Robot framework training

I joined with Pekka Klärck and Ismo Aro to do my first Robot training and coaching sessions this October in Athens, Greece. It was a very nice way start coaching Robot usage with such an enthusiastic and eager to learn crowd. Many thanks to everybody who participated!

In the (generally very positive) feedback that we gathered from the sessions two main points of criticism stand out:

1. Two days is a very short time to learn test automation with Robot (I don't think this is in any way Robot specific issue.)
2. People prefer learning by doing exercises over listening to me going on about the theory. Also it was pointed out that it would be nice to have more time for the exercises that we have.

Planning the next training

The first issue is really no surprise. Although the basic syntax and usage of Robot is very easy to learn, learning how to do test automation well in general takes time. Also for learning the more exotic features of Robot Framework, a course of two days is just a too short of a time. When giving Robot training we do usually stay for a few days afterwards to coach and help clients with their real tests. This is a very important part of the training and should be considered a part of the course really. (Maybe next time, I will ask for the feedback after the coaching is done also...)

I do understand that the two day crash course into test automation with robot can be a bit like drinking from a fire hose. We have to think whether it would be better to give Robot training for example first one day, then coaching and some time for the people to try out what they learned and then after a week or so, to give a second day of training with more advanced concepts.

The second point about more hands on training forces us to rethink how to present the more advanced concepts and also what concepts are really necessary in a basic training. It is a lot easier to cover many advanced concepts in one day when you just read them through from slides. To actually let the people try them out, we have to give them some time and therefore also to skip some subjects from the training. But in the end, I guess it is better to teach few things well, than a lot of things too quickly.

This has been an important learning experience and we are looking forward to making the next training even better than this one.