Course Title: Model preferred system solutions

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2011

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

Chandra Nannegari

+61 3 9925 1657

chandra.nannegari@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:

1. Review and confirm requirements information and any existing models

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:

2. Resolve conflicts and inconsistencies

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:

3. Build and test model

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:

4. Ensure that the model represents a workable solution

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. They 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.


Teaching Schedule

The total number of scheduled hours of teaching, learning and assessment involved in this course includes all planned activities including face to face classes, lectures, workshops and seminars, workplace visits, online learning and other forms of structured teaching and learning.

The total scheduled hours also covers the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including observation of work performance, discussions with supervisors and others providing third party evidence and one on one and group assessment sessions with students.

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

Week Week Commencing Topics / Learning Activities Assessment Tasks / Elements Covered *
1 4th July 2011 Course introduction & overview. Relational database concepts. Web forms  Project teams & topics discussed
2 11th July 2011 Business requirements. Introduction to ERDs. 1:M relationships & Foreign keys Teams finalised. Project specs available.
3 18th July 2011 More on ERDs. M:N relationships & bridging tables  
4 25th July 2011 Referential integrity. Data entry for 1:M and M:N relationships Project Proposal due
5 1st Aug 2011 Building up more complex ERDs  
6

8th Aug 2011

ERDs & dependencies Project Stage 1 due
7 15th Aug 2011 Redundancy, dependencies & normalisation  
8 22nd Aug 2011 More on normalisation Project Stage 2 due
  Vacation                                                         Mid - Semester break - Mon 29th Aug - Fri 2nd Sep, 2011
9 5th Sept 2011 Review of work to date. Class work on projects  
10 12th Sept 2011 Data dictionaries. Database design improvements Project Stage 3 due
11 19th Sept 2011 Introduction to basic SQL including functions  
12 26th Sept 2011 Two-table queries in SQL. Table aliases Project Stage 4 due
13 3rd Sept 2011 Class work on project  
14 10th Sept 2011 Revision for final test Final Version of Project due
15 17th Sept 2011 Final graded test conducted Final Graded Test
16 24th Sept 2011 Course review. Assessment feedback  
Students who have been granted special consideration or are required to re-submit, will be able to submit/sit their assessment by arrangement with the class teacher in weeks 17.


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

Rob, P & Coronel, C (2009), Database Systems: Design, Implementation and Management, 8th edn, Thomson Course Technology

1423902017


Other Resources


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

Class Work Submissions

Student will be expected to demonstrate class work and submit screen shots of solutions to certain class exercises. Work is to be submitted within one week of the corresponding class exercise.

Database Project

 • Project Proposal: Initial draft of proposal outlining business operations, business rules & project requirements
• Project Stage 1: First draft of ERD created in Visio with Access Relationships
• Project Stage 2: Updated ERD and Relationships. Some sample data inserted into tables in Access
• Project Stage 3: ERD and Relationships for whole group. Initial draft of data dictionary
• Project Stage 4: Data dictionary finalised. Data entry completed
• Final Version of Project: Final Access database with SQL queries. Final project documentation including query documentation 
 

 Final Graded Test

This will be an in-lab practical and theory assessment. Students may be required to work on Access databases.


Assessment Matrix

ICAA5046B – Model preferred systems solution Class Work Submissions
CA/NYC (25%)
Database Project
CA/NYC (40%)
Final Graded Test
35%
Element 1:  Review and confirm requirements information and any existing models Y Y Y
Element 2:   Resolve conflicts and inconsistencies Y Y Y
Element 3:   Build and test model Y Y Y
Element 4:  Ensure that the model represents a workable solution Y Y Y

Other Information

Competency and Grading Requirements:

To be deemed competent students must demonstrate an understanding of all elements of this 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 competency-based assessments for this course must be completed in order to achieve a CA (Competency Achieved) award.

Each 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.

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

A final test worth 35% will be offered to students who have achieved CA.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview