Re: Database Design

From: Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu>
Date: Wed, 07 Jan 2004 18:36:36 -0800
Message-ID: <1073529316.897267@yasure>

grjohnson wrote:

> Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu> wrote in message news:<1073412899.646311_at_yasure>...
> 

>>grjohnson wrote:
>>
>>
>>>andrewst_at_onetel.net.uk (Tony) wrote in message news:<c0e3f26e.0401060234.19d0ac3d_at_posting.google.com>...
>>>
>>>
>>>>Galen Boyer <galenboyer_at_hotpop.com> wrote in message news:<un092me58.fsf_at_standardandpoors.com>...
>>>>"it does not show that you have achieved anything other
>>>>than memorising the facts required to pass the exam."
>>>
>>>
>>>You can apply the same theory to a University Degree...
>>
>>Perhaps at some schools. But you'd never make it past my midterms, much
>>less a final, trying a stunt like that. And I can guarantee you you'd
>>not have survived Dr. Carl Djerassi or numerous other profs. whose
>>company I have enjoyed over the years.
>>
>>Here are a couple of question my students handled:
>>
>>2. Create a demo showing the differences in performance inserting,
>>updating, and deleting 200,000 rows in the following scenarios:
>> 2A. Two heap tables with a foreign key constraint
>> 2B. The same information modeled with a nested table
>> 2C. The same two tables in a cluster (hash or index)
>>
>>7. Create a demo procedure showing how to load an array indexed by
>>binary integer and read records forward or backward depending on a
>>passed parameter.
>>
>>Memorize away if you wish.
>>
>>BTW: What university did you attend?

> 
> 
> One in which placed 50-60% weighting (out of 100% for all assesment
> items) on Exams, which was a real bitch for those of use without
> photographic memories.

Just for perspective ... all of my exams are take-home. All are open book, open internet, collaborate with your friends if you wish. All involve writing code and delivering DCL, DDL, and DML.

No question asked can be answered from memory. I don't certify people to regurgitate. I certify people based on their ability to think, problem solve, and do the job.

My point here is not to brag. I know many instructors that believe they are being paid to teach thinking not recitation. My point is to highlight the fact that when dealing with real academic institutions, colleges an universities rather than certification mills, the standards can be quite high.

-- 
Daniel Morgan
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/oad/oad_crs.asp
http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/aoa/aoa_crs.asp
damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with a 'u' to reply)

Received on Wed Jan 07 2004 - 20:36:36 CST