A database is another effective way to engage students in the study of medieval history. It is, after all, a collection of related records that can be sorted and searched for information. The Doomsday Book is a form of database which empowered the Normans after the conquest.
The database module in Moodle is not an example of the relational databases that ICT students have to analyze, design, implement, test, and evaluate in their studies. It does not involve creating complex one-to-many relationships between different tables and running queries that produce itemized information. The database in Moodle does however allow straightforward searching and sorting. In the context of asking important questions of History, this is a powerful tool worth mastering and placing in the hands of students.
With access to a class bank of computers for a short period of time, it is possible for students to conduct independent research and submit it to a database for others to view instantly...