Instructor: Xiaolin Li

Meeting Location: 324 BSA

Meeting Time: 5:30-6:45pm, TR

Voice: 330-672-1160; Email: xli8@kent.edu

Office Hours: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, TR

Course Description

This course provides an overview of database management system concepts and techniques. The course deals with database modeling, database design and implementation, SQL, and other database administration issues, such as data integrity and security. The student will not only be required to master the fundamentals of database management systems, but also be required to gain some hands-on skills in the modeling, design, implementation, and administration of a database system.

Required Textbook

Modern Database Management, Eighth Edition by Hoffer, Prescott, and McFadden. Prentice Hall, ISBN-0-13-221211-0, 2007.  

Course Goals/Objectives

Upon completion of the course, the student should at least achieve the following goals/objectives:

·         To have a solid understanding of a relational database

·         To be able to use modeling techniques to build various database models (conceptual, logical, etc.).

·         To be able to perform normalization of a databases

·         To be able to use commercial packages of Database Management Systems (DBMS) and Structured Query Language (SQL) to build, query, and manage a database

Grading

Topic Presentation (100 points)

Each student will be required to lead discussions of specific topics of DBMS. Refer to the separate assignment sheet for details.

DBMS project (points)

The class will be divided into groups of two to three students. Each group is required to build a database application, which can be either a real world (recommended) or a hypothetical project. Different stages of the project, including needs analysis, conceptual design, logical design, and physical implementation of the database in a chosen DBMS system (Access, Oracle, or others) must be carefully documented and turned in to the instructor by the due time of the project. 

·         Needs Assessment: Analyzing the business environment and user needs to generate business rules

·         Conceptual Design: Converting the business rules into a conceptual model using E-R diagram

·         Logical Design: Converting the E-R model into a relational tables in 3rd Normal Form

·         Implementation: Implementing the logical design using a DBMS system of your choice (such as Access) with real or hypothetical data.

      The exam will be comprehensive, covering all topics we discuss throughout the semester. Other information about the exam (such question format, etc.) will be given sometime before the exam.

Academic Honesty

Cheating means to misrepresent the source, nature, or other conditions of your academic work (e.g., tests, papers, projects, assignments) so as to get undeserved credit.   In addition, it is considered to cheating when one cooperates with someone else in any such misrepresentation.  The use of the intellectual property of others without giving them appropriate credit is a serious academic offense.  It is the University's policy that cheating or plagiarism result in receiving a failing grade for the work or course.  Repeat offenses result in dismissal from the University.

The Course Withdrawal Deadline

The course withdrawal deadline is Sunday, November 5, 2006.

Students with Disabilities

In accordance with University policy, if you have a documented disability and require accommodations to obtain equal access in this course, please contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester or when given an assignment for which an accommodation is required.  Students with disabilities must verify their eligibility through the Office of Student Disability Services (SDS) in the Michael Schwartz Service Center (672-3391).

Enrollment & Official Registration  

Students have responsibility to ensure they are properly enrolled in classes.  You are advised to review your official class schedule (using Web for Students) during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure you are properly enrolled in this class and section.  Should you find an error in your class schedule, you have until Sunday, September 10, 2006 to correct the error.  If registration errors are not corrected by this date and you continue to attend and participate in classes for which you are not officially enrolled, you are advised now that you will not receive a grade at the conclusion of the semester for any class in which you are not properly registered.

 Course Pre-requisites

Pre-requisites for this course are MIS 24060 and MIS 24070.  Students attending this course who do not have the proper prerequisites risk being deregistered from this class.

Class Attendance

No grades are assigned to class attendance. However, attendance is always expected. If you are absent from a class for a legitimate reason (must show proof document), you are still responsible for all material covered in class in addition to that assigned outside of class.