skip to main content

Summary

In this lesson, students will formally test other teams’ games using criteria developed from the scoring rubric.

Curriculum codes

Digital Technologies: AC9TDI8P10 AC9TDI10P10

Design and Technologies: AC9TDE8P04 AC9TDE10P04

General capabilities

Critical and Creative Thinking: Analysing

a young man sitting on ground using laptop

Learning intention

In this lesson, you will test other teams’ video games to identify any bugs or other issues with the games.

Prerequisites

Lessons 1 to 8

What you need

Before the lesson

  • Make at least two copies of the Beta testing checklist per student.
  • Students will require device access. One device per student is ideal, if possible. Headphones are also recommended for each device.

Activities

Introduction (10 mins)

  1. Explain to the class that there are two important stages in game testing: alpha and beta testing. Last lesson, they tested their own games in the alpha testing stage. This lesson will be focused on beta testing.
  2. Introduce beta testing to the class.
    • Beta testing is the second stage of game testing.
    • In beta testing the game is test played by a small group of people who were not involved in developing the game. The aim is the same as alpha testing – identify bugs or other issues – but without the bias of having been involved in developing the game. It’s testing with an outsider’s perspective.
  3. Remind teams about the Scoring Rubric – putting this up on a screen would be appropriate.
  4. Hand out copies of the Beta testing checklist document – enough for each student to be able to test play at least two games.
    • For each game you test, you will play the game and then score it using this checklist.
    • You should include some reflections on your scoring of the game:
      • What are any problems you can identify?
      • What is a suggestion that you have to improve the game?
      • The purpose of beta testing is to provide quality, constructive feedback to the game developer. Quality feedback is always kind, specific and focused on the game, not on the people.

        Teacher tip: You might like to show students some examples of useful constructive game testing feedback.

  5. It would have been helpful to include a restart button so that gameplay could continue more quickly once all lives were lost, rather than having to go through the story again each time.
  6. The initial monsters attacking the character right at the beginning made for a challenging start; it might have been better to give the player a bit more time to orient themselves before facing enemies.
  7. The narrative was a great idea and how you tied it into the levels of the game was an excellent motivator to play through the levels. The text on opening ran very fast for most players, you might want to slow it a bit. You should also consider adding the ability to return to the main menu. As it is now, you have to quit and reopen the game.
  8. I think the maximised window let me see (and shoot) further than originally intended. The mute button appeared in the middle of the UI rather than in the corner. I accidentally clicked it when shooting around, which gave it focus such that the space key would toggle audio rather than jump.
  9. At one point my character moved behind a planet sprite. The player should be painted in front of those images. It’d be nice if these images were blended into the background too.

Main Activity (45 mins)

  1. Tell students to play at least two games and score them, using a new checklist for each game.

Reflection/Sharing Tasks (5 mins)

  1. Discuss problems that teams need support to solve.
  2. Tell students to take a photo of each feedback sheet and include these in their GDD.