A Record of Success – Database Teaching at Staffordshire University.

Staffordshire University has one of the largest Schools of Computing in the UK. Over the last fifteen years, a strong foundation for the successful development and delivery of the database studies portfolio has been established. During any one academic year, there are up to 700 students at undergraduate and postgraduate levels studying a specific module in databases. In addition to this, a large number of students also study modules with some element of database content. Feedback from students who study databases is positive, and the School has amongst its staff the Oracle International DBA of the Year 2002. The size and scope of this operation is clearly large and complex, yet successful - so how has this been achieved? This paper briefly charts the history of the development of database teaching at Staffordshire University, outlines the essential factors that have contributed to its success and provides an overview of how the portfolio will be maintained both in terms of content and delivery over the next few years.