Introducing multidisciplinary thinking in Computer Engineering: A new way of teaching database systems

This paper describes an experiment conducted in Brazil in teaching an undergraduate database course to Computer Engineering and Computer Science students at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP). The experiment has introduced advanced (graduate-level) material in this introductory course, showing students how to integrate course material into several other subjects. The ultimate goal is to engage students in a richer learning environment, enhance motivation, broadening their horizons, and showing them how to solve problems in other fields by looking at a problem from distinct angles. This work was conducted within a binational research project involving UNICAMP/Brazil and Jacobs University/Germany.