1. The Computer as an Educational Tool
Chapter 9:
Learning with Database Tools
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

2. Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
What is a Database?
An organized, structured collection of facts
Designed to deal with text, numbers, visual data, and sound
Facts collected and grouped together into files
Can consist of a single file or a number of related files
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

3. Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Database Managers
Software designed to structure data to produce information
Relational database managers
File managers
File management system
Gather related data into a central collection
Find specific data to meet a particular need
Reorder those data in various ways
Retrieve the product of that reordering in a useful form
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

4. Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Database Operation
File Design
Establish structure of the file by creating data fields of appropriate type
Field—individual data item
Label—descriptor related to the field
Record—a group of related fields
Form Design
Create a layout of fields and where they will be displayed on the screen or printed on paper
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

5. Database Operation (cont.)
Record Editing
Allow data to be entered, altered, and deleted
Record Finding
Facilitate the selection of certain records while ignoring others
Logical search
Boolean connectors
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

6. Database Operation (cont.)
Record Sorting
Organize records according to some field order
Ascending and/or descending order
Report Creation
Find specific records, sort them, and arrange them on a selected form
Nested sort or multilevel sort
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

7. Database Operation (cont.)
Report Printing
Display the information on the screen or on paper
Integration with word processing software
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

8. Problem Solving with Databases
Problem Statement
Understanding Components
Design the Solution
Error Trapping
Evaluate
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

9. Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Database Features
Accuracy Control
Data Entry Automation
Field Definition
Finding Records
Layout
Sorting
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved

10. Curriculum Applications of Databases
Management
Research
Organization and retrieval skills
Digital portfolio development
Commercially available databases related to curriculum
Forcier and Descy
The Computer as an Educational Tool (Fifth Edition)
Copyright © 2008 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Columbus, Ohio 43235
All rights reserved