Download Tracking Field Placements and Student Data with Microsoft

TRACKING FIELD PLACEMENTS
AND STUDENT DATA WITH
MICROSOFT ACCESS
Dr. Janette Ralston
Director of Field and Clinical Experiences
Lindenwood University
[email protected]
MICROSOFT ACCESS
A
database is essentially a collection of lists stored in tables. It is
designed to handle non-numerical data, like names and descriptions.
Non-numerical data plays a significant role in almost any database,
and it's important to be able to sort and analyze it.
 However,
the thing that really sets databases apart from any other
way of storing data is connectivity. Microsoft Access is a relational
database, which means it is able to reference lists and the objects
within them.
WHERE TO BEGIN - TABLES
 To
create an Access database, you must start with a table that
contains the data you want. You can identify the type of data for
each field and even restrict the fields to certain values.
DATASHEET VIEW
 Your
database table will look something like this:
MULTIPLE TABLES AND RELATIONSHIPS
 If
your data is stored in multiple
tables, you must establish
relationships between the tables to
be able to access information from
both tables at the same time.
FORMS
 Because
it is
easier to enter,
update, and
view individual
students data,
you can create
forms in Access
to make the
data more
readily viewed.
QUERIES
 Once
the data is in tables and forms have been created (you don’t
have to create forms, but they are helpful), you can now ask
questions, called queries. The Query Wizard is great for novice users.
 Simply
decide what fields you want
to pull data from, add any criteria
(restrictions) you want, and run the
Query.
QUERIES
 You
can also filter the results of the Query.
QUERIES
 Queries,
once they are saved, automatically update as data is
entered that meets the criteria you have set. Data in tables can also
be updated from the queries.
REPORTS
 Reports
can be created, usually
from the Queries, for handouts
and/or presentations. Style, font,
format, etc. can be set for
Reports.
IMPORT AND EXPORT TO EXCEL
 Tables,
Forms, Queries, and Reports can be exported to Excel for
reports, spreadsheet manipulation, etc. This is very useful because
not everyone will understand how to use the Access database.
However, the majority of faculty and staff will have at least some
knowledge of Excel.
MACROS, SQL, VBA, HTML
 For
more sophisticated data needs, Access uses Macros, SQL
language, Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), and HTML. The
decision of which language to use depends on the function you are
trying to complete. For instance, macros have character limits.
Access can also convert from one to another language, again
depending on the desired function.
TRACKING FIELD PLACEMENT
 After
setting up the tables, forms, queries, and reports, you can set
up password protection and administration permissions. You can
also create a copy of the database for sharing with multiple users.
DEMONSTRATION OF STAGE DATABASE
DEMONSTRATION OF FIELD PLACEMENT DATABASE