| Semester 1, 2023 Toowoomba On-campus | |
| Units : | 1 |
| School or Department : | School of Mathematics, Physics & Computing |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
| Course fee schedule : | /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules |
Staffing
Course Coordinator:
Requisites
Pre-requisite: CSC1401 or CIS1000
Enrolment is not permitted in CSC3400 if CIS2002 has been previously completed.
Overview
A key component of information systems is its database management system. These are widely used in scientific, business, government, and industrial organisations. It is important for a computing professional to understand the basic concepts of database systems, to be proficient in a database query languages, and to know the design principles of database systems. It is also important to be able to integrate a database in the context of data-driven web application.
This course covers the fundamental issues of the relational model, relational languages, database design and query processing. It starts with a structured overview of database systems, their history and application. The relational model is then covered in detail. Relational languages such as the relational algebra and calculus are discussed before introducing the SQL language. Then we cover the Entity-Relationship model and discuss how ER diagrams are translated to the relational model. Topics on database design principles in this course further include functional dependencies and normalization. Students will gain a good understanding of database design theory and principles and be able to develop database systems and application programs on a DBMS.
Course learning outcomes
On completion of this course the student should be able to:
- demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the relational model;
- correctly construct relational algebra and relational calculus expressions;
- reformulate an English language query statement in the relational algebra, relational calculus, and SQL formalisms;
- create, modify, query, and update a relational database using SQL;
- design an Entity-Relationship diagram on the basis of a description of database requirements;
- translate an ER-diagram into a relational schema;
- normalise relations using functional dependencies.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The relational model | 15.00 |
| 2. | The relational algebra and calculus | 10.00 |
| 3. | The SQL language | 25.00 |
| 4. | The Entity-Relationship model | 20.00 |
| 5. | Relational database design | 25.00 |
| 6. | Database administration: ethical considerations and best practices | 5.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
Student workload expectations
To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.
Assessment details
| Description | Group Assessment |
Weighting (%) | Course learning outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Problem Solving 1 | No | 20 | 1,2,3 |
| Problem Solving 2 | No | 30 | 4,5,6,7 |
| Time limited online examinatn | No | 50 | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7 |