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Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to:
• explain how evaluation is used to ensure that a solution:
– meets the original design criteria;
– is a full and complete solution;
– is an efficient solution; and
– is a robust solution.
Evaluation
Evaluation
Evaluation is very important to ensure that a solution solves the problem it was designed to solve in an effective manner. Through evaluation we can identify strengths and weaknesses which can be used to help us to refine our solution.
When evaluating it is important to consider the user requirements. These let us know exactly the problem we are trying to solve. We use these as a basis for our design work and development. Once we have completed the solution it is useful to evaluate our solution against the user requirements. Does our solution fully solve all aspects of the problem or are there aspects we need to further develop. Does our solution solve the problem in the most effective way? or can we refine it to make it more efficient.
Robustness is essentially how durable our program is. Is it designed in a way to anticipate human errors and use validation to minimse the effect of these. Can the system deal with invalid or unexpected data effectively?
The user interface is also something which can be evaluated. Does it provide access to the solution in an intuitive way. Can the user easily navigate around the solution?
Possible Exam Questions
John is leading a project team involved in creating a new software package. He knows that evaluation is an important part of developing any system.
(a) What is the purpose of evaluation when developing a new system? [2]
(b) Explain why John should evaluate the software application continuously during development. [2]
(c) (i) State one way in which John can ensure that the solution meets the original design criteria. [1]
(ii) Describe how John can ensure that the solution is a robust solution. [2]
Evaluation is an important stage in the development of a system.
(a) List two aims of the evaluation process. 1. 2. [2]
(b) Identify two individuals who should be involved in the evaluation process. 1. 2. [2]
(c) Explain how each of the following can help in the evaluation process:
(i) User requirements [2]
(ii) Testing outcomes [2]
(iii) Design documents [2]
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