346 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, VOL. 41, NO. 4, NOVEMBER 1998 A Cooperative Learning Approach to Database Group Projects: Integrating Theory and Practice Suzanne W. Dietrich and Susan D. Urban Index Terms—Cooperative learning, database, group projects. I. SUMMARY This paper describes the use of cooperative learning concepts in support of an introductory database management course that emphasizes the theoretical and practical aspects of database application devel- opment. The database practice is realized through the use of cooperative group projects. The course project is divided into three main phases, involving requirements analysis and conceptual design, relational database mapping and prototyping, and database system implementation using Microsoft Access. Students are required to actively participate in each phase, with students assuming different roles in each phase to allow them to experience different leadership responsibilities. This paper also describes a cooperative learning approach to integrating the practical use of a database product into the theoretical curriculum of a database management course. The paper concludes with a detailed evaluation of the group projects effect on the student’s performance in the class. Suzanne W. Dietrich received the B.S. degree in computer science and applied mathematics in 1983 from the State University of New York at Stony Brook and the Ph.D. degree in computer science from the same university in 1987 under an Office of Naval Research Graduate Fellowship. Her areas of teaching and research include the educational, theoretical and practical aspects of databases. Her current research focuses on the integration of active, object-oriented and deductive/declarative databases, and the application of this technology. Dr. Dietrich is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery and IEEE Computer Society. Susan D. Urban received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in computer science in 1976, 1980, and 1987, respectively, from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette. Her research interests include object-oriented database systems, active database systems, multidatabase environments, and engineering databases, with research support from the National Science Foundation and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Dr. Urban is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, IEEE Computer Society, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Manuscript received October 7, 1997; revised August 13, 1998. CD-ROM folder 06. The authors are with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5406 USA. Publisher Item Identifier S 0018-9359(98)09456-4. 0162–8828/98$10.00 1998 IEEE

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346 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON EDUCATION, VOL. 41, NO. 4, NOVEMBER 1998

A Cooperative Learning Approach to Database GroupProjects: Integrating Theory and Practice

Suzanne W. Dietrich and Susan D. Urban

Index Terms—Cooperative learning, database, group projects.

I. SUMMARY

This paper describes the use of cooperative learning concepts in support of an introductory databasemanagement course that emphasizes the theoretical and practical aspects of database application devel-opment. The database practice is realized through the use of cooperative group projects. The courseproject is divided into three main phases, involving requirements analysis and conceptual design, relationaldatabase mapping and prototyping, and database system implementation using Microsoft Access. Studentsare required to actively participate in each phase, with students assuming different roles in each phaseto allow them to experience different leadership responsibilities. This paper also describes a cooperativelearning approach to integrating the practical use of a database product into the theoretical curriculum of adatabase management course. The paper concludes with a detailed evaluation of the group projects effecton the student’s performance in the class.

Suzanne W. Dietrich received the B.S. degree in computer science and applied mathematics in 1983 from the State University ofNew York at Stony Brook and the Ph.D. degree in computer science from the same university in 1987 under an Office of NavalResearch Graduate Fellowship.

Her areas of teaching and research include the educational, theoretical and practical aspects of databases. Her current researchfocuses on the integration of active, object-oriented and deductive/declarative databases, and the application of this technology.

Dr. Dietrich is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery and IEEE Computer Society.

Susan D. Urban received the B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in computer science in 1976, 1980, and 1987, respectively, from theUniversity of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette.

Her research interests include object-oriented database systems, active database systems, multidatabase environments, andengineering databases, with research support from the National Science Foundation and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Dr. Urban is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery, IEEE Computer Society, and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.

Manuscript received October 7, 1997; revised August 13, 1998. CD-ROM folder 06.The authors are with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences,

Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-5406 USA.Publisher Item Identifier S 0018-9359(98)09456-4.

0162–8828/98$10.00 1998 IEEE