← Years 5–6 Creating Digital Solutions

Success criteria for a solution

A checkable statement about what a solution must do for the user, like 'The user can log in.' You check it with yes or no to see if the solution works.

Part of: 5-6 Digital Technologies Vic Curric - Creating Digital Solutions — Module 6, 7-8 Digital Technologies: Defining and decomposing problems — Module 14, 9-10 Digital Technologies: Defining and decomposing problems — Module 20

Understanding Success criteria for a solution in Years 5–6 Creating Digital Solutions

What it does: This statement begins with 'The user can' and says what the user must be able to do. Each line is a separate, checkable statement, and together they make a list of three criteria. A good success criterion is checkable. You can test if the user can see their score. 'Really cool' can't be checked with yes or no. You can test adding a book title and say yes or no. 'Nice to use' is just an opinion. A criterion is either met (yes) or not met (no). If the user cannot log in, the answer is no. You can watch whether the user finds the help page. Feelings like 'love' are hard to check with yes or no.

Common mistakes: 'The app is really cool' is an opinion, so you cannot check it with yes or no. A success criterion must say what the user can do, like 'The user can borrow a book.'. 'Might' is not checkable. A success criterion must be definite, so it should say 'The user can set a time.' You can then check it with yes or no.

Class: _____________________  ·  Name: _____________________  ·  Date: _________

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 1–10) and word search (Modules 1–20).

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Learning
Duo
Which is a good success criterion for a class quiz app?
The app should be really cool.The user can see their score at the end.
Matches
The app should look really cool.
↓
This is not checkable with yes or no because 'cool' is an opinion. It should say what the user can do, like 'The user can change the colour.'
Applying
Meanings
Term
success criterion
Meaning
A checkable statement about what a solution must do for the user, like 'The user can log in.' You check it with yes or no to see if the solution works.
Practice
Success criteria:
Testing
Gaps
Success criterion: The user log in.
Check Answer
Spots
21. The user can search books.
32. The app is really cool.

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Quick Questions

1. Which is a good success criterion for a class quiz app?
A. The user can see their score at the end. ✓
B. The app should be really cool.
A good success criterion is checkable. You can test if the user can see their score. 'Really cool' can't be checked with yes or no.
2. How do you check a success criterion?
A. Give it a score out of 100 for how pretty it is.
B. Answer yes or no: does the solution do it? ✓
A success criterion is checked with a simple yes or no.
3. Which success criterion is written the right way?
A. Timer button.
B. The user can press a button to start the timer. ✓
Success criteria are written as full statements like 'The user can...' so it is clear what must happen.
4. Mia is making a reading log app for her friend Sam. Which is a checkable criterion?
A. The user can add a book title to the list. ✓
B. The app is nice to use.
You can test adding a book title and say yes or no. 'Nice to use' is just an opinion.
5. True or false: A success criterion describes what the solution must do for the user.
A. True ✓
B. False
Success criteria say what the solution must do so we can judge whether it works for the user.

Match the Pairs

The user can find the quiz in two taps. → A success criterion: a checkable statement about what the solution must do for the user
Does the app let the user save a score? Yes / No → Checking a success criterion with a yes or no answer
A success criterion is written from the user's point of view, starting with 'The user can...' → The user can pause the game.
A list of 3 success criteria for a solution that helps a user check the weather → 1. The user can type in a town. 2. The user can see today's temperature. 3. The user can see if it will rain.
The app should look really cool. → This is not checkable with yes or no because 'cool' is an opinion. It should say what the user can do, like 'The user can change the colour.'
Success criteria: The user can log in. → Only one criterion is listed when the task asks for 3. Add two more, like 'The user can log out.' and 'The user can see their name.'

Key Term

success criterion
A checkable statement about what a solution must do for the user, like 'The user can log in.' You check it with yes or no to see if the solution works.

Fill in the Blanks

1. Success criterion: The user can log in.
Hint: Type the word that follows 'The user' in a success criterion, showing what the user is able to do.
2. Criterion: The user can log in. Test: The user logged in. Met? Yes
Hint: The test worked, so type the one-word answer that shows the criterion is met.
3. 1. The user can log in. 2. The user can see a score. 3. The user can log out.
Hint: Type the number for the third criterion in the list.
4. Success criterion: The user can log in.
Hint: Type the two-word name for a checkable statement about what a solution must do.
5. The user can pause the game.
Hint: Type the word for the person the criterion is about.

Spot the Error

Question 1
A Solution: School library app
B 1. The user can search books.
C 2. The app is really cool.
D 3. The user can see due dates.
Line C — 'The app is really cool' is an opinion, so you cannot check it with yes or no. A success criterion must say what the user can do, like 'The user can borrow a book.'
Question 2
A Goal: a pet feeding reminder
B 1. The user might set a time.
C Check 1: yes or no
Line B — 'Might' is not checkable. A success criterion must be definite, so it should say 'The user can set a time.' You can then check it with yes or no.
Question 3
A Criterion: The user can sort.
B Answer: maybe or sort of
C Yes means criterion is met.
Line B — A success criterion is checked with a clear yes or no. 'Maybe or sort of' does not tell you if the solution works. The line should be 'Answer: yes or no'.
Question 4
A Criterion: The map is easy.
B Test: try to zoom in the app.
C Result: yes, so it is met.
Line A — 'The map is easy' is vague and cannot be answered with yes or no. It should be written as what the user can do: 'The user can zoom.'
Question 5
A Success criteria for quiz app:
B 1. The user can pick a topic.
C 2. The coder worked very hard.
D 3. The user can replay a quiz.
Line C — A success criterion describes what the solution must do for the user, not how hard the coder worked. It should be 'The user can see a score.'

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