Transcript Interacting with a Database Using Visual Basic.NET

Interacting with a Database Using
Visual Basic.NET:
An Alternative Approach to
Illustrate Database Concepts
Brian R. Kovar
Kansas State University
7th AIS Educator Annual Meeting
June 26, 2005
Presentation Overview
• Why include database and programming concepts
in the AIS course?
• Explanation of the “Interacting with a Database
Using Visual Basic.NET” tutorial.
• Using the “Interacting with a Database Using
Visual Basic.NET” tutorial in the classroom.
Importance of Database Concepts in the
AIS course
• Database concepts stressed by the accounting
profession
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American Accounting Association
International Federation of Accountants
Information Systems Audit and Control Association
AICPA
• Database concepts stressed by educators
– 97.9% report coverage: 2001 AIS Educator Conference
– Online survey of syllabi: ranked 2nd at 14.6% of class
time
Teaching Database Concepts
• MS Access often used to illustrate database concepts
– Readily available and easy to use given educational
demands and constraints.
– Weakness: students see Access as the tool to both create
the database and manipulate the data.
• This single view is in conflict with true organizational systems
– Program/data independence not easily seen in Access.
– DBMS serves as the interface between the actual database
and various application programs.
• Separation not carried through to hands-on activities
Conceptual vs Hands-on Differences
• Classroom time constraints
• Faculty capabilities
– Some AIS teachers have been “drafted” from other
disciplines. 21% (Groomer and Murthy, 1996)
– Most AIS educators have very little formal training and
have been self-taught.
• 52% according to Calderon, Olsen, Conrad (1996)
• 61.7% according to Groomer and Murthy (1996)
• There are many disincentives to faculty
technological innovation.
– Lack of resources and the institutional reward structure.
Why include programming in the AIS course?
• Programming helps build accounting competencies
– Programming helps develop and improve problem solving and
critical thinking skills.
• Increased ability to handle more complex accounting issues and problems
(Beard and Smith 2002)
– The lack of programming skills may handicap accountants in
working effectively as IS auditors (Calderon, Cheh, Chatham 2002)
• Inclusion of programming supported by
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American Accounting Association
The Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA)
International Federation of Accountants
AICPA
• Structured Query Language (SQL ) has important business
uses.
– Bain, Blankley, Smith (2002) consider writing SQL code to be
programming.
Appendix A:
Interacting with a Database Using
Visual Basic.NET
• Students create several VB.NET programs that are able to
interact with a Microsoft Access database.
– Begins with simple data retrieval and display
– Progresses to SQL queries involving one table and multiple tables.
– Students also gain exposure to programming concepts such as IF
selection statements, loops, and the use of variables.
• Ready-to-use tutorial containing screenshots. New concepts
presented using step-by-step instructions. Students must
also apply previously learned skills.
Using “Interacting with a Database
Using Visual Basic.NET” in the
classroom
• Can be used as part of an in-class unit, or it can be used as a standalone, self-paced unit.
• Has been used at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
– Graduate students self-report an average completion time of 3.75 hours (range of
2-5 hours)
– Undergraduate students self-report an average completion time of 7 hours (range
of 6.5-9 hours)
• Must be completed in a computer lab or on a computer that already
has Visual Studio/Visual Basic.NET installed.
– Software can be obtained for a yearly fee from the Microsoft Software
Developer Network Academic Alliance (your college or department may already
be a member)
Selected Student Comments Regarding
Tutorial Presented
I was able to see how the programs (Access and Visual Basic.NET) were interlinked and
able to use each other respectively.
I really felt comfortable with the program as I progressed through the tutorial, thanks to
the illustrations and written descriptions throughout the tutorial.
Throughout this activity, I was introduced to new software I had barely even heard of
before. After the initial shock of knowing nothing about the program, I realized it was
relatively simple to work with. I knew that there were different programs that I could work
with that would help me create different applications, but I didn’t think that they were
going to be fairly uncomplicated. While most of this confidence with the program came
directly from the tutorial, I felt as if I could have continued to work with Visual Basic after
I had completed the activity.
I learned many new skills in the process of this activity. Not only did I learn numerous
aspects in how to develop different programs using Visual Basic software, but more
importantly, I learned that there are many different software programs that I haven’t been
exposed to yet that would assist me in my day-to-day tasks now as well as in my future
personal and professional careers.
I believe it (the tutorial) gives a great introduction and step-by-step procedure for learning
how to deal with databases in .NET.
Start Button
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View Code:
click to view the
code on a form
The Toolbox.
The hammer and
wrench button (that you
might see somewhere on your
screen) is the Toolbox
button, and clicking it
causes the Toolbox to
appear and/or disappear.
View Designer:
click to view
GUI of the form
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Group box
containing 8
radio/option
buttons
Two labels
used by the
application
(never seen
by the user).