[Year 12 IT Apps] ITA Proposed U3O2 - a bias towards databases?

[Mark Kelly]

The second key knowledge dotpoint in the proposed U3O2 has an 
interesting bias in it, from my viewpoint...

"- capabilities and limitations of a relational database management 
system and spreadsheet software in meeting different needs, measured in 
terms of scalability, security, integrity of data, flexibility, 
shareability;"

Looking at those criteria, a database wins (or at least ties) every 
time.  'Flexibility' may be argued about as it can be interpreted either 
as 'Flexibility of data relationships' (which a database would probably 
win) or 'Ability to be modified easily' (which probably favours a 
spreadsheet).

Surely there are other criteria that could give the spreadsheet a moment 
of glory, e.g.
- efficiency of construction
- ease/speed of learning enough about the tool to achieve something useful
- ease of performing ad hoc modelling

On the other hand, an important advantage not attributed to the two 
tools is their ability to product well-formatted, individualised output 
(e.g. reports, certificates, pay cheques) which require major 
backward-bending to achieve in a spreadsheet via mail merge, for example.

P.S. I was just talking about the proposed IT design to our VCE 
accounting teacher and she said it was mad to have so much databasing. 
Spreadsheet skill, she said, is what the finance world is really keen on.

-- 
Mark Kelly
Manager - Information Systems
McKinnon Secondary College
kel AT mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
McKinnon Rd, McKinnon 3204, Victoria, Australia
Direct line / Voicemail: 8520 9085 Fax +613 9578 9253

Webmaster - http://www.mckinnonsc.vic.edu.au
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Why do people mis-spell 'grammar' and mispronounce 'pronuniciation'?