Tài liệu Activity 1.1: Categorizing Existing Information ppt

Activity 1.1: Categorizing Existing
Information
The process of designing a database involves analytical thinking about
requirements as they relate to data. You regularly apply analytical thinking at
work and in everyday life. This activity provides an opportunity to assess the
skills you currently possess as tools that you can apply in this course.
In this activity, you will look for ways to group information by categorizing it.
This activity allows you to examine the ways in which information can be
related and viewed.
Objectives
After completing this activity, you will be able to:
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Categorize a set of existing information.
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Identify the characteristics and basic relationships in that set of information.

Before You Begin
This activity includes both small group tasks and class discussion.
Prerequisites
To work on this activity, you must have:
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Flipcharts provided by the instructor.
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Markers or pens.

Time to complete this activity: 25 minutes
2 Activity 1.1: Categorizing Existing Information

Scenario
You work for an auction company and have been assigned to build a Web site
for live auctions.
The auction company currently hosts live auctions around the world. These
auctions are presided over by an auctioneer who first displays and describes the
item for auction and then starts the bidding with an opening minimum bid. Each
subsequent bid must be higher than the previous bid. At a certain point, the
auctioneer decides to close the auction and the highest bidder then pays for the
item.
The auction company recently decided to expand its operations by launching an
online auction Web site. Work has already started on the site and the previous
project owner has already solicited items for auction from sellers. You are
taking over the task of designing the site and you need to design a prototype
within the next few hours.
Activity 1.1: Categorizing Existing Information 3



Exercise 1:
Categorizing Information
As the first step in designing this prototype, you will work in small groups to
begin categorizing the existing data (the auction items that have already been
solicited) in a manner that will be simple for bidders to understand. You will
look for common characteristics among auction items and start identifying the
relationships between them.
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Categorize items, identify common characteristics, and determine
relationships
1. Look through the auction items below and categorize them in four to six

broad categories. Look for common characteristics to help determine
appropriate categories. List the categories on the whiteboard or flip chart.
2. Based on your work in step 1, identify at least six characteristics that are
common to every item, listing them under a “Common Characteristics”
heading. The characteristics should fall into two general categories:
a. Characteristics that further describe the specific item
b. Other characteristics that must be tracked on a per-item basis to
participate in an online auction

Next, identify a spokesperson who can report the group’s categories to the
class.

Auction Items
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High-performance sport motorcycle
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Antique oak chest
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Waterfront dream home
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Big box of rare Betamax videotapes
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Set of seven pinecone place-mat holders
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Dining room table
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Set of four stained-glass coffee mugs
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Car mats for 1967 Roadster
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Set of children’s books
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Manual-crank record player



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