The University of Adelaide
Course Outlines

COMP SCI 2208MELB - Databases and Ethical Data

Melbourne Campus - Semester 1 - 2023

Databases have come a long way in the past decades and, rather than focusing purely on relational databases and SQL, this course introduces students to contemporary database applications and concepts, to develop a deep and thorough understanding of the principles that underpin all contemporary database systems. Students will be introduced to relational, NoSQL, and distributed database models, with an emphasis on the design, configuration, and ongoing maintenance of these systems. The course will cover consistency models, the evolution of transactional processing, and existing examples of all of the database types. With all of the data that is stored in systems, there are important questions of whether certain data should be collected, how it should be stored, how it should be processed, and whether answers can be shared from this data. Students will cover relevant ethical studies around the use of data, including the impact of local and international legislation such as the Australian Privacy Act and the European General Data Protection Regulation. This course will be assessed through programming assignments, small projects, lecture quizzes, contributions to group discussions, and written assignments. The majority of assessment is individual but some elements are group based to develop non-technical skills.

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  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code COMP SCI 2208MELB
    Course Databases and Ethical Data
    Coordinating Unit Computer Science
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s Melbourne Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 5 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange
    Restrictions Available only to University of Adelaide College Melbourne Campus students
    Assessment Exams and practical assignments
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Associate Professor Nickolas Falkner

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
    1 Identify and discuss fundamental concepts of information and database theory
    2 Identify and discuss relational and non-relational database models
    3 Design and implement data models for all database types
    4 Describe and discuss the epistemological conflicts inherent in database design
    5 Interpret the data privacy acts of Australia and Europe
    6 Design and implement physical database designs
    7 Describe the impact of ethics on database design
    University Graduate Attributes

    No information currently available.

  • Learning Resources
    Required Resources
    There are no textbooks for this course.
    Recommended Resources
    Students should have access to a programming platform, preferably one that can support Linux/Unix images either natively, or through virtualisation. (Windows users, this is WSL2. Mac users, this is part of your OS)
    Online Learning
    All online learning will take place through the University's MyUni server.
  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Lectures will be delivered on-line, pre-recorded and asynchronously. Other activities will be held on campus, with a remote option. While the project work is individual, there is emphasis placed on group work and team support as part of the activities. Students will engage a wide range of skills, technical and non-technical.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    Students are expected to allocate 10 hours per week for study-related activities, with an additional 30 hours in total for the two project assignments. This is a total of 150 hours for the course.
    Learning Activities Summary
    Students will take part in lectures (pre-recorded with interactive support sessions), and workshop sessions on a weekly basis. The workshop sessions will serve to develop skills and provide an opoortunity work on project and assessment related activities.
    Specific Course Requirements
    Students are expected to be able to code in the Python programming language and to be able to write programs based around object oriented principles. While students may have some familiarity with database systems, no expertise is assumed.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary

    No information currently available.

    Assessment Detail
    1. Practical Assignments (60%)
      Practical assignments are split into three groups of two practicals each, with a total of 6 practicals in the semester.
      Simple practicals are worth 5% each, to a total of 10%.
      Developed practicals are worth 10% each, to a total of 20%.
      Advanced practicals are worth 15% each, to a total of 30%.
      There is no practical activity in Week 1.

      1. Workshops (10%)
        Workshops are held every two weeks, where students complete a worksheet before attending and then go through their answers during the workshop. Each workshop contributes 2% (half for worksheet submission, half for participation), to a maximum of 10%.

      2. Quizzes (10%)
        A quiz is held on each week's content material, with each quiz being worth 1% to a maximum of 10%.

      3. Final Exam (20%)
        The final exam will be on all course content covered during the course and will be a one hour examination, with 60 marks, held through the University's central examinations mechanism.
      Submission
      Work will be submitted through the University's MyUni learning management system. Some assignments may also be submitted through the School's Web Submission system. This will be clarified for each assignment.
      Course Grading

      Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

      M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
      Grade Mark Description
      FNS   Fail No Submission
      F 1-49 Fail
      P 50-64 Pass
      C 65-74 Credit
      D 75-84 Distinction
      HD 85-100 High Distinction
      CN   Continuing
      NFE   No Formal Examination
      RP   Result Pending

      Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

      Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

      Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

    2. Student Feedback

      The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

      SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

    3. Student Support
    4. Policies & Guidelines

      This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.

    5. Fraud Awareness

      Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

    The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
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