Use of software tools in teaching relational database design
Francis Wolff1995, Computers & Education
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Abstract
This paper discusses our experiences in using state-of-the-art software tools in teaching an advanced relational database design course (a previous graduate course in database is the prerequisite for this course), which is taken as an elective by graduate students in the Department of Computer and Information Science at Cleveland State University. As an experiment, the class material was slightly modified to include student exposure to a prototype of current software that uses expert systems information technology (IT) to automate relational database design for microcomputer users at the management level. Surprisingly, the results in terms of student interest, involvement, and inquisitiveness were far better than expected considering the minor changes to the course that were involved. Typically in the past, students in Computer and Information Science departments have approached the study of relational database design solely from the point of view of learning normalization theory. This approach was used to train graduate students to become database administrators. However, more and more the needs of today are for students to be able to understand and certainly be able to use and deal with the latest expert system software in the database area including database design. We feel that database design courses should reflect these needs.
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