Database Courseware: Functionality and Classroom Usage

Mario Guimaraes mguimara@kennesaw.edu

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