Course Title: Model preferred system solutions

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2009

Course Code: COSC5330C

Course Title: Model preferred system solutions

School: 650T TAFE Business

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5194 - Diploma of Information Technology (General)

Course Contact : Paul Lewis

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 1615

Course Contact Email:paul.lewis@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Course Contact: Michelle Edwards
Phone: (03) 9925 5936
Email: michelle.edwards@rmit.edu.au

Course Contact: Catherine Han Lin
Phone: (03) 9925 1336
Email: catherinehan.lin@rmit.edu.au

Course Contact: Chandra Nannegari
Phone: (03) 9925 1657
Email: chandra.nannegari@rmit.edu.au

Course Contact: Joyce Liang
Phone: (03) 9925 1610
Email: joyce.liang@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 30

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit defines the competency required to fit a physical model into the design phase of the methodology for a small database system.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

ICAA5046A Model preferred system solutions

Element:

Build and test model

Performance Criteria:

1. Review requirements information and clarify areas that are not understood
2. Identify organisational standards for developing models, and check the model development method for consistency with organisational goals
3. Identify assumptions and incorporate into modelling process
4. Identify goals and resolve into tasks required to be performed to obtain the goals
5. Define internal tasks needed to perform identified goals

Element:

Ensure that the model represents a workable solution

Performance Criteria:

1. Identify missed opportunities arising from previous and current model development
2. Identify bottlenecks, overlooked functionalities and other issues and resolve with client input as required

Element:

Resolve conflicts and inconsistencies

Performance Criteria:

1. Develop model based on existing architecture
2. Document details of model according to agreed project or organisational standards
3. Develop model according to project deliverables and acceptance criteria and within a determined timeframe and project constraints
4. Test model against the test plan
5. Document test data to ensure test procedures accurately and thoroughly validate performance of model

Element:

Review and confirm requirements information and any existing models

Performance Criteria:

1. Ensure a consensus view of key IT stakeholders is represented in the model
2. Ensure the model is checked by key IT stakeholders to confirm common understanding of the model and the proposed solution
3. Submit the model to appropriate person for sign-off


Learning Outcomes



Details of Learning Activities

Learning activities will include laboratory-based sessions on a variety of topics as shown in the Teaching Schedule below. Learning activities will  generally consist of practical computer exercises based on teacher handouts. Students should attend all sessions.

Students will also be expected to undertake work on a small database project and other activities for homework.

All Competency Elements *
All elements for this competency (elements 1 – 4) are covered each week.


Teaching Schedule

Week - Beginning Monday  Topics / Learning Activities  AssessmentTasks / Elements Covered *
Week 1 – 9th Feb Course introduction & overview. Database concepts. Single table databases.  
Week 2 – 16th Feb Primary keys & AutoNumber in Access. Web forms & database tables. Project teams & topics selected
Week 3 – 23rd Feb Business requirements. Intro to ERD’s. 1:M relationships & foreign keys. Initial project specifications handed out
Week 4 – 2nd Mar More on ERD’s. M:N relationships & bridging tables. Project Proposal due
Week 5 – 9th Mar Referential integrity. Data entry for 1:M and M:N relationships  
Week 6 – 16th Apr Building up more complex ERD’s

Project Stage 1 due. Feedback on Stage 1

Week 7 – 23rd Mar ERD’s & dependencies  
Week 8 – 30th Apr Redundancy, dependencies & normalisation Project Stage 2 due. Feedback on Stage 2
Week 9 – 6th Apr Review of normalisation  
VACATION

MID SEMESTER (EASTER) BREAK - 9th to 16th March

Week 9 – 13th Apr Review of normalisation.  
Week 10 – 20th Apr Data dictionaries. Database design improvements
Week 11 – 27th Apr

Intro to basic SQL including functions

Project Stage 3 due. Feedback on Stage 3
Week 12 – 4th May Two-table queries in SQL. Table aliases
Week 13 – 11th May

Action queries in SQL

Project Stage 4 due. Feedback on Stage 4
Week 14 – 18th May Class work on project including SQL queries  
Week 15 – 25th May Final project due. Revision for final test Final project due
Week 16 – 1st Jun Final Graded Test conducted
Week 17 – 8th Jun Location, time & date to be advised
Week 18 – 15th Jun Course review. Assessment feedback


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

There is no prescribed textbook for this course.


References

Pratt, P & Adamski, J (2008), Concepts of Database Management, 6th edn, Thomson Course Technology

1423901479

McFadden, F & Hoffer, J (2008), Modern Database Management, 9th edn, Prentice Hall Publishing Company

0136003915


Other Resources

Students may also refer to various Websites (as indicated their teacher).


Overview of Assessment

Assessment tasks will include a portfolio of in-class exercises, a group project with associated documentation, and a combined theory and practical test.

You will be provided with feedback throughout the course to check your progress.

You are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate your assessment work to your teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.


Assessment Tasks

Assessment Task – Week Due

Assessment Task Description

Percentage or Grade Allocated

Project Proposal - Due Week 4

Initial draft of proposal outlining business operations, business rules & project requirements.

CA/NYC

Project Stage 1 - Due Week 6  

Initial draft of Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD) created in VISIO.

CA/NYC

Project Stage 2 - Due Week 8

Database with Relationships created in Access. Some sample data inserted into tables.

CA/NYC

Project Stage 3 - Due Week 11

Relationships in Access updated with tables fully normalised. Data dictionary finalised.

CA/NYC

Project Stage 4 - Due  Week 13

Data entry completed. SQL quries as specified

CA/NYC

Final Project - Due Week 15

Final version of project, including fully-updated documents for all of the above.

Refer to breakdown of percentages below.

70%

Final Graded Test 

This will be an in-lab practical assessment. Students will be required to work on Access databases. Questions will also cover theoretical aspects.

30%


Assessment Matrix


ICAA5046B – Model preferred systems solutions Project Proposal

10%

Entity Relationship
 Diagram

10%

Access Relationships

20%

Data Dictionary Data Entry

20%

Required SQL Queries

10%

Final Graded Test

30%
Element 1: Review and confirm requirements information and any existing models Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Element 2: Resolve conflicts and inconsistencies     Yes Yes  Yes Yes 
Element 3: Build and test model   Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Element 4: Ensure that the model represents a workable solution Yes     Yes Yes Yes

Other Information


Competency Requirements and Grading Information

To be deemed competent students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of a competency. Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of each competency in a flexible manner over multiple tasks.

Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.
All assessments for this course must be completed in order to achieve a CA (Competency Achieved) award.

Each competency-based assessment task will also carry a numerical weighting to be used for grading purposes. The grade applied will only be awarded if a CA has been achieved in all compulsory assessment tasks.

If a student has been assessed as NYC (Not Yet Competent) in any of the assessment tasks, the weighting will carry no value until the student has obtained a CA. If a CA is achieved on re-assessment, a maximum mark of 50% of the original weighting will be granted for that assessment.

Reassessments will only be granted to students who were either unsuccessful in the first attempt, or have an approved application for special consideration.

A final examination worth 30% will be offered to students who have achieved CA.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview