Advice needed: Shared database "on the go"

simpletom · 5 Nov 2017 at 21:40

Hi

Forgive me for the clumsy title.

Situation: small private swim school.

Needs: a database with an easy front end. Teachers can log a learner's progress and a coordinator can also check the process on the fly.

Example: Terry is a tutor. He has 8 learners. He logs that "Andrea" has completed a series of tasks (they vary from stage to stage), such as "Travelled 20 metres using butterfly stroke". However, as the next class is on, Terry finds it hard to feed back to learner and parents. But the coordinator can check the live database (or whatever) and can accurately feed back to the parents and learner.

Question: is there any way to do this using basic office/Google apps or am I doomed to learn something?

I haven't programmed since assembly on the 68000 in the eighties...

Thanks for any suggestions!

BaroUK2 · 5 Nov 2017 at 22:11

I think Google forms with Google sheets can do this.
Basic version would be simply use Google forms to enter data where it would save it in google sheets. Such as below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiQ1hcFCmfg

Or have 2 forms and 2 sheets. 1 form to enter learners details 1 sheet keeps this data as above. In second form have dropdown box get learner data from sheet1, has extra checkbox fields for tasks, note field, Terry selects learner then adds note, selects which tasks completed this gets saved in second sheet. Coordinator looks at second sheet and reports on how learner is doing.

Google forms is responsive so it could be used on any device on the go...

Alternatively there are online databases which would be similar logic to above.

simpletom · 5 Nov 2017 at 23:17

Thanks, BaroUK2... I think I'll trail Google sheets!

gpuerrilla · 6 Nov 2017 at 22:37

Yep Baro has suggested a good solution. I think they changed how forms operate compared to a couple of years ago so not sure if they are as felxible as they once were. I guess that doesnt matter once you can refer to other sheets and workbooks via importrange. If you create the FORM first it generates the dump into a sheet. I havnt worked out how to point a new form to a historical sheet but one day I may find out if its possible.