Overview

This unit delivers the fundamental principles needed to effectively design and use databases. Databases are the tool used to create, store, organise, and disseminate data. It seeks to unpack the notion of data, and introduce contemporary tools and techniques for storing, retrieving, exploiting, and visualising data. Emphasis is given to understanding data modelling and design approaches, and the emerging opportunities afforded by big data, social media, data analytics, and unstructured data. The unit focuses on commercial and open-source database management tools.

Requisites

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Define and explain fundamental data and database concepts including tables, relations, keys, queries, transactions, and structured, semi-structured, unstructured data
  • Create, store, retrieve, exploit, and visualise data using modern database tools, functions, and techniques
  • Understand and apply conventional data modelling techniques to solve practical database design problems
  • Explain the impact of big data and modern data analytics tools in the design, use, and management of database systems

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Lecture		2.00 12 weeks 24
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Tutorial Labs		2.00 12 weeks 24
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning		8.50 12 weeks 102
TOTAL150

OUA

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online Contact (Phasing out)
Online Learning Activities		12.00 12 weeks 144
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning		0.50 12 weeks 6
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
PortfolioIndividual 100% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Database relations, tables, records, keys, filters, queries, parameters, forms, indexes
  • Data formats, manipulation, and exchange tools
  • Transactions and ACID
  • Entity-relationship diagrams and modelling
  • SQL
  • Data warehousing, big data, and data normalisation
  • Data analytics, business intelligence, visualisations, and functions
  • Semi-structured and unstructured data storage
  • Applications and examples of data and databases in organisations

Study resources

Reading materials

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