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MSIT

MSIT 5210: Databases

MSIT 5210: Databases

Prerequisites: None

Credits: 3

Course Description: Developing and managing efficient and effective database applications requires understanding the fundamentals of database management systems, techniques for the design of databases, and database administration principles. This course will focus on three key areas related to databases: understanding fundamental concepts, practical application, and staying abreast of emerging trends. Special emphasis will be placed on the hands-on design of databases and the development of database applications using contemporary software tools. 

Required Textbook and Materials: UoPeople courses use open educational resources (OER) and other materials specifically donated to the University with free permissions for educational use. Therefore, students are not required to purchase any textbooks or sign up for any websites that have a cost associated with them. The main required textbooks for this course are listed below and can be readily accessed using the provided links. There may be additional required/recommended readings, supplemental materials, or other resources and websites necessary for lessons; these will be provided for you in the course's General Information and Forums area, and throughout the term via the weekly course Unit areas and the Learning Guides.

  • Vidhya, V., Jeyaram, G., & Ishwarya, K. (2016). Database management systems. Alpha Science International. (Instructions on how to access the textbook are provided in the reading assignments of the units)

Software Requirements/Installation: No special requirements.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

By the end of this course students will be able to:

  1. Analyze and articulate the necessity for a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) through conducting a comparative assessment with traditional file processing systems. 
  2. Design an E-R model and a relational database for a given problem using a commercial or open-source DBMS with appropriate justifications based on database principles.  
  3. Examine and apply database administration techniques, emphasizing ethical considerations, in areas such as transaction management, processing, security, and backup and recovery.  
  4. Compare and contrast emerging database models in the context of the design implementation and query languages.  

Course Schedule and Topics: This course will cover the following topics in eight learning sessions, with one Unit per week. The Final Exam will take place during Week/Unit 9 (UoPeople time).

Week 1: Unit 1 - Database Systems Fundamentals

Unit Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

  1. Evaluate the need of database systems over traditional file processing systems.
  2. Describe the impact of employing a DBMS in a real-world system.
  3. Analyze the impact of relationships on entities and their impact on database design.

      Week 2: Unit 2 - Entity-Relationship Modelling

       Unit Learning Outcomes:

      By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

      1. Analyze and compare conceptual, internal, and physical design models in the context of a specific business scenario.
      2. Describe the fundamental concepts of the E-R model. 
      3. Apply the fundamental concepts of the E-R model to solve a real-world problem or scenario.

        Week 3: Unit 3 - Relational Data Modelling

        Unit Learning Outcomes:

        By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

        1. Apply the fundamental concepts of the relational model to evaluate and critique existing database schemas.
        2. Design a comprehensive relational database design for a complex set of requirements.

        Week 4: Unit 4 - Structured Quesry Language

        Unit Learning Outcomes:

        By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

        1. Describe the purpose of SQL.
        2. Determine and justify the most appropriate keys and constraints based on business requirements.
        3. Develop SQL scripts using necessary DDL and DML statements. 

          Week 5: Unit 5 - Database Administration 

          Unit Learning Outcomes:

          By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

          1. Describe the role of the database administrator and standard database administration processes.
          2. Analyze a database schema and optimize its performance by strategically implementing views and indexes.
          3. Create SQL queries to create views and indexes.

            Week 6: Unit 6 - Transaction Management

            Unit Learning Outcomes:

            By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

            1. Describe database transactions.
            2. Explain the need to adhere to Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation and Durability (ACID) properties of a transaction.
            3. Explain concurrent transactions and issues of deadlock.
            4. Appy Transaction Control Language (TCL) statements for maintaining data consistency.

                Week 7: Unit 7 - Database Security, Backup and Recovery

                Unit Learning Outcomes:

                By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

                1. Describe the threats to data and database security techniques. 
                2. Explain the different levels of database back-ups.
                3. Examine the different recovery operations for restoring data.

                  Week 8: Unit 8 -  Emerging Database Technologies

                  Unit Learning Outcomes:

                  By the end of this Unit, you will be able to:

                  1. Describe the architecture of distributed databases.
                  2. Compare centralized database system with distributed databases.
                  3. Explain the benefits of cloud-based database service.

                    Course Requirements:

                    Discussion Assignments & Response Posts/Ratings
                    Some units in this course require that you complete a Discussion Assignment. You are required to develop and post a substantive response to the Discussion Assignment in the Discussion Forum. A substantive response is one that fully answers the question that has been posted by the instructor. In addition, you must extend the discussion by responding to at least two (2) of your peers’ postings in the Discussion Forum. Your discussion posts will be assessed by your instructor.  Discussion Forums are only active for each current and relevant learning week, so it is not possible to contribute to the forum once the learning week has come to an end. 

                    Assignment Activities
                    The assignment activities are graded by your instructor. The grading rubric is listed under the assignment instructions. The grading rubric is a document that outlines the criteria that your instructor will use to grade your work.

                    Course Forum

                    The Course Forum is the place to raise issues and questions relating to the course. It is regularly monitored by the instructors and is a good place to meet fellow students taking the same course. While it is not required to participate in the Course Forum, it is highly recommended.

                    Class Introductions
                    This section is your opportunity to introduce yourself to your classmates and create a vibrant learning community. By sharing your background, interests, and goals, you can create meaningful connections and discover commonalities with your peers. 

                    Course Policies:

                    Grading Components and Weights
                    Each graded component of the course will contribute some percentage to the final grading scale, as indicated here:

                    Items Number of assignments Weight
                    Discussion Forum 6 40%
                    Assignment Activities 5 60%

                    Grading Scale
                    This course will follow the standard 100-point grading scale defined by the University of the People, as indicated here:

                    Letter Grade                          
                    		 Grade Scale Grade Points
                    A+ 98-100 4.00
                    A 93-97 4.00
                    A- 90-92 3.67
                    B+ 88-89 3.33
                    B 83-87 3.00
                    B- 80-82 2.67
                    C+ 78-79 2.33
                    C 73-77 2.00
                    C- 70-72 0.00
                    D+ 68-69 0.00
                    D 63-67 0.00
                    D- 60-62 0.00
                    F Under 60 0.00
                    CR N/A N/A
                    NC N/A N/A
                    NF N/A N/A
                    W N/A N/A


                    Grade Appeal
                    If you believe that the final grade you received for a course is erroneous, unjust, or unfair, please contact your course instructor. This must be done within seven days of the posted final grade. For more information on this topic, please review the Grade Appeal Procedure in the University Catalog.

                    Participation
                    Non-participation is characterized by lack of any assignment submissions, inadequate contributions to the Discussion Forums, and/or lack of peer feedback to Discussion/Written Assignments. Also, please note the following important points about course participation:

                    • Assignments must be submitted on or before the specified deadline. A course timeline is provided in the course schedule, and the instructor will specify deadlines for each assignment.
                    • Any student showing non-participation for two weeks (consecutive or non-consecutive) is likely to automatically fail the course.
                    • Occasionally there may be a legitimate reason for submitting an assignment late. Most of the time, late assignments will not be accepted and there will be no make-up assignments.
                    • All students are obligated to inform their instructor in advance of any known absences which may result in their non-participation.

                    Academic Honesty and Integrity
                    When you submit any work that requires research and writing, it is essential to cite and reference all source material. Failure to properly acknowledge your sources is known as “plagiarism” – which is effectively passing off an individual’s words or ideas as your own. University of the People adheres to a strict policy of academic honesty and integrity. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in sanctions by the University, including dismissal from the University or course failure. For more information on this topic, please review the Academic Integrity Policy in the University Catalog.

                    Any materials cited in this course should be referenced using the style guidelines established by the American Psychological Association (APA). The APA format is widely used in colleges and universities across the world and is one of several styles and citation formats required for publication in professional and academic journals. Refer to the UoPeople APA Tutorials in the LRC for help with APA citations. For help with using library, kindly refer to UoPeople Library.

                    Code of Conduct
                    University of the People expects that students conduct themselves in a respectful, collaborative, and honest manner at all times. Harassment, threatening behavior, or deliberate embarrassment of others will not be permitted. Any conduct that interferes with the quality of the educational experience is not allowed and may result in disciplinary action, such as course failure, probation, suspension, or dismissal. For more information on this topic, please review the Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog.


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