- Course Number and Name
- IRLS 588-001: Database Development and Management
- Prerequisites
- There are no formal pre-requisites. But, the course presupposes basic computer literacy. This course assumes that all students have had a general background in computing literacy. If you have difficulties to meet this requirement, please see the instructor immediately.
- Course Description
- This course is designed to help students develop a broad understanding of modern database management systems. It covers theory, methods, and techniques widely used today to design and develop a relational database system. The course emphasizes the applications of fundamental database principles in a stand-alone database environment using MS Access on the Windows platform. Applications under Internet environment will also be discussed on the class using MySQL in the Linux platform. The course takes a problem-based learning approach through ample hands-on experiences to prepare the student for designing and utilizing real world database systems in a team working environment.
- Course Objectives
- Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:
- Understand the basic concepts, terminology, methods, and issues related to database systems and database design;
- Be familiar with Microsoft Access, currently the most popular database software in the office environment;
- Gain experiences of MySQL, currently the most popular open-source database system in small to middle-size enterprise business environment;
- Use SQL to conduct database queries and generate professional database reports on all types of databases;
- Perform database analysis design to address practical problems concerning the management of information resources;
- Student Competencies
- This course is committed to facilitating students' development of the following competencies.
- Basic concepts, terminology, literature, and issues related to the creation, organization, management, access and use of knowledge and information;
- Current information and communication technologies and related technological developments and their effects on resources and services in libraries, information
- Theories of library and information science and an ability to apply them to practical problems;
- Principles involved in organization and representation of information;
- roles of library and information professionals, such as instruction; intermediation, and design, provision, and evaluation of services; and
- planning, management, and evaluation of information services.
- Course Materials
- Required Textbook: "Illustrated Introductory Series Microsoft Office Access 2003", coursecard edition by Lisa Friedrichsen ISBN:1-4188-4298-2 (You can get this book from amazon. com at approximately $28)
- Recommended Textbook: "Datebase Systems, Design, Implementation, & Management", seventh edition by Peter Rob & Carlos Coronel (You also can get this book from amazon. com at approximately $108)
- Complementary materials will be distributed during the class when appropriate.
- Office Hours
- Instructor's office hours: Monday, 2:30pm - 3:30pm, or by appointment, USB 302B
- If you have questions regarding homework or course materials, please try to see the instructor during his regular office hours. You can also send e-mail to ask questions or set up appointments outside of office hours. Please type "IRLS588:[you email subject here]" in the subject line of every email you send to the instructor.
- Course Home Page
- URL: http://sbs.arizona.edu/~mica/class/
- Class-related materials will be posted on the course home page. Please check the page OFTEN for updates.
- Database and Website Account for Project
- You will need a website account and a MySQL database account for your team project. Your username/password and the guidelines to access your account will be provided to you in class when appropriate.
- Lab Sessions
- Most of classes will be divided into two sections, lecture hours and lab sessions. Lab sessions are part of the class. Assignment samples, after chapter exercises, quizzes, exam-review if any and mid-term exam are given in lab sessions. You are also encouraged to use this period to work on your assignments and team project.
- Grading (subject to change)
- Your course evaluation will be based on the quality of your participation in each of the stated course requirements. A final course grade will be calculated considering each graded requirement, assignments, quizzes, mid-term exam, group project, and your class participation. It is the students' responsibility to check their grades weekly to be sure that they are properly credited for assignments submitted.
- Grading Matrix
-
Assignments (Choose Two) 18% 90 Database Design 45 Database Normalization 45 Structural Query Language 45 Group Project 44% 220 Section 1: Project & Team Description 5 Section 2: Database Design 30 Section 3: Implementation (Tables) 30 Section 4: Data Retrieval (Queries & Reports) 35 Section 5: Database Migration (Microsoft ACCESS / MySQL) 10 Section 6: Web Database Connection (PHP / MySQL) 25 Section 7: Project Demo / Presentation 30 Section 8: Project Report 25 Section 9: Peer Evaluation 30 Quizzes (Best two) 10% 50 Quiz I 25 Quiz II 25 Quiz III 25 Midterm Exam 20% 100 Participation 8% 40 Total: 100% 500 -
A 450 or above
B 400 - 449
C 350 - 399
D 300 - 349
F 299 or below - Grade of any type can only be appealed within one week from the day when that grade becomes available to you. The final grades may be curved as needed.
- Assignments
- All assignments are INDIVIDUAL assignments and must be turned in before 9:00pm on the due date. Late work WILL NOT be accepted unless prior approval on the basis of good reasons from instructor has been given. Late work accepted with prior approval will be charged with a late penalty of 10% markdown on the grade for that assignment. Late work will NOT be accepted after ONE week beyond the designated due date.
- Assignments must be completed independently. Students are strongly encouraged to form study groups and to learn from peer students. However, discussion on homework questions in study group should be limited to general approaches to solutions. Specific answers should never be discussed. Standards of professional and academic ethics must be respected.
- Quizzes
- There are three open-book, open-note quizzes through the semester. Each quiz will be announced in advance. The one with the lowest score will be dropped. Under NO circumstances, will makeup quizzes be given.
- Mid-Term Exam
- The mid-term exam is a comprehensive one and covers materials on lectures, hands-on exercises, and textbook. The mid-term exam can be conducted in an open-book, open-note manner as well.
- Group project:
- This course emphasizes individual work as well as team experience. Each student is required to join a team comprised of 3 or 4 members to complete a semester-long group project of designing and implementing a database system for a case study given to you. You will essentially go through the stages of database development (conceptual design, logical design, physical design & implementation) in the project. Each team should elect a team leader at the start of the project. The team leader is responsible for motivating the team and ensuring proper progress. The distribution of workload and management of the team are within each team's responsibility.
- The project contains nine sections and each section must be turned in before 5:00pm on the due date. Section 1 to Section 8 are evaluated independently on the basis of group performance. Every group member receives the same score. However Section 9, Peer Evaluation, will be scored differently.
- It is very important that members in a team work collectively. Each member should submit the instructor Section 9, a peer evaluation form, individually at the end of the semester. The peer evaluation form indicates the percentage of work that each member has contributed. Ideally, each member should contribute 33.33% of the total work load for a team of three. Your grade on this section will depend on the average contributions evaluated by your team members.
- Each project team is required to submit a final report (Section 8) and do a presentation at the end of the semester (Section 7). Typically a presentation will last about 30 minutes. Each team member should participate in the presentation and report what he/she has accomplished in the project. In the case that a team member drops off from the class, it is the other team members' responsibility to continue the project. The instructor WILL NOT assign team members to other teams unless there is only ONE member left in the team.
- You will get additional information as the class progresses.
- Participation:
- Your class participation will count 8% of your final course grade. Class participation includes class attendance and active involvement in the class activity. Please note that your Peer Evaluation by your project team members also affects your participation score.
- Course Schedule (Refer to the schedule section of this site)
- Course Policies
- Academic Code of Integrity
Students are expected to abide by The University of Arizona Code of Academic Integrity. 'The guiding principle of academic integrity is that a student's submitted work must be the student's own.' If you have any questions regarding what is acceptable practice under this Code, please ask an Instructor. - Accommodating Disabilities
The University has a Disability Resource Center. If you anticipate the need for reasonable accommodations to meet the requirements of this course, you must register with the Disability Resource Center and request that the DRC send me, the Instructor, official notification of your accommodation needs as soon as possible. Please plan to meet with me by appointment or during office hours to discuss accommodations and how my course requirements and activities may impact your ability to fully participate. - Class Participation
This course requires that all students participate actively in lecture, labs, and assignments and group projects. Class participation is essential to your success in this course. You will be expected to attend classes which cover not only important sections discussed on the textbooks but also supplemental materials from other sources, hands-on exercises, and in-class discussions. If you miss a class, you are responsible for the class materials yourself. Please note that office hours are not to be used as a substitute for class attendance. As noted, your class participation will count 8% of your final course grade. As this course requires significant team work, quality participation in a team environment is also very important. Evaluations from your peers at the end of the semester contribute to a part of your final grade on your team project. - Incompletes
The 1997-8 University of Arizona General Academic Manual, p.23 reads
The grade of I may be awarded only at the end of a semester, when all but a minor portion of the course work has been satisfactorily completed. The grade of I is not to be awarded when the student is expected to repeat the course; in such a case the grade of E must be assigned. Students should make arrangements with the instructor to receive an incomplete grade before the end of the semester ...
If the incomplete is not removed by the instructor within one year the I grade will revert to a failing grade.