THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF MICROSOFT ACCESS IN EDUCATION AND ITS INTEGRATION WITH CLOUD TECHNOLOGIES: AN ACTIVITY-ORIENTED PEDAGOGICAL APPROACH

The integration of specialized digital tools into STEM education is pivotal for developing structured problem-solving skills. This article argues that Microsoft Access, when conceptualized beyond a mere database application and integrated with modern cloud ecosystems, transforms into a powerful pedagogical platform. It fosters logical thinking, data literacy, and collaborative problem-solving—competencies aligned with contemporary educational goals highlighted in research on activity-based mathematics education. The study analyzes the pedagogical rationale for using Access to teach structured data organization and relational logic. It then details the transformative potential unlocked by its integration with cloud technologies, specifically the Microsoft 365 suite and the Power Platform (Power Apps, Automate, BI), which enable ubiquitous collaboration, real-world project simulation, and seamless connection to data visualization tools. The paper presents a practical framework for curriculum integration, proposing sample project-based learning modules. Finally, it discusses future perspectives involving AI and concludes that cloud-integrated Access serves as a vital bridge between fundamental computational thinking and the advanced digital skills required in the modern workforce, thereby proposing a replicable model for modernizing STEM and data literacy curricula. Article visualizations: