Chapter Outline

DATABASES

I. What is a Database?

1. A database is a collection of information organized according to some structure or purpose.
2. Database management system software controls the storage and organization of data n a database.
3. The key terms related to databases are file, record, and field:

II. Advantages of an Electronic Database

1. A computerized database has many advantages over the traditional file cabinet.
2. Databases are used daily in government, occupational, and professional agencies. A database such as the Educational Research Information Clearinghouse (ERIC) is a primary database for teachers.

III. How a Database Operates

1. FileMaker Pro provides a quality database for discussion of operation purposes, but the discussion is not a substitute for the software’s documentation.
2. In order to create a database, a teacher creates a field, designs the format or template, and has the record automatically saved. Then the teacher records data for each piece of information, e.g., inventory items, with the option of adding or changing it. When finished, the teacher has a database that holds all the necessary records or up to the number allowed by the storage capacity of the particular database file program.

IV. Functions of a Database

1. When the database is completed, the teacher can select or retrieve a file and sort the records. A variety of ways exist for retrieving a record, including retrieving an entire file, only a few field headings, one record in the database, by using more than one criterion.
2. Boolean operators such as "and," "or, " and "not" allow the user to search for more than one record.
3. The user can search for a record with data strings, used when the database user wants to search for a record and is not sure how to find it. A data string is subset of the characters within a field. Typing only the field name with an asterisk is a wild card search that returns any documents that contain that field.
4. Sorting is the ability to arrange the records in a file, so that the values in a field are sorted either in alphabetical, numerical, or chronological order. Any field can be sorted, and sorting is done by field type.

V. Types of Databases

1. Today there are not many database programs available for the classroom, and they vary by price and capabilities.
2. The single-purpose program, primarily used in business, performs database functions exclusively. An example of a standalone program for education is FileMaker Pro. An integrated program that provides capabilities such as telecommunication, charting word processing, and spreadsheet is AppleWorks.
3. Database software employs different methods of database organization developed for the computer.
4. Databases are being used increasingly in the classroom.
5. The mastery of databases takes longer than the mastery of word processing, because students must be given more experience and different types of assignments.

VI. How to Choose a Database

1. Selection of a database should be based on such criteria as search ability, ease of adding and changing file data, proper content of prepared databases for students, accurate information, quality of the documentation, and ease of program use. See p. 128 or Transparency 6.1 for a Database Checklist.
2. Choosing a database for the classroom is a six-step evaluation process.

VII. Instructional Design

1. A database should require minimum learning time.
2. An annotated list of award winning database software appears in Appendix A.