
EG4361/EG6334 Software Quality Assurance and Testing
The information and policies below provide detailed guidance about the expectations, procedures, grading criteria, and resources for this class, helping you navigate the course successfully throughout the semester.
General Information
Course Credits: 3 Semester Hours
Dates: 01/13 - 05/13
Time: 6:30pm - 9:15pm
Class Meetings: Tuesdays
Classroom: Online via Zoom
Instructor: Dr. Yike Zhang
Course Material
This course will use a variety of resources, including online reading materials and software project management tools. Textbooks are not required, but students are encouraged to explore the recommended books and workbook listed below.
- SQA = Software Quality Assurance, by Claude Y. Laporte and Alain April
- CMMI = CMMI: Guidelines for Process Integration and Product Improvement, 3rd Edition, by Mary Beth Chrissis
Important Dates
Canvas Announcements
Important course updates, schedule changes, assignments, and reminders will be posted on Canvas Announcements. Students are responsible for regularly checking the course Canvas page and staying informed about any announcements made throughout the semester. Enabling email notifications for course announcements is highly recommended for to ensure you receive timely updates about this class.
Homework
Homework assignments typically will be posted one week before the due date and will cover the material from learned modules. Assignments must be submitted online (Canvas) prior to the start of class on the designated day. Homework assignments are to be completed individually, but students are encouraged to discuss concepts and/or approaches with their classmates. However, searching answers online, sharing answers, and receiving external help (e.g. using AI tools) is considered academic misconduct and will be treated as such.
Discussions
Discussions will be posted on Canvas to encourage participation and engagement with the course material. Students are expected to contribute to discussions by sharing their insights and responding to one of their peers. Majority discussions will be graded as part of assignments. Please refer to the specific discussion guidelines provided on Canvas for the corresponding topic. The deadlines for submitting the discussions will be posted on Canvas. Please note that late submission policy does not apply to discussions, and no late submissions of discussions will be accepted once the deadline has passed.
Unless otherwise specified in the assignments, Discussion assignments are typically worth 10 points (up to 5 maximum 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 (5 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.
- Quality of Initial Post (5 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. Up to a total of 5 extra points can be earned for engaging with multiple peers.
Student Presentation
In the class schedule, there may be opportunities for Student Presentation on topics related to the course. These presentations allow students to share their insights while earning extra credit in this class. Presentations should include slides to help communicate ideas with the class, but the length of the presentation is flexible and not restricted. Opportunities will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If all student presentation slots are filled in the class, you may still submit your presentation materials on Canvas under the corresponding Extra Credit section. To receive half credit, the materials must be submitted on the same day as your intended presentation (before 11:59 PM). Late submissions of such materials will not be considered and graded. The students who present in class will receive full extra credit, but they must also upload their presentation materials to Canvas on the same day for grading purposes.
Recap Quizzes
Do NOT contribute to the final grade and for practice only. Practice quizzes will typically consist of 10 to 20 multiple-choice questions. These quizzes are completed during class and generally takes about 20 minutes.
Quizzes
Contribute to the final grade. Quizzes will typically consist of 50 or more multiple-choice questions. These quizzes are completed in-class and generally take about 75 minutes. Quizzes will cover the material from learned modules.
Presentations
Each student will select one topic from the provided list and prepare a 10-15 minute presentation. The presentation should cover key concepts, benefits, challenges, and real-world applications of the chosen topic. Students will be evaluated based on the depth of their research and clarity of their presentation. Please refer to the Assignments Instruction page for the list of topics and detailed guidelines.
Exams
Exams will cover the material from learned modules. No makeup exams are offered. All official exams must be taken via Lockdown Browser remotely on the date and hour designated and can only be taken at a different time or location with an official excuse issued by the Dean of Students’ office and by arrangement with the instructor.
Late Submissions Policy
Assignments submitted after the scheduled deadline will incur a penalty of 2% PER HOUR. typically, if an assignment is late for 2 days (48 hours), the total score will reach to near 0 (48 * -2% = -96%). Once the answer key has been posted, no late submissions will be accepted and all grades will be considered final. However, the late policy does not apply to Finals (including final exams, projects, and presentations). No late submissions will be accepted for Finals.
Grading Policy
The course grade is determined by the following components:
| Assignment | Weight |
|---|---|
| Homework | 40% |
| Quizzes | 10% |
| Exams | 20% |
| Presentations | 30% |
Letter grades will be assigned according to the following guideline:
| Grade | Score Range | Grade | Score Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 95–100 | C+ | 77–79 |
| A– | 90–94 | C | 70–76 |
| B+ | 87–89 | D | 60–69 |
| B | 84–86 | F | 0–59 |
| B– | 80–83 | — | — |
Please note that this guideline is aligned with St. Mary’s University grading policy here. As an instructor of this class, I do not curve or round up/down final grades for transparency and consistency. Please plan your efforts to this course accordingly. For example, a final score of 94.9 will be recorded as an A-, not an A, since a score of 95 or higher is required for an A in this class.
Discussions are graded using criteria that differ from other question/answer types. Please refer to the Discussions section above for the detailed grading rubric. For multi-choice 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.
If a student receives an unsatisfactory score on assignments or exams, opportunities to earn additional points may be offered through designated extra credit activities to support grade improvement. You can easily locate them on the course schedule by looking for the Student Presentation label. Because class time is limited, student presentation slots will only be made available after the course instruction and assigned on a first-come, first-served basis when multiple students show interests to present on the same day. Students may reserve a presentation slot by raising their hand first during class or by emailing me in advance. The presentation order will be determined based on the time at which requests are received, whether made in class or via email. Please note that if the email requests are made before the class time, the timestamp of the email requests will be used to determine the order. After the email reservations, any remaining slots will be assigned to students who raise their hands in class on a first-come, first-served basis.
Other extra credit opportunities may also be provided throughout the semester, and no extra credit opportunities will be offered after the final. I welcome suggestions from students for extra credit activities; however, any proposed extra credit must be fair, accessible, and equitable to all students. All extra credit earning activities must be clearly communicated in advance and made available to the entire class to ensure equal opportunity for students’ participation through in-class and/or Canvas announcements.
Note: The above policy is a general guideline for grading in the class. Specific questions may have unique grading criteria, which will be communicated on the rubric description of assignments. Grades are carefully reviewed before being posted, and grade changes after posting are rare. I make every effort to ensure accuracy by conducting multiple rounds of checks prior to releasing scores. If you believe there has been a calculation error (e.g., an error in summing up the total score), you are very welcomed to contact me promptly by emailing or in-office/zoom meeting so the issue can be reviewed and resolved as soon as possible. Requests for grade changes that are not based on clear, objective, and fair reasons (e.g. calculation errors or grading oversights) will not be considered. Common examples of unsupported requests include, but are not limited to:
- Requests based solely on personal excuses and circumstances without objective factors
- General dissatisfaction with the grade received, without reference to specific grading errors
- Requests for grade bumps, rounding up, or additional points without clear and reasonable justification will not be considered by the instructor. This includes, but is not limited to, requests motivated by scholarship requirements, prerequisite course considerations, graduation requirements, or overall GPA concerns.
As an instructor, I understand that grades are important to every student, and many aim to achieve the highest possible outcome. Final letter grade A, is earned through consistent hard-working, understanding the course material, and meeting the learning objectives throughout the whole semester. As noted above, extra credit opportunities are often provided to help students improve their overall grades and to partially offset lost points, either for points lost in earlier or later of the course. In summary, grades will not be changed based on unsupported and unreasonable requests, as doing so would compromise and damage the academic integrity, transparency, and fairness of the grading process for all students.
A friendly reminder, higher scores are earned through good faith and hard work, not through unverified excuses and personal circumstances. If you have any personal challenges and hardships that may affect your overall performance, please reach out to your academic advisor and/or the Dean of Students’ Office as early as possible so you can discuss potential accommodations and support options. Additionally, St. Mary’s University offers various resources to assist students facing difficulties, including but not limited to counseling services, academic advising, and financial aid support. I encourage you to utilize these resources if needed.
Please refrain from submitting repeated or unsupported grade changing requests, especially after final grades have been posted at the end of the semester. As such inquiries will not result in score adjustments and do not lead to productive use of time for either the student or the instructor.
Feedback
Please refer to the following feedback policy:
- Unless otherwise stated, all student work is to be submitted through the corresponding Canvas assignment. (Email submissions are generally discouraged and will be dismissed.)
- Grading and feedback of submitted work will generally occur within one week (7 days) of the posted due date.
- Students are encouraged to review the posted grade and any feedback as quickly as possible.
- If difficulties are encountered in meeting posted due dates, the student is encouraged to contact the instructor. Make-up examinations are not offered, and late examination submissions are not accepted. If concerns with examination due dates arise, the student has the responsibility of making alternate arrangements prior to the examination date with policy mentioned above.
Excused Absences & Makeup Exams
It is the responsibility of the student to contact the Professor before an absence, if possible, or, in the case of an emergency, as soon after the absence as possible. Excused absences, consistent with the Attendance Policy:
- Must be verified by having the Dean of Students’ Office contact the instructor. Janie Moncada coordinates the Office of Student Integrity and Welfare: smoncada@stmarytx.edu, 210-436-3331.
- Absences for university-sponsored activities (such as intercollegiate athletics) must be verified by having the Directorship of Athletics contact the instructor. Marlon Furlongue is Associate Director of Athletics: mfurlongue@stmarytx.edu, 210-436-3004.
Student Accessibility Services (SAS)
Original syllabus statement regarding SAS from StMU:
St. Mary’s University supports equal access of qualifying individuals with documented disabilities to all educational opportunities, programs, services and activities. Student Accessibility Services is the designated office responsible for coordinating all accommodations and services for students with disabilities at St. Mary’s University.
If you have a documented disability, or a condition which may impact your performance and want to request disability-related accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Student Accessibility Services, located in the Center for Life Directions Building. Please stop by the SAS Office, call 210-431-3135 or email accessibility@stmarytx.edu to set up an appointment to meet with the Student Accessibility Services staff.
To receive their accommodations, students must provide a copy of their letter of accommodation issued by Student Accessibility Services to their faculty and program staff. Students are encouraged to meet with faculty and staff as appropriate, to discuss their accommodations. Any questions regarding the applicability of accommodation to co-curricular activities related to the course can be consulted with SAS. Students are not required to disclose their disability to faculty or staff.
In summary, students requiring academic accommodations due to medical conditions, documented diagnoses, or pregnancy must first be reviewed and approved by Student Accessibility Services (SAS). If you believe you may need accommodations, please contact SAS at (210) 436-3135 or email them at accessibility@stmarytx.edu to initiate the process. To ensure equity and equal access for all students, the instructor is unable to provide informal or unofficial accommodations. Academic adjustments will be implemented only upon receipt of an official Letter of Accommodation (LOA) from Student Accessibility Services.
In addition to that, the instructor is required to complete the Faculty Request Form to schedule proctored testing with the Testing Center for exams requiring approved testing accommodations. To ensure adequate arrangements, the form must be submitted at least 72 hours prior to the scheduled exam. Moreover, the exam materials must be received by the Testing Center no later than 24 hours before the exam date. Late submissions may result in the inability to provide proctored accommodations for that exam.
AI Tool Usage
Please be aware of the usage of GENERATIVE AI TOOLS (ChatGPT, DALL-E, etc.) as the following:
- Be aware that improper use of generative AI tools falls under St. Mary’s Policy on Academic Misconduct
- Use of AI tools in the classroom or on exams is completely prohibited unless explicitly permitted and instructed.
- Students using AI tools on assignments outside the classroom must give credit to any and all AI tools used, even if the tools are only used to generate ideas rather than usable text or illustrations. When using AI tools on assignments, include:
- A precise description of which AI tool(s) was / were used.
- A description of why and how the AI tool(s) was / were used in the assignments or projects.
Academic Integrity
Unless otherwise stated, assignments in the course are to be completed and submitted by the individual student. Assignments may ask for summaries of existing literature or other material. These assignments should be answered according to your understanding. Your responses:
- should not include verbatim, uncited text borrowed from other sources (AI-generated contents, Wikipedia, blogs, etc.).
- may include brief quotations or examples from other work, as long as proper attribution is provided. See (plagiarism.org) for examples of avoiding plagiarism and providing proper citation.
Email Policy
St. Mary’s University uses official emails as a primary communication tool with students, faculty, and staff. Course-related communication is typically conducted through Canvas messaging system. All email communication should be done using the Canvas messaging system (preferably) or your @.edu email account in this class. Due to federal laws, such as FERPA, emails coming from a non-StMU email may not receive a response from the instructor. In general, the instructor typically avoids sending individual emails to students unless it is necessary and urgent. Important course updates and changes will be posted on Canvas Announcements to ensure transparency and visibility for the entire class.
To ensure efficient and clear communication, the instructor typically provides one comprehensive reply to the students’ questions and requests. Before sending follow-up emails, please review the previous email sent from the instructor, as many answers are already addressed there. Repeated back-and-forth emails can cause unnecessary confusion and inefficiency. When emailing the instructor, please list and number all of your questions together in a single message body so that the instructor can address them thoroughly and clearly. If your question remains unresolved after checking the prior response, please schedule an in-person/online meeting or step by the office during office hours. Note that in-person meetings will not be available after finals. For requests related to grade adjustments, please refer to the class grading policy first before emailing the instructor.
Phone and Electronic Device Policies
Following the general guidelines, all electronic devices should be turned off and put away during class. If there is an issue which requires you to need a phone/note-taking tablet in class, discuss this with your instructor.
Drop Policy
It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course. The Registrar does not initiate drops for students from courses for non-attendance. Notifying an instructor or failing to attend class does not constitute an official drop from a course nor does it eliminate the student’s financial responsibility for course payment.
- A course dropped by the end of the first 5 class days of the semester (Fall and Spring) is not reflected in a student’s transcript.
- Students may drop a course up to the end of the 12th week of the semester. A grade of “W” will be automatically be issued.
- Student-initiated withdrawals from a course will not be accepted after the 12th week of the semester. Students who fail to withdraw by the published deadline will receive a final grade as determined by the faculty member. However, the grades of “W” or “WF” will not be available as final grade options.
- After the 12th week of the semester, faculty-initiated withdrawals from a course for excessive absences must be coordinated through the appropriate Dean or Associate Dean for a student to receive a “W” in the course.
- If a faculty member chooses not to withdraw a student from the course for excessive absences, a final grade will be entered by the faculty member in Gateway based upon the work completed by the student.
- Please refer to the Registrar Academic Calendar page for each semester’s calendar date, including shorter semesters (Summer, Maymester, etc.), for the specific drop date deadline.
Please note that international students must also inform the Center for International Programs of their intent to withdraw from any course. Student Athletes must also inform the Athletic Department of their intent to withdraw from any course. Dropping multiple courses or falling below full time status (12 credit hours) could potentially impact a student’s financial aid award, visa status, and challenges progress toward the degree. Please consult with an academic adviser and financial aid adviser for more information.
Class Attendance and Participation
Class attendance and participation contributes to the synergism of the educational process. Students are expected to attend all classes, including laboratories, practica, and events associated with the course or program. Faculty may drop a student for missing an equivalent of two weeks of classes. Absences for reasons other than University-sanctioned events (which must be approved by Deans or the Academic Vice President) will be determined to be “excused” or “not excused” by the faculty member. If a student wishes to withdraw from the course, it is their responsibility to drop the course with the Office of the Registrar, and should not assume the faculty member will drop them from the course. Failure to withdraw from a course properly could result in an F or WF given for the course. Please see the university catalog for more detailed information.
Students with Disabilities
St. Mary’s University is committed to making reasonable accommodations to assist students with disabilities in reaching their academic potential. If you have a documented disability, which may impact your performance, attendance, or grades in this class and are requesting accommodations, then you must first register in person with Disability Support Services, in the Student Psychological and Testing office (formerly Counseling and Testing Services) located in the Center for Life Directions building. In accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, Disability Support Services is the designated office responsible for coordinating all accommodations and services for students with disabilities.
University Policies and Procedures
St. Mary’s University is committed to providing a safe, equitable, and fair environment where students can pursue academic excellence. Policies and procedures have been developed to foster and sustain such an environment and apply to all courses offered at the university. Students need to be aware of these policies and procedures, which can be found in Gateway and within the “University Policies” tab of your course assigned Canvas page. Please become familiar with these important policies and procedures, which include but are not limited to: