Please note: These tools and simulators have been explored with a specific focus on their capability to test multi-device eLearning, and not websites or web applications.

1. Synchronous Testing Tools

Synchronised testing tools help in performing the same interaction automatically across a number of devices and browsers at the same time.

a. GhostLab

GhostLab is a tool that allows testers to wirelessly pair multiple iOS, Android, Windows, and BlackBerry devices to their computer and carry out synchronous testing. GhostLab involves concurrent testing on actual physical devices and configurations, and you can check real user experiences. Changes (e.g. changing a page or displaying content on clicking a button) can be simultaneously viewed on all connected devices.

Advantages

• Allows us to check real user experiences
• Results of change can be seen simultaneously
• Visuals and alignment can be checked
• Joint reviews can be conducted
• Pre-release verification can be conducted
• Allows you to immediately check code changes
• Can be helpful for testing text-based courses

Below is an image of multi-device testing in progress using GhostLab.

b. Adobe Edge Inspect

Adobe Edge Inspect is another tool that displays synchronised output on physical devices. It allows testing on iOS and Android mobile devices, as well as Kindle Fire. With Adobe Edge, you need to install the main application on a desktop computer, and launch the course through a Chrome browser. You can then access the synchronized course through the Edge Inspect app on connected devices.

Advantages

• Launches courses through the Chrome browser on the main desktop and through the Edge Inspect app on connected devices
• Loads HTML pages
• Allows synchronous control of course-level navigation and page-level interactivities for courses structured to have separate URLs for pages/content shown on click

Below is a snapshot of multi-device testing in progress using Adobe Edge Inspect.

Synchronous Testing tools do provide a multi-device testing interface, but it’s difficult to simultaneously keep one’s eyes and ears on so many devices!

Limitations of Synchronous Testing tools for eLearning

• Difficult to simultaneously keep our eyes on so many devices!
• Difficult – or pretty much impossible – to check audio synching on multiple devices simultaneously!
• May need to do course-level navigation and page-level interactivities manually on connected devices
• May not be able to check browser-related issues depending on how courses launch

2. Simulators

Simulators create a virtual environment or object which can be a physical system or an object. Simulators come with both the hardware and the software which runs on it to create the real experience.

a. BrowserStack

BrowserStack is a cloud-based simulator that we found to be useful for checking text alignment on a specific device-OS-browser combination and catching visual issues.

In case of cloud-based simulators, content loading, as well as speed and smoothness of animations, can vary based on the connection, which may lead to inaccurate issues being logged. Remote simulators can also cause some difficulties when it comes to testing interactivities, as option can’t be selected unless content is fully and properly loaded on the remote machine.

b. SDK Simulators

SDK simulators, which are local simulators, can also be helpful for testing some parameters. With the iOS and Windows simulators, we could check content, alignment, and layouts quite reliably. However, we did encounter some inaccuracies with the Android emulator.

After trying some simulators for testing eLearning, we realised we cannot ignore the fact that actual learner experience cannot be completely checked, since physical devices are not being used – so there can be inaccuracies and performance mismatches based on the configuration and resolution of the machine running the simulator.

Limitations of Simulators for testing eLearning

• Cannot test actual learner experience
• Cannot check real-time physical device aspects, i.e. battery life and charging, and actual bandwidth speed
• Cannot check content/functionality dependent on physical device features
• Cannot check gestural navigation (custom interactivities)
• Inaccuracies and performance mismatches based on simulator machine configuration and resolution

While tools and simulators help in testing, they just aren’t quite the real thing. As mentioned in an earlier blog post – The Proof Of The Pudding Is In Multi-device ‘Physical’ Testing, there is no alternative to testing on physical (real) devices. Physical ‘real’ devices are an absolute must for you to experience your eLearning exactly as your users will.

The post Multi-device eLearning Testing with Tools and Simulators first appeared on The Upside Learning Blog.

Testing on both the simulator/emulator as well as the real ‘physical’ devices is necessary to maintain strong standards and quality assurance. But do you really need to test on physical devices? Can’t emulators and simulators alone suffice?

Emulators and simulators do help, but…

• They don’t give you the actual learner experience. There are certain aspects that you just cannot test by simply changing your browser size or using emulators and simulators.
• Since physical devices are not being used there can be inaccuracies and performance mismatches based on the configuration and resolution of the machine running the simulator.
• Checking real-time physical device aspects like battery life and charging, and actual bandwidth speed may also not be possible.
• Nor can you check content or functionality dependent on device features like camera, location, and accelerometer, or simulate interrupts.
• Also, eLearning includes a lot of custom interactivities. On multiple devices, this brings in gestural navigation, which requires the actual tactile experience to be evaluated on the device.

Testing on real ‘physical’ devices allows you to see and experience your learning resource exactly as your users will, resulting in true test integrity.

With over 10 years of experience in designing, developing, and testing different types of eLearning, covering Flash-based projects, courses created using Rapid Authoring Tools, and HTML-based projects for multi-device learning, we understand the importance of ‘physical’ testing well. We have made robust investments in our Multi-device Testing Lab infrastructure that allows us to test multi-device learning resources across a wide variety of ‘physical’ devices.

Our Multi-device Testing Lab

Our Multi-device Testing Lab is fully equipped with 20+ ‘physical’ devices (excluding desktops and laptops) running different operating systems and browsers. Windows PCs, Macs and laptops help us in testing for larger displays, while tablets and smart phones, running iOS, Android and Windows, cover the smaller ones.

Below is a list of devices included in our Multi-device Testing Lab:

Our multi-device testing lab is backed by our experience and expertise, and a disciplined quality assurance process, which gives our clients the confidence that their users will enjoy an engaging and consistent learning experience on every device they might use.

Get in touch with us to know how we can help you in testing your multi-device/ responsive eLearning.

The post The Proof Of The Pudding Is In Multi-device ‘Physical’ Testing first appeared on The Upside Learning Blog.

Enter Multi-device Testing.

So you could be looking at a variety of shapes and sizes, from desktop PCs and Macs to mobile computing options like laptops, tablets, phablets, and smartphones. And if there is a BYOD policy in place, that just adds to the variety of devices on which your eLearning needs to be supported! Along with devices, you also have to think of the different browsers through which learners will access the course…as well as the operating systems, manufacturers and models, and connectivity modes. Think that’s complex? Wait. There’s more. Remember that your course will need to be checked for functionality, usability, learning standards compliance, and performance for EACH combination. On simulators and emulators. And on physical devices. Phew!

We had earlier written a blog post – Testing Of Multi-Device eLearning Projects, which listed some key areas that need special focus when testing your multi-device projects. Going a step forward, to help you conduct reliable multi-device testing that delivers high quality eLearning projects, we have arranged a webinar Multi-device Testing – Challenges, Considerations and Solutions on October 16th at 10 AM IST (Register Now) and 3 PM BST (Register Now). To be presented by our in-house experts – Geera Bellare, AVP (Learning Design) and Anushka Khairajani, Associate Manager (Quality), the webinar draws on our 10+ years of experience in designing, developing and testing eLearning courseware.

Here’s what the 60 minute webinar will cover:

1. Understanding Multi-Device Testing
2. Challenges and considerations of Multi-Device Testing
3. Possible solutions, with their benefits and drawbacks
4. How our Multi-Device Testing Lab can help

So register now and join us to understand the ins and outs of conducting reliable multi-device testing.

October 16 | 10 AM IST (Check in your timezone) (Register Now)

October 16 | 3 PM BST (Check in your timezone) (Register Now)

The post Multi-device Testing: Challenges, Considerations and Solutions – Webinar first appeared on The Upside Learning Blog.

Responsive (multi-device) eLearning is the next big thing in the world of eLearning. We have written about why it matters and creating responsive eLearning responsibly in our earlier blog posts. While Responsive eLearning is not rocket science, it requires some amount of understanding of it as a concept, its need, features and benefits. Also, like any other approach, it comes with its own set of planning, design, development and testing considerations and guidelines. Learn about it all in our FREE eBook – Responsive eLearning Design & Development.

Key topics covered in the eBook:
1. Understanding Responsive eLearning Design
2. Determining Responsive eLearning Design Strategy
3. Challenges and Solutions

Please download your copy now. Hope you enjoy reading it.

Feel free to tweet about it, share it on Facebook, email it and share it with your friends and colleagues.

The post Responsive eLearning Design & Development – eBook first appeared on The Upside Learning Blog.