CLASSES

Each week you should attend three hours of lectures, a tutorial and a practical session. For details of days, times and rooms consult the timetables webpage.

Note that Tutorials and Practicals commence in week 2. You should have selected a practical session during enrolment. You should attend the practical session you are enrolled in.

If you do not have a class, or if you wish to change one, you should see the enrolment operators in the E7B courtyard during the first two weeks of the semester. Thereafter you should go to the Student Centre.

Please note that you are required to hand in all the assessed work in this unit. Failure to do so may result in you failing the unit or being excluded from the exam.

REQUIRED AND RECOMMENDED TEXTS AND/OR MATERIALS

Textbook

The textbooks listed below cover most of the required material and that will be used in preparation of lectures and/or assignments and/or practicals.

• Thomas Connolly and Carolyn Begg. Database Systems. A Practical Approach to Design, Implementation, and Management, Fifth Edition, Addison-Wesley, 2010, ISBN-13: 978-0-321-60110-0
• Database Administration: The Complete Guide to DBA Practices and Procedures, 2/ECraig S. Mullins. ISBN-10: 0321822943,  ISBN-13: 9780321822949©2013,  Addison-Wesley Professional.

For some parts of learning, the necessary reading (book chapters, codes, slides, etc.) will be made available on the ISYS224 iLearn site.

UNIT WEBPAGE AND TECHNOLOGY USED AND REQUIRED

Digital recordings of lectures are available from echo360 at iLearn. Read these instructions for details.

Websites

The web page for this unit can be found at http://ilearn.mq.edu.au

Technology

In this unit you will be exposed to the following technology and tools

• Oracle - Database Management System
• Powerdesigner - Data Modeling Software Tool

Discussion Boards

The unit will make use of discussion boards hosted within iLearn. Please post questions there, they will be monitored by the staff on the unit regularly.

ADMINISTRATION, POLICIES

Macquarie is developing a number of policies in the area of learning and teaching. Approved policies and associated guidelines can be found at Policy Central. Refer to the Science Centre regarding the implementation of these policies (e.g. precise procedures, forms, deadlines, etc).

LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSESSMENT TASKS

No extensions will be granted. Students who have not submitted an assessment task prior to the deadline will be awarded a mark of 0 for the task, except for cases in which an application for Disruption to Studies for that task is made and approved. 

STANDARDS

Four standards, namely Developing, Functional, Proficient, and Advanced, summarize as many different levels of achievement. Each standard is precisely defined to help students know what kind of performance is expected to deserve a certain mark. The standards corresponding to the learning outcomes of this unit are given below:

GRADING

At the end of the semester, you will receive a grade that reflects your achievement in the unit

• Fail (F): does not provide evidence of attainment of all learning outcomes. There is missing or partial or superficial or faulty understanding and application of the fundamental concepts in the field of study; and incomplete, confusing or lacking communication of ideas in ways that give little attention to the conventions of the discipline.
• Pass (P): provides sufficient evidence of the achievement of learning outcomes. There is demonstration of understanding and application of fundamental concepts of the field of study; and communication of information and ideas adequately in terms of the conventions of the discipline. The learning attainment is considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in relation to the specified outcomes.
• Credit (Cr): provides evidence of learning that goes beyond replication of content knowledge or skills relevant to the learning outcomes. There is demonstration of substantial understanding of fundamental concepts in the field of study and the ability to apply these concepts in a variety of contexts; plus communication of ideas fluently and clearly in terms of the conventions of the discipline.
• Distinction (D): provides evidence of integration and evaluation of critical ideas, principles and theories, distinctive insight and ability in applying relevant skills and concepts in relation to learning outcomes. There is demonstration of frequent originality in defining and analysing issues or problems and providing solutions; and the use of means of communication appropriate to the discipline and the audience.
• High Distinction (HD): provides consistent evidence of deep and critical understanding in relation to the learning outcomes. There is substantial originality and insight in identifying, generating and communicating competing arguments, perspectives or problem solving approaches; critical evaluation of problems, their solutions and their implications; creativity in application.

In this unit, your final grade depends on your performance in each part of the assessment. For each assessment task, you receive a mark that combines your standard of performance regarding each learning outcome assessed by this task. Then the different component marks are added up to determine your total mark out of 100. Your grade then depends on this total mark and your overall standards of performance.

Concretely, you will pass the unit if you

• obtain a total mark of 50% or higher and a mark of 40% or higher in the final examination;
• demonstrate that you can perform at a Functional level or higher for each criterion assessed in the three assignments;
• reach a Functional level or higher for each criterion assessed in the final examination.

In order to obtain a higher grade than a Pass, you have to fulfil additional conditions. Namely, you must demonstrate and apply your knowledge of fundamental database concepts consistently

• at an Advanced level and have a total mark of 85% or higher to obtain High Distinction;
• at least at a Proficient level and have a total mark of 75% or higher to obtain Distinction;
• at least at a Proficient level and have a total mark of 65% or higher to obtain Credit.