Computational Thinking for Information Technology

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP Objectives This course will enable you to develop logical thinking skills, including: • Asking probing questions to uncover details of a problem • Clearly defining a problem • Defining clear success criteria for the project including measurable objectives • Seeing “the big picture” • Deconstructing the problem into its component parts • Correlating the relationships between components and prior knowledge

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP Objectives (cont.) This course will enable you to develop logical thinking skills, including: • Identifying the steps required to solve a problem • Identifying available resources • Measuring and adapting the solution to optimize resource utilization • Measuring and evaluating solutions against the success criteria • Adjusting the design and implementation as needed

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP Scope of the project You were hired to develop a database for our office. We will use the database to keep track of inventory, patients and employees as well as print reports, bills and payroll. You will work in a team to design and create the database. It is your job to gather information for the database by interviewing people in the office, gathering information from your own personal experience and performing research.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP Scope of the project (cont.) I want to be able to keep track of my employees because I have several employees with expertise in different areas. I also want to keep track of my five employees’ expertise and their wages. They have different specialties different job descriptions, so I want to store their credentials and when they need to update their credentials. I would like to hire employees with expertise in more than one area. I’d also like to be able to use the system to produce the bi-weekly payroll. The system should also be able to keep track of our patients’ contact information, their appointments and send reminders for their next appointment.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP Scope of the project (cont.) I also would like to use the system to determine if my business is profitable. If the business is not profitable, I would like to be able to see where costs can be reduced. One example would be to reduce the amount of inventory that sits on the shelf for over one week. Some insurance companies take more than 30 days to send the reimbursement, so I also want to understand which patients use those companies because I may need to limit the number of patients with those companies.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP TASK 2: DATABASE DESIGN The purpose of this step is to work as a team and brainstorm about data items that will be stored in the database and how the various data items relate to one another. Analysis is done to give meaning to the data items by defining the more detailed attributes of the data and define the constraints (if needed). The database design elements are intended to describe the software in sufficient detail that skilled programmers may develop the database with minimal additional input.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Deliverables: • You will deliver to the client a non-technical summary of the data items for potential inclusion into the database and a list of reports and forms to address the client’s needs. All the ideas from the brainstorming session must be logically organized in separate lists that can be easily understood by the client. The lists will eventually become separate tables. A model of the how the information is viewed by the database system is created by the team members.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Action Plan: • You must begin by brainstorming about everything you currently know about the data required by the doctor’s office. Consider all creative ideas and be as exhaustive as possible and non-judgmental. • (See file task_2_Database_Fields.docx) • Move to all items you might not know or understand about the doctor’s office that may be relevant to this task. Again, consider all ideas as valid and reserve judgment.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Action Plan: • Begin to identify the gaps between what you know and what you don’t know. The client asks you to be thorough. Be sure to consider what else you might have missed. • Take a look at the results and notice the repetition of data items or ideas. Begin to sort and group logically these data items into a few descriptive but broad categories. • Interview the stakeholders for data items to include in the database.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Deliverables: • You will deliver to the client a non-technical summary of the data items for potential inclusion into the database and a list of reports and forms to address the client’s needs. All the ideas from the brainstorming session must be logically organized in separate lists that can be easily understood by the client. The lists will eventually become separate tables. A model of the how the information is viewed by the database system is created by the team members. Divide tables between the members of the group.

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Action Plan: • Create the database tables • Use the lists that you created in Task 2 to create the database tables using database management system (DBMS) software. The Create Table code contains the details of all the data items (CUSTOMER, SUPPLIER, EMPLOYEE etc.), their attributes (names, ages, addresses and other details), the relationship between the tables, the keys (primary and foreign) and integrity rules. • Use Task_3_Database_Development.docx as an example

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Action Plan: • Test the database in different environments • Write SQL commands to test all possible conditions: • At least 1 query must include an OR criteria • At least 1 query must include an AND criteria • At least 1 query must output specific records • At least 1 query must output specific fields • Use the Find Duplicates Query Wizard • Use the Find Unmatched Query Wizard • Use an Aggregate function in a query

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Action Plan: • Write SQL commands to test all possible conditions (cont.): • Create a query to group the records based on the contents of one of the fields • Filter data by form to filter records in a table • Filter data by form to filter records in a query • Filter data by form to filter records in a form • Filter data by form to filter records in a report

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Action Plan: • Test data integrity rules (entity and referential integrity) • Enforce integrity by ensuring that, if two tables are related to each other, an attribute of one relation must be the same as the primary attribute (primary key) of the other one • Create reports using queries • Create a report using one of the tables • Create a report using one of the queries • Create a report with fields from multiple tables • Create mailing labels

HOME | WELCOME | TASK 1 | TASK 2 | TASK 3 | TASK 4 | TASK 5 | TASK 6 | HELP • Debrief: • What process did you follow while creating the user manual? • Do you fell that your team performed its' best work in creating and producing a high quality and professional user manual? • Was your presentation persuasive? • What would you do differently were you to prepare and give the presentation again? • If the client told you that some of your database forms/reports were not usable, would you be able to either defend why they are, or provide alternatives?

Computational Thinking for Information Technology