Serious Game to Teach Software Testing

Abstract

Mutation Testing plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of a test suite, having an important presence in the software testing area. It provides the ability to evaluate the test suite, detecting ineffective tests or untested code, which contributes to the improved quality and reliability of software. However, this technique remains an underused software testing technique, possibly because of the perceived time and computational overhead it requires or due to a lack of motivation. Another factor that can exacerbate this may be the insufficient education on mutation testing, aggravated by its increased complexity and less tangible nature when compared to other techniques of software testing. In order to overcome these problems, teachers and educators often introduce interactive or hands-on approaches to the learning process. There are already several tools and frameworks that assist or facilitate the teaching of mutation testing, but these may still lack engaging mechanics that can motivate students. Another approach that can improve the teaching process of mutation testing and simultaneously keep students motivated to learn is the use of gamification and serious games. With this approach, We aim to expand and improve the existing GAMFLEW, mainly focused on code coverage goals, with educational content regarding mutation testing.