Foundation Coalition: Active/Cooperative Learning

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Designing, Implementing and Testing a Database

A Computer Engineering Lesson
Developed by Dr. Suzanne Dietrich and Dr. Susan Urban
Arizona State University

Click here for the PDF version of the lesson

Overview:

In this lesson, student teams will design, implement and test a database for a “real world” user. Each team contacts and arranges to create a database for a different client. Clients are often located on campus, in the business community or in the field of education (K-12).

Learning Objectives or Student Outcomes:

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to

obtain hands-on experience in the use of a commercial database management system;
obtain experience in the (somewhat) realistic development of a database application;
actively participate in the learning process; and
gain exposure to the type of group interaction that is necessary for success in the workplace.

Length of Lesson:

From the second week of the semester to the last day of classes.

Team Size/Composition:

Teams of 4 or 5 students each—four being preferred and 5 formed as an alternate. Each team is responsible for identifying the specific application to be developed. Teams must identify an expert in the application area to provide input in the design.

Click here to learn more about roles

Assignment(s) to Ensure Student Preparation:

1. Reading IEEE Transactions Paper (See list of Handouts, Overheads, and Forms)

2. Regular classroom lessons and in-class activities

3. Teaming and teambuilding activities

How is positive interdependence ensured?

All members of the team build one database; the instructor rewards interdependence; roles are assigned to the students and rotated at the end of each phase.

How is individual accountability built in to the project?

Individual accountability is ensured through self and peer assessments and through individual project products (a form, a report, and a query) handed in at the end of phase 3.

Basis or Components of Assessment:

Deliverables = 60-70% of grade

Group Status Report = 5%

Team Assessment = 20-25% (Relating theory to real world project)

Phase 1 Summary = 10% (Presentation/overview of project)

Returned Phase 1 Intermediate = 0% (Draft deliverable for feedback only)

Group Project Assessment Breakdown = Phase 1 8%

Phase 2 12%

Phase 3 15%

Group Project Total 35%

Team Skills Needed for Success:

Student Roles used to emphasize team responsibilities:

Phase Leader
Phase Recorder
Phase Checker
Phase Technical Advisor

Materials Needed by Students:

Computer and Microsoft Access software—available on most university campus servers and usually supported by campus IT departments.

Content Lesson Links:

Student Roles

Handouts, Overheads, Forms, etc:

As this is a very lengthy assignment, instructors are encouraged to go through all of the following materials in depth prior to beginning the project:

1. Dietrich, Suzanne W. and Susan D. Urban. “A Cooperative Learning Approach to Database Group Projects: Integrating Theory
and Practice.” IEEE Transactions on Education (November 1998).

NOTE: This article must be obtained by the individual instructor from IEEE (http://shop.ieee.org/store/product.asp?CID_LDAP=&PROMO_SRC_CODE=&BUYER_TYPE=&account_type=&member
_grade=&hftype=&AUTH=&prodno=025%2D124&mscssid=W5FS83H8RUSE8M89MDSAT5055APT5H4B)
for use by the students. This article was written by the lesson authors and gives an overview of this very lesson.

2. Description of Student Roles (link to page 4 of this document)

3. Deitrich and Urban’s Group Projects web page (http://www.eas.asu.edu/~cse412/projects.html), which includes all of the
following information and more:

Database Group Project Overview
Project Guidelines
Phase 1 Intermediate Deliverable Sample
Phase 1 Final Deliverable Sample
Phase 1 Questionnaire (relating learned theory to their real world project)
Phase 2 Samples and Questionnaire
Phase 3 Samples and Questionnaire

Lesson | student roles