Student records and databases

[takebubblesandleavephotos]

Seeing as I'm wearing my noobie instructor credentials on my shoulders. As an (semi)indepentant instructor, I starting to acrue a pile of Green folders and want to put them on computer in database format. I know Padi promote EVE but seeing as money is tight I dont want to pay out for a product I 'll only use a quarter of (instructing only not a dive centre), I'm trying to write my own DB. How do other instructors handle the wodge of student info?

I'm thinking about taking my paper records of who did what, when, as part of course X, and putting them on PC

[12480]

Excel?

[Two Hats]

I would get my brother to write me a database He is good at that sort of stuff.

If I had to do it myself, I would probably do it in excel. Although I would consult said brother for advice.

The dive centre I worked for kept paper copies of everything, from the past several years. You can fit a lot of paperwork in a few filing cabinets

It all depends what you want to do with the data, do you intend to do direct marketing (as in emails etc.)? If so, a database is the way forward.
If you are just worried about drowning in paper, then scan everything to PDF, using a filenaming format like "Surname_DOB" eg. Arrowsmith_26021981 andd try to keep the past 3 years or so in paper format to hand.

Honestly, unless you are certing more than around 200 students per year, then the paperwork is quite manageable, both in terms of processing and storage.

[1373]

Sorry to be the boring one here but if you are going to convert or store student records electronically be aware of the data protection act. In other words what you need to do, how to store it, security provisions etc.

See here.

[witchieblackcat]

I wouldn't use Excel as it's a spreadsheet. Access - which is a very lightweight database - would be better.

But do note String's point although I think it covers all records and not just electronic ones these days.

[1373]

I wouldn't use Excel as it's a spreadsheet. Access - which is a very lightweight database - would be better.

But do note String's point although I think it covers all records and not just electronic ones these days.

Yep it does but has extra more specific provisions for electronic data. Compliance isnt THAT hard and unusually for a government idea the clauses and issues actually make sense.

[mikecsmith]

When you design the database think carefully about the type of data you want to gain easy access too. I've just built a database of slave shipwrecks around Britain and Ireland linking in the primary documents/newspaper reports, unfortunately I didn't think it through too well at the time and should have had a number of other fields I haven't included. This has been a nightmare to sort out.

If you just want an electronic record of your student by name, course date and general information then you can use almost anything with a search function like excel or word (you can encrypt these to cover Data Protection). If you're after something you can use for mail merging and performing data analysis on i.e. how many students by year, how many courses by month, which course you perform most of etc. then you want something built in access or another db package. If you're relatively tech savvy it won't take too long to learn, plenty of guides on the internet.

[5363]

Sorry to be the boring one here but if you are going to convert or store student records electronically be aware of the data protection act. In other words what you need to do, how to store it, security provisions etc.

Paper records are also covered by the act. If you keep the green folders in a cabinet, sorted alphabetically, then the storage must comply with the act.

The test is, "can a temporary worker find data relating to a named individual reasonably easily."

If you store the folders in envelopes marked with the course date on the outside, you'd be exempt as simply knowing a student's name wouldn't help you find their record quickly.

Cheers, Chris

[Smudge]

Besides the data protection issues - student folder records need to held on to for at least 7 years or so.

I've had PADI (and other agencies) want details and copies of students files and paperwork many years after training. I've also had the problem where I taught someone through other dive schools, the centre closed and the records missing, this also caused issues. I certify as an independent instructor over 200 certs a year, so keeping student paper records up-to-date and available is good practice to me and very easy.

[Sean]

Paper records are also covered by the act. If you keep the green folders in a cabinet, sorted alphabetically, then the storage must comply with the act.

The test is, "can a temporary worker find data relating to a named individual reasonably easily."

If you store the folders in envelopes marked with the course date on the outside, you'd be exempt as simply knowing a student's name wouldn't help you find their record quickly.

Cheers, Chris

Actually not quire right, the Data Protection Act covers any information on any media that can identify a living individual, so regardless how you store it be it in a database or in envelopes with just a reference number on it, you are still storing personal information. If you are a commercial company i.e. a dive shop you are meant to register the fact with the Information Commissioners Office detailing what you are storing and the reason why. Saying that I don’t know of any that have the DPA is the last thing they worry about. If it’s stored on your home computer just apply a certain amount of common sense. I have never heard of any individual getting done under the act for loosing stuff on their home PC’s