Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor and lecturer Carl Svensson carl.svensson@mq.edu.au Contact via iLearn forum, otherwise email By appointment Lecturer Shan Chen shan.chen@mq.edu.au Contact via iLearn forum, otherwise email By appointment
Credit points	Credit points 10
Prerequisites	Prerequisites COMP1350 or ISYS114
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status co-badged with COMP6350
Unit description	Unit description This unit provides an in-depth study of modern database technology and its dominant role in developing and maintaining enterprise information systems. The aim is to teach students how to program database applications. The emphasis is placed on business applications, using Structured Query Language (SQL) as an interactive and a programmatic language, on principles of the relational-database model, and on fundamental components of a client-server database-management system. Practical work involves the use of a commercial database-management system together with programming tools.

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: Demonstrate understanding of the basic concepts that underlie modern database management systems.
ULO2: Design and develop small, functional database applications using modern database design methods.
ULO3: Develop skills in using a industrial-strength database tools and interactive development environments for building databases.
ULO4: Complete different database programming tasks to specification using SQL .

General Assessment Information

Assessment Deadlines

Assignments 1, 2, and 3 will be due on Sunday 11:55pm Sydney time of the week specified in the unit guide.
A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical concern.
Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written 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.

This assumes the calendar week starts on a Monday. Note that these are a deadline - not a goal - so don't aim for them. It is expected that students start early and iterate on their assessments. Submission boxes are open and allow for students to update their submission up until the assignment deadline.

Note that there is a daylight savings change on Sunday at the end of week 8 (1st October). This will impact times from week 9 onward (everything will be an hour earlier).

A separate assignment box will be available for grace period submissions and late-penalty submissions during the submission window. No further submissions will be able to be made to the original assignment box submissions. If there is a submission in the grace period submission box / late-penalty submission box, this will be taken as the submission to be marked rather than the one in the originial submission box.

Applying for special consideration? Be mindful of the following!

For assignment 1, 2, or 3: It is expected that you continue on your assignment while waiting a for special consideration application to be processed (unless the circumstances surrounding the special consideration are ongoing). Put in an Ask.mq special consideration and mention whether it is for Assignment 1, Assignment 2, or Assignment 3.

For one of the quizzes: If you are ill, have respiratory symptoms (cold / flu), or need to isolate for covid-related reasons, there are two things to do here. In the special consideration application, mention whether it is for Quiz 1 or Quiz 2.

The convenor will be in touch via your official student email to look at alternate arrangements based on the circumstances of the situation.

For all other special consideration situations, apply through Ask.mq as soon as possible and email the convenor once it has been submitted.

For the final exam: If you are ill / have respiratory symptoms, or have to isolate due to covid related reasons (even on the day of the exam), or have any other circumstances listed in the special consideration provisions of the university policy, then submit an Ask.mq special consideration request and send an email to the unit convenor. If the special consideration is approved, then you will be notified of an alternate date to attempt a supplementary exam during the Faculty / University supplimentary exam period. Please make yourself aware of when these dates are as they become available.

Requirements to pass the unit

To pass this unit you should:

Attempt all assessments, and
Achieve a final unit total mark equal to or greater than 50%

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Assignment 1	10%	No	Week 4
Assignment 2	10%	No	Week 8
Online Quizzes	20%	No	Week 9 and 13
Assignment 3	10%	No	Week 11
Final Examination	50%	No	Exam Period

Assignment 1

Assessment Type ¹: Modelling task
Indicative Time on Task ²: 10 hours
Due: Week 4
Weighting: 10%

Assignment 1 will focus on conceptual modelling and logical design of databases.