On Friday, February 24th, the Operations and Information Management (OPIM) Department’s Gladstein Lab maxed out in attendance for the second technology workshop of the semester, an Introduction to SQL. The workshop is part of a series of technology workshops being put on by the department throughout the semester, as part of the new OPIM Innovate Initiative.

For those who do not know, SQL (Structured Querying Language) is a data-driven application that retrieves information from databases and allows for creating, processing and querying data by retrieving information.

Anna Radziwillowicz, an Instructor in-Residence at the Hartford and West Hartford campuses, taught the workshop with the goal of giving students a basic understanding of SQL and practice writing queries. Radziwillowicz gave a background on databases before moving into creating a data table.

Three students at the workshop claimed to have previous experience using SQL, Radziwillowicz said. Because the majority of the students did not have any or limited experience, she concentrated on giving students a basic overview of the technology, not going too far in depth. She said that a continuation class was a possibility if there was enough interest.

 

The OPIM Department created demo accounts for students to practice with SQL. During the workshop, students practiced retrieving data from a database, creating a data table and entering data to the table.

At the end of the workshop, Radziwillowicz said students could request a personal account to further practice with SQL at the Business Help Desk by mentioning completion of the workshop.

Keep up-to-date with the upcoming workshops and register online ahead of time to reserve your spot at the next workshop.

The Operations and Information Management (OPIM) Department kicked off the first in a series of technology workshops on Friday, February 10th as part of the department’s newly implemented initiative called OPIM Innovate.

OPIM faculty member, Ryan O’Connor instructed the workshop, introducing the Linux operating system. The workshop focused on giving attendees a background on Linux and how to use it.

O’Connor went on to explain the different systems that operate on Linux, such as – research systems, gaming systems, Androids, supercomputers and point-of-sale machines. As for what makes Linux a superior operating system, O’Connor said it is more secure than Windows or Mac.

“Every Facebook post you make, every YouTube video you watch, every Google search you run, is done on Linux,” O’Connor said, quoting an article from ZDNet.

Because of this fact, Linux is important beyond just the information technology field, but in every day life, O’Connor said. The Internet would not run without the Linux system, he said.

When O’Connor asked the group if they had any experience using Linux in the past, many students responded to having some exposure to the software. One student admitted to using Linux for his every day needs for a year, giving up Windows and Mac programs. He said that through this experiment he found that the only thing he missed from other operating systems were the Microsoft Office programs. Other than that, he said Linux was very efficient.

Another student said that prior to the workshop he was aware of Linux. Alex, an engineering student, said he came to the workshop to gain more exposure and experience with the technology because he knows just how widely it is used.

To conclude the workshop, O’Connor gave students information on how to get up and running with Linux, using VirtualBox software.

Despite the snow from the day before, there were 22 students in attendance for the workshop, which took place in the OPIM Department’s Gladstein Lab. The majority of attendees registered in advance with a few students walking in.

The next workshop, an Introduction to SQL, will take place on Friday, February 24th in the Gladstein Lab.

The OPIM Department is excited to announce the schedule for this semester’s technology workshops. The first in a series of skill-building workshops will be held next week, followed by three others over the course of the semester.

All workshops will be held in the OPIM Research Lab (BUSN 391). Food and refreshments will be provided for participants.

Over the course of the spring semester we plan to have the following workshops:

• Introduction to Linux – Friday, February 10th
• Introduction to SQL – Friday, February 24th
• Introduction to SAS – Friday, March 24th
• Introduction to Raspberry Pi – Friday, April 7th
• Introduction to Gamification – Friday, April 14th
• Exploring IOT through SPLUNK Analytics – Friday, April 21st

All workshops will be capped at 20 people.