A First Course in Database Management

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A First Course in Database Management

• Jeanne Baugh
• Department of
• Computer and Information Systems
• Robert Morris University
• Pittsburgh PA

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First Database Course Topics

• Database Terminology
• Relational Design
• E-R Model
• Normalization
• SQL
• Administration

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If the student only takes one Database course,
what can be done to enhance the experience?

• Allow each student to modeled a problem of his
  choice and create a custom database to meet the
  problem specifications

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Course Organization

• DESIGN IS THE KEY
• Cant successfully model any problem without a
  good design
• Present Many Entity Relationship Diagrams in
  class
• Present the related database implementations

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Beauty Salon Example

• Keep track of Customer Appointments, what
  service they want done and the employee who will
  perform it. (A customer can have more than one
  service at an appointment)
• Send out promotional notices when specials are
  offered at the Salon
• Keep track of what types of services each
  employee is able to offer
• Print a list of all Appointments per day for
  each employee

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Salon Sample Design
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Sample Access Screen
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Student Project Proposal

• What is the central focus of the database?
• What kinds of things will this database be able
  to do?
• What kinds of information will the database
  provide the user?
• Is it a real project created for the students
  use or for anothers use?

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Evaluation of Student Proposals

• Is the idea a valid one?
• Is the project something the student could
  reasonably finish in the time allotted?
• Will the design provide approximately 10 to 15
  tables once implemented?
• Will there be sufficient relationships among the
  data?
• Will there be sufficient attributes to be
  defined?

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Sample Student Projects - 75 - Real

• Automotive parts supply Co.
• Ebay family sales information
• Marine Personnel Information
• Phi Beta Lambda Student Business Organization
• Security company scheduling
• Sports Cards Collection
• Heating and Air Conditioning Business
• RMU Track practice and Meet Information
• Newspaper Route / customers/payments
• Cattle Farm/ breeding/Vet info

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Entity-Relationship Diagram

• Individual attention
• Detailed description provided by student
• Basis of entire project
• Approval needed before physical implementation
• Logical Design Physical Design

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Project Phase I

• Define tables, keys, constraints, etc
• Create all forms, including a main opening form
  with buttons. Sub forms are also required.
• Create no reports
• Create all relationships
• Create a professional look

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Phase I Evaluation
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(No Transcript)
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Often Students were helped in the evenings over
the phone
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What would we do without Email?
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Phase II Requirements

• Correct all Phase I problems
• Create at least 8 reports (at least one sub
  report)
• Add functions to forms and reports
• Create update query, delete query, and macro to
  be run from buttons
• Create query screen for custom searches
• Create Data Dictionary
• Create Users Guide
• Document database, including ER-Diagram and table
  documentation

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Problems with Access
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Problems with Access

• Sub-forms linked to multiple fields on the master
  form (same problem with sub reports)
• Update queries
• Macros
• Combo boxes
• Field indexing
• Expressions
• Sub-query used as a criteria
• Referring to values on other forms in queries, on
  reports, etc

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Student Results

• Grade Students
• A 20
• B 13
• C 10
• F 4
• Final grade was calculated using two exams, a
  comprehensive final, the project and various
  other assignments

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Student Survey

• 60 very interested in the project
• 75 would not have rather had a pre-designed
  project
• 75 said they spend considerable more time on
  this class than on other ones
• 90 got individual help from the instructor on
  the project
• 98 felt the project aided in learning database
  management

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Student Survey Remarks

• I think this may have helped me decide what
  career path I want to follow
• This project was a real challenge for me. I
  would definitely take an advanced course in
  database if offered
• Im really glad I got the opportunity to do a
  real project.
• I am so glad I had the opportunity to take this
  class
• This class is one of the most challenging I had.
  I am glad to have taken it

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Conclusions and Recommendations

• Teaching a first database course with individual
  projects is time consuming
• Structure how much time will be spent in class in
  the demonstration of Access features
• Be careful to limit the scope of each students
  project
• A detailed evaluation of the first phase is
  necessary in order for the student to complete
  the second phase
• The students will need fairly good Microsoft
  Access skills to complete the project
• A high speed Internet connection is a must for
  this course
• A solid design is the heart of the students
  database project
• Topics covered in a first database course should
  be monitored and updated as needed, in an effort
  to keep students current

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Thank You