Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor and Lecturer Charanya Ramakrishnan charanya.ramakrishnan@mq.edu.au Contact via Email By appointment Lecturer Shan Chen shan.chen@mq.edu.au Contact via Email By appointment
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit introduces students to the principles and concepts of data storage, modelling and management with an emphasis on the role of data and information in organisations. The unit will cover conceptual modelling techniques, converting conceptual data models into relational data models and verifying its structural characteristics with normalisation techniques, and implementing and utilising a relational database using a database-management system. Fundamental data modelling techniques such as ER Modelling and query languages such as Structured Query Language (SQL) will be used. Concepts relating to data warehousing, governance, administration, security and privacy, ethical and green approaches to the collection, backup, use and storage of data and the construction of systems are also discussed. Overall, this unit concentrates upon building a firm foundation in information representation, organisation and storage with particular emphasis upon the application of database systems.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

ULO1: Analyse data requirements and design and develop conceptual database models.
ULO2: Implement system models into databases, design and create simple databases for business information systems and write programs to produce interactive queries.
ULO3: Use data analysis and data modelling techniques and tools for introductory level database design and specification
ULO4: Explain the role and nature of ethics and sustainability in the IT environment related to databases

General Assessment Information

Assessments Information

Workshop Participation:

To receive a workshop participation mark for the week, you will need to do the following:

Participate in the workshop for the week AND
Attempt the quiz which will be open from Tuesday 9 am to Tuesday 9 am, the following week, and a score of at least 0.4/1.

Assignment-1

This will be a take-home assessment and the submission will be on a Turnitin link.

Assignment-2

Out of the 20% for the assessment-2,

~~10%~~ 5% is for submission
~~10%~~ 15% for the Viva
Viva will be held in the registered workshops. If you do not participate in the viva, you will not be provided marks for the submitted work either.

Diagnostic Quiz and Module Exams

These assessments will be held in your enrolled workshops on iLearn quizzes. They are closed-book tests.

Requirements to Pass

To pass this unit you must:

Achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%, and
Participate in, and undertake all hurdle activities for a minimum of 8 weeks (score 8/13)

Hurdle Assessments

Workshop Participation

The development of knowledge and skills to design and develop databases requires continual practice at authentic problems in a practical setting. This unit has weekly practical/SGTA classes and you must demonstrate your progress in developing knowledge and skills in a minimum of 8 of the 13 classes. This is a hurdle assessment meaning that failure to meet this requirement may result in a fail grade for the unit. Students are permitted up to three absences: additional absences will require approval of Special Consideration (see below).

Late Assessment Submission Penalty

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern. For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration.

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted In this unit, late submissions will be accepted as follows

Assignment One – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
Assignment Two – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies
Workshop Participation - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted
Diagnostic Quiz - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted
Module Exams - NO, unless Special Consideration is Granted

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment.

Written Assessments: If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the written assessments in this unit on time, please submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Quiz/Module Exams: If you miss the weekly practical class during the week of a quiz/exam due to serious, unavoidable and significant disruption, contact your convenor ASAP as you may be able to attend another class that week. If it is not possible to attend another class, please submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Workshop Participation: To pass the unit you need to demonstrate ongoing development of skills and application of knowledge in 8 out of 13 of the weekly practical classes. If you miss a weekly practical class due to a serious, unavoidable and significant disruption, contact your convenor ASAP as you may be able to attend another class that week. If it is not possible to attend another class, you should still access the class material and review it in your own time and attempt the quiz.

Note that a Special Consideration should only be applied if you miss more than three of the weekly practical classes.

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Workshop Participation	5%	Yes	Weeks 1-13
Diagnostic Quiz	5%	No	Week 3
Assignment One	20%	No	Week 6
Assignment Two	20%	No	Week 10, 11
Module Exams	50%	No	Week 7 and 12

Workshop Participation

Assessment Type ¹: Participatory task
Indicative Time on Task ²: 2 hours
Due: Weeks 1-13
Weighting: 5%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

In-class voluntary participation will be assessed for all the workshops during the session. Attendance alone does not count towards any mark. You will have to actively participate in the workshop activities assigned to you by your tutor.

NB. Since this is a hurdle assessment, in order to pass the unit you will be required to pass this assessment.