To determine a student’s previous academic year’s course load, the most crucial piece of information is the course identification number. This unique identifier allows for the retrieval of specific data related to each course, such as the number of credit hours or units associated with the course, which directly contributes to the calculation of the course load.

Here’s a step-by-step explanation of how this information is used:

1.Identify the Student: The database must have a record of the student for whom the course load is being determined.

2.Retrieve Course Records: Using the student’s identification, the database retrieves all course records associated with that student for the specified academic year.

3.Use Course Identification Numbers: Each course taken by the student will have a unique course identification number.

4.Determine Credit Hours: The course identification number can be used to look up the credit hours or units for each course, as this information is typically tied to the course ID in the database.

5.Calculate Course Load: By summing the credit hours for all courses taken in the previous academic year, the student’s course load can be calculated.

References: The process of determining course load and its impact on student performance is discussed in academic literature, which emphasizes the importance of course identification numbers in tracking academic progress1234.