In my continued effort to improve my technology skills, I recently used an online Microsoft Training on Access 2003. The website included a 35-45 minute training session with three lessons focusing on the following goals:

• The difference between a database and a list.
• Tables, fields, records, and primary keys.
• Four main items, called objects, that most databases contain.

One of the main features that was very helpful was the sample database that the training allows you to explore. The sample got me thinking about other ways I could incorporate the use of a database to help store records and increase my efficiency at using them for various tasks. I also liked that you had the option to turn off the sound during the training and just read the text only. Although there were sponsored links on the side of the page, they were not distracting. At the end of the training (or the right sidebar) you could access a quick reference card that gave a summary of the training information.

After I completed the lesson, I felt like I could have used more information on queries, reports and forms. There was not too much detail about the design process rather; it was just showing what they looked like in Access 2003. I imagine if I spent more time looking on the main Microsoft site, I would have found more in-depth training on the topics.

Overall, I would highly recommend this site for users who want to get started with database design.