We should NOT offer the Access class again until a few things are fixed:
1) The presentation is for Access 2007. The laptops are all 2003. Buttons are different, processes are different, and there are different names for some functions.
2) In order for one to follow along, one must be able SAVE. Not ONE of the laptops allowed the students to save, so not one of them could attempt to follow along.
3) The presentation does not build up the database as shown. When working the first step (creating tables), the presentation only asks us to create 3 fields in 1 table. But when you get to the next step (Forms), all of a sudden there are a bunch of other fields, none of which were we instructed to create by the presentation. This creates confusion in the instructor and the students, which inevitably leads to frustration.
4) The Notes View of the presentation help very little and at times are confusing. For example, slide 9 (after naming the database...on the bottom of the slide), there is no info on what "Datasheet tab, in the Views group, click the View arrow, and then click Design View"...where's that? What's it for? It's definitely not on 2003. It seems like something is missing going from slide 9 to slide 10, which all of a sudden has an open table where there was none before. Slide 11's note's view doesn't make any sense. Slide 12 is "Working with Records", then slide 13 is "Creating a Table part 2". The notes on slide 14 tell the instructor to explain a variety of terms and concepts, but does not define them for the instructor. It only instructs the instructor to have everyone select a field, a record, and a cell, but in the next slide there are fields for First Name, Last Name, Address, City, State, Postal Code, Home Phone. Maybe it was showing 2 different ways to create tables, maybe not, but there's no step-by-step guide via the slides or notes page.
These are just a few details that need to be examined before we as instructors can be expected to teach this class without looking like idiots.
-Eric
1 comment:
Access will be removed from the calendar until the laptops are brought up to date and Office 2007 is installed.
Also, the laptops were imaged incorrectly and there is no longer a separate hard drive for the students to use to save their work on. Until IT re-images all of the machines please do not include saving in the class if at all possible.
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