Overview

This unit is designed to deliver a variety of technologies and techniques used in managing different types of data in the big data age. Database technologies including data modelling and database design at the conceptual level, logical level and physical level, query language and processing, and transaction management will be introduced. Two types of database systems – SQL and NoSQL will be presented and their differences will be discussed.

Requisites

Prerequisites

COS60006 Introduction to Programming 
OR
COS60018 Programming Principles and Practices 

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
02-March-2026
31-May-2026
Last self-enrolment date
15-March-2026
Census date
31-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
21-April-2026
Results released date
07-July-2026
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-August-2026
01-November-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-August-2026
Census date
01-September-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
22-September-2026
Results released date
08-December-2026
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
01-March-2027
30-May-2027
Last self-enrolment date
14-March-2027
Census date
30-March-2027
Last withdraw without fail date
20-April-2027
Results released date
06-July-2027

Unit learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  1. Explain features of big data and the roles of different types of data
  2. Critically review the concepts and principles of databases and database management systems including relational data model for handling structured data
  3. Use SQL to create, query and manipulate databases
  4. Design databases using ER modelling techniques and functional dependencies using normalization
  5. Select technologies for data storage and physical database design, query processing and transaction management
  6. Use XML and JSON to design, query and manipulate semi-structured data and explain unstructured/text data processing and information retrieval techniques
  7. Evaluate different types of NoSQL databases, their differences from SQL databases and big data technologies on MapReduce and Hadoop

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Live Online
Lecture		 2.00  12 weeks  24
On-campus
Class		 1.00  12 weeks  12
Specified Activities
Various		 2.00  12 weeks  24
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		 7.50  12 weeks  90
TOTAL     150

Sydney

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		 2.00  12 weeks  24
On-campus
Class		 1.00  12 weeks  12
Specified Activities
Various		 2.00  12 weeks  24
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		 7.50  12 weeks  90
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Assignment 1 Group 10 - 15%  3,4 
Assignment 2 Group  10 - 15%  6,7 
Online Quiz Individual  40 - 50%  1,2,3,4,5,6,7 
Tutorial Exercises Individual  10 - 20%  1,2,3,4,5,6,7 

Content

  • 3Vs features of Big data and different types of data: structured, semi-structured and unstructured data
  • Introduction to all database concepts
  • Relational data model
  • Entity Relationship (ER) models for database design
  • SQL and SQL Programming Techniques
  • Functional dependencies and normalization for relational databases
  • Physical database design and query processing
  • Transaction management - concurrency control and recovery
  • XML related technologies and JSON
  • Different types of NoSQL databases and their differences from SQL databases
  • Big data technologies on MapReduce and Hadoop
  • Unstructured/text data processing and information retrieval

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.