[AccessD] Teaching Access Course

On 9 Feb 2004 at 9:55, Jim Hewson wrote:

> 
> Our customer has added a tasking on our contract.
> I have developed several Access databases for this customer on several
> different contracts.  They want a two-day course to teach 6-10 people.  A
> classroom with computers and Access loaded on them will be on their site.
> The student's experience ranges from someone who knows how to spell Access
> to someone who thinks they know how to use it.
> I do have experience conducting courses - just not Access.
> 

Do you have any experience designing training?

The basic principle of course design is not to start with "how long", 
but with "what". What are you trying to produce -  Computer Science 
Graduates,  Analyst/Programmers  or Competent Users?

You need to start by stating a Course Objective and then breaking 
that down into training needs to achieve that objective. Once you 
have done that, decide how many of those objectives can be achieved 
in your "two-day course" 

 My first cut of a syllabus is below.  Any suggestions?
> 

That looks like a classic one year syllabus for an "educational" 
institution, not a two day training course.
Forget teaching them concepts, train then to do things - this is 
workplace oriented training, not academia.

I'd say that a reason amount of content for a two day course would be 
to train them to use a developed Access application and to create 
their own queries.  If they are good enough, you may have time to 
teach them to create simple reports using Wizards.

Day 1:

Basic concepts of what a relational database and why it is used ie:
data stored in different tables based on context, the *very* basic 
principles of normalisation (WITHOUT even using the word) and the 
benefits of it (consistent data, only change in one place etc)

The building blocks of Access:
In simple terms - what is a table, query, form, report and what are 
they used for (mention VBA under the hood as the *magic bit* that 
makes it work, but don't show then how to get into the editor)

How to navigate around forms ;
how to use Combos (F4 key, autofilling), listboxes, checkboxes/option 
buttons,  hotkeys, use of navigation buttons to move through a 
recordset,  what the record selectors do, what the "dirty" icon 
means,  when dirty records are saved, switching between form and 
datasheet view

Form Filtering/Sorting using the main menu/toolbar items and the 
right click menu.

Basic use of Reports:
Printing/Previewing reports including changing printers/printing 
specific pages, zooming in preview mode.

Day 2
Building queries using the QBE grid.
Selecting tables/queries to use
Basic concepts of  keys, datatypes, creating joins
Building criteria (use of and/or, <,>, =, Between, Not, Null, Date(), 
Year(),Month() etc)

If sufficient time:
Using the Report Wizard.


> Thanks in advance.
> Jim
> 
> 1.  Introduction to Databases
> 	a.	Systems [Software] Development Life Cycle (SDLC
> 	b.	Database Nomenclature
> 	c.	Naming Conventions
> 	d.	Normalization
> 	e.	Relational Database
> 	f.	Database design concepts
> 2.  Introduction to Access
> 	a.	Access Specifications
> 	b.	Short cut keys
> 	c.	Reserved Words
> 	d.	Access Objects
> 	e.	Relationships between tables
> 3.  Access Tables
> 	a.	Primary keys
> 	b.	Fields and records
> 	c.	Navigate through records
> 	d.	Enter, edit and delete records
> 	e.	Format tables
> 	f.	Filtering data in tables
> 4.  Designing Access Tables
> 	a.	Design view
> 	b.	Adding and naming fields
> 	c.	Assigning Field types
> 	d.	Assigning Field Properties
> 	e.	Creating Key Fields
> 	f.	Creating relationships
> 5.  Designing Access Queries
> 	a.	Using "And" and "Or" statements
> 	b.	"=" vs "like"
> 	c.	Parameter Queries
> 	d.	Auto lookup Queries
> 	e.	Advanced Queries (Nested Queries, Sub-queries)
> 	f.	Insert/Update/Delete/Make-Table Queries
> 6.   Access Form Design
> 	a.	Designing a Form
> 	b.	Formatting forms
> 	c.	Adding controls
> 	d.	Combo boxes / list boxes
> 	e.	Groups
> 	f.	MS Visual Basic
> 	g.	Using Wizards
> 7.  Access Report Design
> 	a.	Creating a report
> 	b.	Formatting reports
> 	c.	Using Wizards
> 
> 
> Jim H. Hewson
> Marketing/Proposal Support Manager
> Karta Technologies, Inc.
> 5555 Northwest Parkway
> San Antonio, Texas 78249
> 210-582-3233 
> jhewson at karta.com <mailto:jhewson at karta.com>
> 
> 
> 

 
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