The Grammar School for Girls Wilmington

Who are Oracle and what is the Oracle Academy?

Oracle is a large multinational company that produces databases for commercial use. In order to produce a workforce which is qualified to produce and administer Oracle databases in a growing market, Oracle created its own educational initiative. The Oracle Academy, one of these initiatives, is intended to train young adults in designing and programming Oracle databases as well as giving them the 21st century business skills that will require in the world of business.

What does the Oracle Academy consist of?

The Oracle Academy is taught by a trained, Oracle instructor with the help of the Oracle I-learning website. The I-learning site contains tailored databases design and programming materials that helps students to learn, as well as quizzes, exercises and activities which students are required to complete. Students also have access to an online database which they can use to practise Structured Query Language (SQL) queries and commands (Oracle HTML DB).

The Oracle Academy and I-learning site is split into two main units which students study:

• Conceptual database design
• Database programming using Structured Query Language (SQL).

Conceptual database design

In the conceptual design unit students learn how to design and create conceptual database models known as Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERDs) based on real life business and organisational situations and needs. Students also cover real-life business skills in this unit including team-working and interviewing skills. The I-learning materials also provides students with the necessary background to the world of databases and computers in order to put their learning in context. Towards the end of the unit the students have to work in a team to produce a presentation about a real-life business situation (including a conceptual model) and then effectively deliver this presentation to an audience.

Database programming using SQL

The database programming starts with the basics of using SQL and querying a database and moves onto more complex Data Definition Language (DDL) and creating/administering Oracle databases constructed with SQL. By the end of the unit students are expected to have a good enough understanding of SQL in order to complete an online exam.

Course completion

Successful completion of the Year 1 exam along with completion of all other course requirements (including the conceptual model presentation and I-learning quizzes) will result in students achieving the Oracle Database design with SQL programming certificate. Students also receive a voucher which allows them to take the professional I-PRO SQL exam on successful completion of the course.

The Oracle Academy at GSGW

The Oracle Academy is currently being offered to post-16 (A-Level) student in addition to their A-Level studies as enrichment. This year the course is being run during two periods of fifty minutes on a Wednesday afternoon and after school on a Thursday night for one hour. Students are expected to attend both sessions and will have to undertake self-study in addition to the two weekly sessions.