Designing a useful dataset
A database is only as good as its fields. Decide what question you want to answer before deciding what to store.
Part of your national curriculum
- Statistics: Construct and interpret appropriate tables, charts and diagrams, including bar charts, pie charts and pictograms for categorical data, and vertical line charts for ungrouped discrete numerical data
- Algorithms and programming: Use a variety of data structures, including lists, tables or arrays, and design modular programs that use procedures or functions
- Data and representation: Understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system, and how data of various types can be represented and manipulated digitally
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Design a simple relational data structure
Key learning points
- • Records, fields and types
- • Validation
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 13 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 13
Visual introductionPicture this
Designing a useful dataset
A database is only as good as its fields. Decide what question you want to answer before deciding what to store.
In a nutshell
Design a simple relational data structure
Explore the idea
Part 2 of 13
Learn
Records, fields and types
Each row is a record; each column a field with a type. Storing 'population' as text stops you sorting it numerically.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 13
Learn
Validation
Range checks, presence checks and lookup lists prevent nonsense entries such as a conservation status of 'blue'.
Reset break
Part 4 of 13
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 3 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 13
Worked example
Worked example
A species table: id (unique), common_name (text), status (list: LC/NT/VU/EN/CR), population (number), region (lookup to a regions table).
Quick check
Part 6 of 13
Quick check
Part 7 of 13
Reset break
Part 8 of 13
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 3 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 9 of 13
Challenge round
Part 10 of 13
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 11 of 13
Game · Recall cards
A field storing population should be…
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 12 of 13
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Designing a useful dataset
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. A field storing population should be…
2. A lookup list is a form of…
3. A primary key must be…
4. Which average is least affected by one huge value?
Lesson round-up
Part 13 of 13
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Games
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Points this lesson
0
Best run
0 in a row
Luna: 0 out of 3 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 13 · Watch & discover
How this is going
- Not looked at yet
Construct and interpret appropriate tables, charts and diagrams, including bar charts, pie charts and pictograms for categorical data, and vertical line charts for ungrouped discrete numerical data
- Not looked at yet
Use a variety of data structures, including lists, tables or arrays, and design modular programs that use procedures or functions
- Not looked at yet
Understand how instructions are stored and executed within a computer system, and how data of various types can be represented and manipulated digitally