Follow one reply through
Sam fills in a survey about the canteen queue. The reply is saved. An analyst searches for it. It joins the list for the north shop. It shows on a screen. After a change, Sam answers again, and the new answer feeds the next survey.
Each step is a job of a data system. This lesson names the seven jobs.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Data system | A set of parts that collect, keep and give out data. | A survey system |
| Input | Getting data into the system. | A form |
| Search | Finding data that matches a request. | All replies for the north shop |
| Save | Keeping data so it is there later. | Writing a reply to disk |
| Integrate | Joining data from different sources into one place. | Merging two reply lists |
| Index | A quick lookup list that points to where data is. | Replies by shop |
| Output | Showing or sending data out of the system. | A screen or report |
| Feedback loop | Results fed back in to improve the data or the system. | A follow-up survey |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can name the seven jobs of a data system and say what each one does.
Starter: what you already know
Have a go
Starter: what you already know
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Input, save and search
Input gets data in, for example from a form or a scanner. Validate it as it goes in.
Save keeps it so it is there later. Search finds the data that matches a request.
These three are the core of every data system.
Integrate, index and output
Integrate joins data from different sources, such as two reply lists, into one place.
An index is a lookup list that points to where data is, like the index of a book. It makes search fast. Organising data with an index is a job of its own.
Output shows or sends data out: a screen, a report or a file.
The feedback loop improves the system
A feedback loop sends results back in. If many replies say the queue is too long, the shop adds a till and then asks again. The new answers show if the change worked.
Without feedback, the system cannot learn from what happened.