Quick Teaching Ideas

This glossary includes vocabulary for developing common database applications as well as more technical vocabulary that might be used by dedicated database programmers.

View Sample Projects

1. Horticulture Plant Reference Database
2. Local Slang Dictionary
3. Nutrition Diet Analysis
4. Historical U.S. Browser
5. List of Links

Using Database Applications

EndNote Bibliographic Software

• Students writing longer research papers and theses can be taught how to use EndNote to systematically track and find their citations.
• Students in a course can gather a list of annotated bibliographies and citations which can be merged in a larger database.
• An initial list of citations can be compiled in a database for future semesters.
• More on EndNote

Excel

• Excel can be a good tool for recording data, even if you do not know where it will be stored in the long run. Since many students are familiar with Excel and is available on almost all computers.
• Excel can also be a good way to help students think about how to organize data. Students can use Excel to explore what kinds of categories (columns) they may need to record about data for a project.
• Excel includes some basic statistics functions such as averages which may be beneficial for students to use.
• More on Excel

Filemaker and Excel

Both Filemaker and Access are available in the Student Computing Labs, so students can open database files you create.

• Since Filemaker and Excel store images, you can create multimedia style references or encyclopedias, such as the HORT 131 Database for students to use.
• Build a specialized searchable glossary.
• You can design a database to house data collected by students either in field work or in experiments.
• Use the calculation features to create conversion utilities to demonstrate to students.
• More on Filemaker and Excel

Charting and Mapping Packages

• Converting data into visual representations often help students understand data relations or patterns better than numbers alone.
• Teaching students to create simple charts or maps helps them understand how data is converted into commonly used visual representations. In some cases, these can be done in graphics packages instead of specialized charting packages.
• An important information literacy skill is being able to read charts and graphs and detect potential biases in them.
• More on Charting and Mapping Packages

Statistical Packages

• Although you may not wish to devote time to teaching a statistics package, it is important to note that some basic statistics functions can be run in Excel or an online calculator. Some students may find benefits analyzing simple datasets.
• Another approach could be to assign students a task of creating and collecting survey data then showing limited tools from Excel for running data analysis.
• More on Statistical Packages

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Last Update: September 6, 2005