Active Learning via a Sample Database: The Case of Microsoft\u27s Adventure Works

This paper describes the use and benefits of Microsoft’s Adventure Works (AW) database to teach advanced database skills in a hands-on, realistic environment. Database management and querying skills are a key element of a robust information systems curriculum, and active learning is an important way to develop these skills. To facilitate active learning and produce a compelling narrative, the data structure and content of a useful pedagogically-oriented database should be realistic and lifelike. It should contain data that accurately depicts the business processes, functions, and entities of a realistic organization, structured in a way that demonstrates best practices in database design. Most database textbooks include sample databases, but these are often small and sparse of data. By contrast, Microsoft’s AW database presents a robust, realistic, and comprehensive framework for many important educational objectives in an IS curriculum. This paper introduces the AW business case and database, and illustrates several pedagogical uses in an undergraduate CIS program

Applying Analogical Reasoning Techniques for Teaching XML Document Querying Skills in Database Classes

XML has become the most ubiquitous format for exchange of data between applications running on the Internet. Most Web Services provide their information to clients in the form of XML. The ability to process complex XML documents in order to extract relevant information is becoming as important a skill for IS students to master as querying relational databases. But the language for querying XML documents is very different from SQL, which is the query language that IS students typically learn in their database courses. Nevertheless, the database course seems to be the most plausible venue for teaching XML document querying, given the IS 2010 model curriculum. Unfortunately, there are time limitations that may prevent deep coverage of XML in the typical database class. Analogical pedagogy may provide a means to quickly provide significant XML query skills to students who are already familiar with SQL query mechanics. This paper describes a simple but effective way of incorporating XML querying within the broader database course content by making use of analogical reasoning

Teaching Case: Using Python and AWS for NoSQL in a BI Course

This article presents a multi-stage guided technical project coding Python scripts for utilizing Amazon Web Services (AWS) to work with a document-store database called DynamoDB. Students doing this project should have taken an introductory programming class (ideally in Python) and a database class to have experience with Python coding and database manipulation/querying in a relational environment. Students learn new data formats (Python dictionaries, JSON text data, key-value storage structures) and learn how to transform data from one format to another. They also gain experience with data visualization. The project was first carried out in a business intelligence (BI) course during Spring 2020 semester in the midst of COVID and included video tutorials. Since then, it has been refined and used each semester the BI course is taught

Teaching Software Componentization: A Bar Chart Java Bean

In the current object-oriented paradigm, software construction increasingly involves creating and utilizing software components. These components can serve a variety of functions, from common algorithmic processes to database connectivity to graphical interfaces. The advantage of component architectures is that programmers can use pre-existing components to simplify their programming tasks and to facilitate rapid application development. In the Java world, components are implemented as Java Beans, which can be used in most Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) to construct user interface designs via form builders. This article describes a programming assignment for an advanced information systems course in which students create a graphical software component. In addition, the article discusses potential follow-up assignments in which the component can be used in useful software applications

Mapping Queries to Visualizations: Advanced Database Topics and Practice for Business Intelligence Students

This paper describes a teaching methodology for associating SQL queries with appropriately corresponding data visualizations, along with a software tool for automatically mapping SQL queries to Google’s library of Image and Interactive Charts. The methodology is appropriate for an audience of advanced database students, and in particular for use in business intelligence (BI) classes during coverage of topics such as data visualization, dashboards, scorecards, and business performance management (BPM)

Pedagogical Opportunities Of Microsoft’s Adventure Works Business Case And Data Model

Database management and querying skills are a key element of a robust information systems curriculum. The data structure and content of a useful pedagogically-oriented database should be realistic and lifelike, and the database should contain data that accurately depicts the business processes, functions, and entities of a realistic organization, organized in a way that demonstrates best practices in database design. Most database textbooks include some sample databases, but these are often relatively small and sparse of data. By contrast, Microsoft’s Adventure Works (AW) database presents a robust, realistic, and comprehensive framework for many important educational objectives in an Information Systems curriculum. This paper introduces the AW business case and database, and illustrates several pedagogical uses in an undergraduate CIS program

Teaching about the Impact of Transaction Volume on System Performance and Capacity Planning

Courses in information resource management often include discussion and practice in capacity planning. This requires students to understand a variety of topics related to business transaction processing, workload characteristics, system demand, forecasting methods, and system performance measurement. This article presents a student project that combines these topics in a spreadsheet application. The spreadsheet is designed to take transaction history as input, use this history to make forecasts of future workload demand, and then predict future system performance based on these forecasts. The paper discusses forecasting methods, system performance metrics, and presents a comprehensive description of the spreadsheet assignment

Teaching Secure Programming to Information Systems Students via OWASP Techniques and Libraries

Current and future Information Systems (IS) personnel and management need to understand SQL Injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other web-originating information security vulnerabilities. These can have severe negative impacts, and minimizing these threats is an important consideration for application developers. There are many resources on the Internet and in books to help educate people about these and similar intrusions. The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) includes a robust amount of information on this subject and is an excellent starting point in the creation of lecture, demonstration, and student practice on the subject. Using OWASP resources and active software examples is an effective and efficient method to teach IS students on potential security breaches and their prevention

A Systems Analysis Role Play Case: We Sell Stuff, Inc.

Most systems development projects incorporate some sort of life cycle approach in their development. Whether the development methodology involves a traditional life cycle, prototyping, rapid application development, or some other approach, the first step usually involves a system investigation, which includes problem identification, feasibility study, cost-benefit analysis, and project planning. This topic is normally covered in introductory information systems courses taken by business students, as well as in systems analysis courses taken by information systems majors. This paper presents a role-play case of a fictional company, We Sell Stuff, Inc., giving students an opportunity to apply knowledge of systems investigation issues in a group setting. Three roles are described, along with an outline of project plan deliverables