Students & Grades
By Richard Rost
14 months ago
Grades in MS Access: Data Entry & Crosstab View In this Microsoft Access tutorial, I will show you how to properly store student grades using relational tables and create a spreadsheet-like view with a cross-tab query. We'll cover creating data entry forms for efficient input and display, mimicking the Excel setup you are familiar with. Candace from Beaverton, Oregon (a Platinum Member) asks: I am a teacher and have been using Excel for many years to manage my students' test, quiz, and assignment grades. Recently, I've decided to move everything over to Access, which I know is a much better long-term solution. How can I display my students and their grades in a spreadsheet-like format similar to Excel? MembersThere is no extended cut, but here is the database download: Silver Members and up get access to view Extended Cut videos, when available. Gold Members can download the files from class plus get access to the Code Vault. If you're not a member, Join Today!
PrerequisitesRecommended CoursesUp Next
Keywords TechHelp Access, student grades Microsoft Access, display grades spreadsheet format Access, cross-tab query grades Access, data entry forms Access, relational database grades Access, creating junction tables Access, displaying student grades Access, teacher grade management Access, store student grades Access
Transcript
Today's a very popular question. I get this one all the time. We're going to see how to properly store students and their grades in your Microsoft Access database. And I'm going to show you how to prepare a spreadsheet-like view of them using a cross-tab query.
Today's question comes from Candace in Beiberton, Oregon, one of my platinum members. Candace says, I'm a teacher, and I've been using Excel for many years to manage my students' test, quiz, and assignment grades. Recently, I've decided to move everything over to Access, which I know is a much better long-term solution. How can I display my students and their grades in a spreadsheet-like format similar to Excel?
Well, yeah, Candace, I get asked this question a lot. People say that they've been using Excel for years. You got your students down the side there as the row headers, and you've got the quizzes, tests, and other assignments across the top as your column headers. And how do you store this information in Access?
So first, we're going to see how to properly store this because storing data in a relational database is a lot different than just putting it in Excel spreadsheets. So I'm going to show you the proper way to store this. We'll create the right data entry forms to put the information in Access. And then we'll see how to build something called a cross-tab query so we can display it like that like you're used to. Okay?
Now, this is going to be an expert-level video. What does that mean? Well, to me, expert is sandwiched between beginner and developer, which means you should know more than just the basics, but you don't have to know any programming to do what we're going to do today.
Now, I do have another fast tips video on building cross-tab queries. If you want, go watch this first. It'll give you kind of the basics of what a cross-tab query is. You should know what many-to-many relationships are and how to create junction tables. And of course, you should know how to use subforms and how to create those with your many-many relationships. And you should know how to create relational combo boxes. That's where you make a combo box. It gets its values from another table or query. These are all free videos. They're on my YouTube channel. They're on my website. Go watch those and come on back. There's going to be a couple of other videos I'm going to mention too, but they're not required. A point of mind is we're going along.
All right, so this is probably what you're used to. If you've been working with Excel to store your students in grades, you got your students over here, you got your test and quizzes and whatever over here. And this is just fine for a small amount of data, but once you start getting lots and lots of data, it does make more sense to start storing this in Access because you can do things like tack on the school year and all kinds of other stuff. You can relate students to other things. There are just so many benefits to using Access over Excel for this, but I'm not going to go through all of that today.
All right. Now, when you're moving information from Excel into Access, usually you've got multiple entities involved here. You've got a student. So a student is going to get a record in a student table. Then you've got a test or a quiz. We'll call these assignments. Okay. It could be a test, a quiz, a project, a book report, whatever. All right. Stop anything you're grading on. That's going to get its own table. Okay. Then you've got the merger of those two things. Sulu for quiz one.
That's a third table. That's your junction table. Okay. So that's how you store all this information in Access. You need three tables. All right. So here I am. I'm going to take the TechHelp free template. This is a free database. You can download my website if you want to. And we're not really going to use this today, but there are some things in here like I've got my blank continuous and single forms. I like to use those as templates for new databases that I build. But we're pretty much going to start from scratch.
Let's create our tables first. So we're going to go to create and then table design. And the first is going to be our student table. So student, student ID. That's our auto number. I'm just going to put student name in here. Obviously, you're going to want to add all the fields you want. Like first name, last name, address, phone number, all those things that you want to keep in here. The graduation date, whatever. Okay. I'm keeping it simple for class. We're going to save this as the student table. Auto number, yes, that's going to be my student ID. Save it. And I'm going to put some stuff in here.
Fortunately, I happen to have my list of names in Excel already. There they are right here. I'm going to copy my list of names, copy, come over here, highlight that column and hit paste and then they are. Okay. That's the easiest way to get those data over here. All right. Next up is the assignment table. So pretty much the same thing. Create table design, assignment ID, assignment name. You could be as descriptive as you want. Is it a test? Is it a quiz? Is it a project? What's the due date? What's the assignment? All that stuff can go in here. Anything related to this specific assignment, but for the purpose of class, we're going to keep it simple. Assignment table. Save it.
Now in here, I don't have a nice easy list in my spreadsheet. I got it up here, but you can't copy and paste it if it's that way, but we can transpose it. So we're going to select this stuff, copy it, control C, click over here somewhere, right-click. We're going to paste special and then find the transpose one, which is this guy right there. It's all right over there too, right there, right there with the arrows. It just takes it from horizontal makes it vertical. Now we can take this, copy it, come back over here and then paste it in like that. Same. And there's our assignments. All right, let's close that, save changes.
Yes, next up comes our junction table. So again, create table design. This is going to be student x assignment ID, auto number. We'll need a student ID, number and an assignment ID. It's also a number. And then what's the bit of information that we care about storing? Well, the grade. And I'll just make it a number long integer. If you want to make it a double, make it a double, whatever else you want in here, you can also put in here the date that the class was taken, all that stuff. We will save this as student x assignment table.
Now getting the data in here isn't exactly easy to do. I'm going to show you some ways to make it easy. I like to have some sample data in my tables while I'm building the database though. So let me just show you what it's going to look like for those of you who are not familiar with how this setup works.
So you got your students and your student IDs, whoops, come here. Come here. All right, there's our students. Here's our assignments. I can't click today to save my life. All right, so in this junction table, it's a mixture of this and this. So you'll start off with, all right, student 1, Jim. Assignment 1 and you got a 90. Okay, student 1, assignment 2, 87. Student 1, assignment 3 and then, I don't know, 100. Okay, that was the Kobe Ashima. So that's how you do it.
And then just go through and do it for each one. Is the data entry a little more tricky in Access than it is in Excel? Yeah. Yeah, I'm going to show you some tricks to make it easier though. Okay. All right, so that's good enough for now. Save changes. Yes, close that. Close that.
So, what we're going to do is, we're going to make a data entry form just like this guy. All right, we'll have the student information as the parent form, and the subform will have a list of all of the assignments and the grades. And then we'll also do the reverse of this. We'll have one where the assignment is the parent, and then you'll see all the students. We can go back and forth. Okay.
So let's start off with our student form. I'm going to copy my single form. This is just a blank form of a couple of things and it's got all the settings and stuff that I like. It's in this video where I make the TechHelp free template where I sign. I'll show you how I do this stuff. All right, so copy paste. We'll call this one the student F. It's my student form. It's down here. Design this bad boy. We're going to bind it to the student table. All right, so go to the forms properties where this little button here where these rulers meet you double-click on that if you don't have the property sheet open. All right, you're now on the form properties go to data and find the record source type. All right, it's student T. That's where it's going to get its records from. Okay. Now, there's only really two fields in here anyways. We're just going to assign these text boxes over here.
So this one here is going to be the ID, the student ID. I'm going to copy that and paste it in the name as well. Because we don't want text one. Right. This guy is going to be the other field, the student name copy paste. Okay. So this is the student. Okay. Save that.
Now, down here is where the subform is going to go. So let's build the subform next. Now, the subform is going to be a continuous form. So I'm going to copy this continuous form here. Copy paste. This is going to be the student X assignment. Subform. Okay. Let's open this guy up. Design view. Now, you think this is going to be based on the assignment, but it's not. This is based on the junction table because each record in here represents that grade.
Right. That intersection of students and assignments. Right. If you look at it on here, each record represents one junction table record, the grade. Right. And then this stuff is just the other fields that we have. So we know who it is and what assignment it is. Okay. So we are going to bind this guy, go to data, record source, bind this guy to the junction table. Okay. Now, we don't really need the ID in this one because we're probably never going to use it. I'm just going to delete these fields and then I'm going to come over to add existing fields and let's bring in this stuff. Just these three things. Bring them over here. Drop them. And then we're going to get rid of these labels because we don't need them. All right. There's the student ID. There's the assignment ID and then there's the grade next to it. Okay. And I'm going to just change these guys. So this will be the student is the labels, right. And this is going to be the assignment. And then we'll need one more for the grade. Copy paste. This will be the grade. And you can go right away. How? Like that.
All right. Let's get rid of all this extra space in here. Close that up. Close that up. Save it. Close it. Let's open it up and see what we got. Okay. All right. Let's left align this stuff here. Left align. All right. One more time. Let's take a peek at what we got. Okay. So here's student one, student one, student one. Assign it one, two, and three. And then the grades. Okay. And this is going to go as a subform inside of this guy. And you'll see it right here.
But before we do that, I don't want to see these IDs in here, right? I want to see the names, the student name, and the assignment name. All right. So we're going to use combo boxes for that. And we'll pick up there into my rows class. So tune in tomorrow. Actually, it's going to be Monday's class. Because today, this is being released on Friday, the 20th of September, 2024. So we'll pick this up on Monday, the 23rd. So tune in, then same bat-time, same bat-channel. Or if you remember, you can watch it right now because that's one of the benefits of being a member.
But that's going to do it for today's video. That's your TechHelp video for today. I hope you learned something. Live long and prosper, my friends. I'll see you Monday for part two.
TOPICS:
Storing student grades in Microsoft Access
Creating a cross-tab query
Storing data in a relational database
Creating data entry forms in Access
Building a student table
Building an assignment table
Building a junction table
Adding sample data to tables
Creating a student form
Creating a continuous subform
Binding forms to their data sources
Using combo boxes for related data fields
COMMERCIAL:
In today's video, I will show you how to properly store students and their grades in your Microsoft Access database. First, we'll set up the necessary tables to store your data: a Student table, an Assignment table, and a junction table to link them. I'll then guide you through creating data entry forms, including a main form for students and a subform for assignments and grades, allowing you to view and manage your data in a spreadsheet-like format. Lastly, learn to use cross-tab queries to display this information similar to Excel. You'll find the complete video on my YouTube channel and on my website at the link shown. Live long and prosper my friends.
Quiz
Q1. What is the primary benefit of moving student grade management from Excel to Access according to the video?
A. Access allows for better long-term data management and relationships.
B. Access is easier to use than Excel.
C. Access has better visual representation tools.
D. Access does not require any data entry.
Q2. What type of query is suggested to create a spreadsheet-like view of students and their grades in Access?
A. Append Query
B. Cross-Tab Query
C. Delete Query
D. Update Query
Q3. The video mentions several concepts and tools you should understand before undertaking the task. Which of the following is not mentioned as a requirement?
A. Many-to-Many relationships
B. Creating subforms
C. Writing VBA code
D. Creating junction tables
Q4. According to the video, what comprises the third table when storing student grades in Access?
A. A table for storing final course grades.
B. A junction table combining student IDs and assignment IDs, along with the grade.
C. A table for scheduling lesson plans.
D. A table for student attendance records.
Q5. When creating the student table, what type of field is recommended for the student ID?
A. String
B. Date/Time
C. Auto Number
D. Yes/No
Q6. What is the purpose of using a junction table in the context of this video?
A. To store the classroom location for each assignment.
B. To combine students and assignments with an additional piece of information, such as a grade.
C. To record attendance for each class.
D. To maintain a list of all teachers.
Q7. How does the video suggest importing a list of student names from Excel into Access?
A. Manually type each name into Access.
B. Use the import wizard directly without any changes.
C. Copy from Excel and paste into Access.
D. Use an external API for data import.
Q8. Which fields are included in the student x assignment junction table in this tutorial?
A. Student ID, Assignment Name, and Due Date
B. Auto Number ID, Student Name, and Class Name
C. Auto Number ID, Student ID, Assignment ID, and Grade
D. Assignment ID, Student Address, and Grade
Q9. In the video, what is added to the student form to list all assignments and their grades for each student?
A. A report
B. A macro
C. A switchboard
D. A subform
Q10. What is the next step suggested when the ID fields are showing in the subform instead of the student name and assignment name?
A. Create an entirely new database.
B. Use combo boxes to display the names instead of IDs.
C. Delete the ID fields.
D. Re-enter the data correctly.
Answers:
1-A; 2-B; 3-C; 4-B; 5-C; 6-B; 7-C; 8-C; 9-D; 10-B
DISCLAIMER: Quiz questions are AI generated. If you find any that are wrong, don't make sense, or aren't related to the video topic at hand, then please post a comment and let me know. Thanks.
Summary
Today's TechHelp tutorial from Access Learning Zone addresses a frequently asked question: how to store students and their grades in a Microsoft Access database and present this data in a spreadsheet-like format using a cross-tab query. This query came from Candace in Beiberton, Oregon, who is transitioning from Excel to Access for managing student grades. Candace, and many others, have been accustomed to the Excel format with students as rows and assignments as columns.
The big difference between Excel and Access lies in data storage. In a relational database like Access, data isn't stored in a flat format. Instead, you use tables, each representing different entities. For student grade management, this means you need to set up multiple tables. I'll guide you through this process and show how to create a cross-tab query for displaying data in a familiar format.
This tutorial is at an expert level. Though advanced, you don't need programming knowledge. Knowing terms like many-to-many relationships, junction tables, subforms, and relational combo boxes will be helpful. I recommend watching my other free videos for a detailed explanation of these concepts.
In moving data from Excel to Access, you need three tables: one for students, one for assignments, and a junction table to link them. Here's how to set it up:
1. Create a Student table for storing student information such as student ID, name, and other details.
2. Create an Assignment table to store details about quizzes, tests, projects, etc.
3. Create a junction table, StudentAssignment, to link students and assignments and store their grades.
To illustrate, let's set up the database. We'll use the TechHelp free template, available for download on my website. We start from scratch but sometimes use pre-set templates for ease.
First, create the Student table:
- Go to Create, then Table Design, and set up the table with fields like student ID and student name. Save it as the Student table.
- Populate the table with sample data by copying from an existing Excel list.
Next, create the Assignment table:
- Similar to the Student table, use Create and Table Design. Add fields like assignment ID and assignment name. Save it as the Assignment table.
- You can transpose a horizontal list from Excel to vertical if needed and copy it into Access.
Now, create the StudentAssignment table:
- Again, use Table Design for creating fields like student assignment ID, student ID, assignment ID, and grade. Save this table.
Entering data in Access can be more complex than Excel, but sample data helps in building the database. You'll link students and assignments through the junction table, and grades will be stored there.
Next, we create a data entry form with a main form for student information and a subform listing assignments and grades. We will also make a reverse form where the assignment is the main form with a list of students.
For the main student form:
- Copy a blank single form from your template and bind it to the Student table. Set the form properties accordingly.
For the subform:
- This will be a continuous form bound to the StudentAssignment table. It lists each student's grades for assignments. Remove unnecessary fields and set up the combo boxes to display names instead of IDs.
Finally, to avoid displaying raw IDs, use combo boxes for user-friendly data entry. I'll show how to create these combo boxes and bind them to the appropriate fields.
This completes today's tutorial. For a detailed, step-by-step guide, visit my website. Until then, live long and prosper, my friends.
Topic List
Storing student grades in Microsoft Access
Creating a cross-tab query
Storing data in a relational database
Creating data entry forms in Access
Building a student table
Building an assignment table
Building a junction table
Adding sample data to tables
Creating a student form
Creating a continuous subform
Binding forms to their data sources
Using combo boxes for related data fields
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