Database Courseware: Functionality and Classroom Usage
Mario Guimaraes [email protected]
http://coffee.kennesaw.edu NSF Grant: 008914
Recent ImprovementsRecovery (Logical versus Physical writes)Concurrency – TriggersSQL: distinct, outer join, order by clausesMore description in the concurrency modulesMaking more friendly w/ more help windows
• Set of Exams for each topic• Evaluations
Mission• Tutorials, exercises and animations to help
understand fundamentals of database systems.
Problem/Motivation• It is difficult to communicate breadth and
depth of concepts in a single course. • Most schools follow a similar structure to
KSU. 1 core db class CSIS33101 elective db class CSIS4310graduate Database classes
but not a standard as to what is taught.
NSF-CCLI-EMD (proof-of-concept)
• 2 year, 75K• Originality• Evaluation• Dissemination
Related Research & Uniqueness• Animations have been successful in programming
courses• Very little courseware that focus on databases • Arizona State University at Dietrich, Suzanne;
Urban, Susan D., – WinRDBI (Relational Algebra, Tuple Calculus, Domain
Calculus, SQL)– 2nd DB Course (OODBMS, ORDBMS, DB on WWW,
etc.)
Method of Use• Display one Exercise in
Scenario (Problem Specification) to E-RE-R to TablesNormalization, Denormalization,SQL procedural animationSQL constructionSQL animation through Relational Alg. Embedded SQL Concurrency, Recovery, Triggers
Assign exercises related to the scenario
Evaluations• Forms filled out by students and instructors at
Kennesaw State University• Evaluations requested at End of Semester
evaluations (Improvement)• Control Groups (Objective)• Evaluations by Faculty and Students from other
campuses (7 Faculty, one Provost and two Oracle DBA)
• Evaluation by measuring amount being used• Evaluation built into the software
Result• 94% of students find the implementations helpful to understanding
the topics.• “1) ER to Tables understand versus memorizing
2) SQL queries: associates known code with unknown (multiple code windows), Reduces learning time.3) Concurrency: allows students to control their own pace. Reduces learning time.Students who are unsatisfied with the class as well as the satisfied students praised the software
• Faculty: high evaluations of the software• Control groups showed students who used the software obtained
better results in the SQL model• 10 institutions evaluated the software.
Dissemination
• Conferences – SIGCSE, ACM/SE, Others• Papers, Workshops, Birds-of-Feathers• Direct Contact w/ Faculty from other
Institutions• Addison Wesley, Navathe, etc.• International
Main Suggestions Received• Not a Standard Interface (Java, VB, Flash)• Problem Specification to Diagram Module• Lacks module for Faculty to insert their own
problems• Needs more exercise• Flash part is too flashy• Java needs to be more flashy• VB: doesn’t run on some computers• NSF: conclude evaluation report
CCLI-EMD (full proposal)
• Interactive Tests mapped to Animations• New Exercises. More advanced topics
and/or creating more examples in current topics ??
• Defining Standard Interface. Which Interface to choose: Java or Flash ?
Main Contributers
• Dr.Myers• Steven Setzer• Students in Directed Studies• Senior Class Projects
Possible projects for Students
• 1) Implementing New AnimationsPre-requisite: Java, Flash, or Visual Basic.
• 2) Evaluating and Designing Database Courseware.
• Pre-requisite: CSIS3310 or Database experience.
Illustration of ERD Conversion (p.1-2)
Illustration of ERD Conversion (p.2-2)
SQL Queries - Construction
SQL Query Animation w/Procedural Code
SQL animation w/ Relational Algebra
Concurrency – Simple Example
Concurrency – Credit Card Example