Working with data | Year 5 Computing PDF Download

Uses for Data

• Data Information in Numeric Form: Data collected in the form of numbers is highly valuable.
• Decision Making and Question Answering: Data aids in decision-making processes and provides answers to various questions.
• Challenges with Large Data Sets: Sorting through large volumes of data can be time-consuming, emphasizing the importance of organizing data efficiently. 

Creating databases

• A database is a method of storing data so it can be compared and utilized.
• Data can be recorded as:
  • Numbers
  • Words
  • Pictures
• When setting up a database, consider the information you need to collect. You may also need to design specific questions to help gather the necessary data to answer your queries.
• Trading cards are an example of a database where the same data is collected for each monster.
• We can't answer the question "Which monster likes the color pink?" with the existing data because we asked "What is your favorite color?"
• For instance, Albert said his favorite color is yellow, but this doesn't mean he dislikes pink.
• If we asked, "Do you like pink?" we would be able to answer the question.

Organising databases

This database is being utilized to record information about all the toys in a bedroom.

Using databases on a computer

• There are many advantages to using a computer database.
• Computer databases can have many fields for each record and can store thousands of records.
• It would require a lot of paper to store the same amount of data as a computer database.
• One advantage of a computer database is the ability to order information in specific ways. This is called ordering.
• Data can be organized alphabetically or numerically, starting with the lowest or highest number.
• Ordering allows us to answer questions like:
  • Which monster has the fewest eyes?
  • Which monster is the tallest?
  • Which monster's name comes first alphabetically?
• We can also instruct the computer to show data that matches certain conditions in one or more fields, called filtering.
• For example, we could filter to show only monsters taller than a certain height or whose names start with A, B, C, or D.
• Filtering helps us find answers to questions like:
  • Which monsters can roar louder than 130 decibels?
  • Which monsters have fewer than 5 eyes?
  • Which monsters chose pink as their favorite color?
• While these questions could be answered using a paper database, it would require looking through every record manually.
• Using a computer to search a database is a much more efficient way to find data and answer questions.

Using databases in the real world