Course Outline
Course Outline
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Concepts and fundamentals of relational database systems. Students learn how to design relational databases
starting from a conceptual data model, following accepted logical and physical design principles. Topics
include normalization, referential integrity, SQL DDL and SQL DML & ODBC and data extraction/filtering
techniques.
COURSE CURRICULUM
There is no required textbook for this course. All the materials and links to supplementary materials will
be provided on the BrightSpace Learning Management System. Students are responsible to read all the
posted materials and lab instructions.
Recommended Textbook(s):
1. Concepts of Database Management, 5th Edition, by Pratt and Adamski, Thomson, ISBN:0-619-212529-1
Required Equipment:
Course activities are predicated on the use of your own laptop computer for installation and configuration of
software. Lab activities will primarily be performed using your own laptop computer but some activities may
be performed using the lab equipment and computers running the college-supplied software image, as
provided in the lab during scheduled lab hours. Students attempting to use other hardware, platforms, etc, do
so at their own risk.
Functioning IT Account:
You need a functioning IT account to do work required for this course, sometimes while in the lab. Make sure
you have a functioning IT account!
© Algonquin College 3 of 11 NET3000
Algonquin College
of Applied Arts and Technology
While the BrightSpace Learning Management System materials and lectures constitute the prime sources of
information for this course, students are expected to be proactive in following up reading and Internet
references that are provided (or may be assigned) from time to time. The material in this course is constantly
subject to change, so an ability to ferret out and exchange new information is a valuable asset.
The course consists of 2 hours of lectures and 2 hours of lab per week. It is anticipated that you will need to
spend an additional 4 hours per week, on average, of your own time for assignments and study.
During this course you are likely to experience:
Lectures:
Lectures will present the theoretical material of the course.
Students are expected to attend all of the lectures. Students are encouraged to ask questions during lectures and
to consult with the professors on topics, which they do not clearly understand. Professors will inform students,
at the beginning of the course, of suitable times for consultations.
Labs:
Students are expected to perform initial analysis and design before their scheduled lab, in order to take
advantage of the limited lab time. Laboratory assignments will be closely integrated with the lecture material.
The students’ ability to successfully complete the assigned exercises will directly correlate with their level of
success on tests and the final exam.
No allowances are made for those who choose not to attend classes or labs and, as a result, get critically behind
in the course. Extra consultation and tutoring assistance is only available to those who are actively participating
and still having difficulty.
V. Course Content
It is anticipated that course topics will be covered according to the following week-by-week schedule, though
the professor reserves the right to make adjustments as deemed necessary:
Week Topics
• Introduction to Databases Systems
• Database Management Systems
Week 1
• Data, Information and knowledge
• Database applications
• Introduction to Database design
• Entities, attributes & instances
Week 2
• Conceptual phase
• Keys and attributes
• Relationships and maximum cardinality
Week 3
• Logical design
• ER Diagrams
Week 4 • Minimum cardinality
• Physical database design
• Introduction to normalization
Week 5
• First rule of normalization
• Second rule of normalization
Week 6
• Third rule of normalization
Week 7 • Midterm Exam (Oct.20th)
Week 8 • Break
• Introduction to SQL
Week 9
• Developing databases with DDL SQL codes
• Data extraction with DML statements
Week 10
• Aggregate functions
Week 11 • Joining statements and subqueries
Week 12 • Indexes and views
• Procedures and functions
• Remote Connectivity:
Week 13 o JDBC
o ODBC
• XML
Week 14 • Review
Assessment of student learning will be done by means of term test(s), final exam and laboratory assignments.
Laboratory attendance is compulsory, and absence from three or more laboratory sessions without the prior
consent of the professor will result in a grade of 0 out of 5% for the in-lab exercises. Regular attendance is
encouraged as there is a direct correlation between lab attendance and the course success rate. Students who are
unable to attend a lab session must obtain their instructor’s prior consent in order to keep their attendance record
current. Lab attendance plays a role in evaluating student performance.
All laboratory assignments must be successfully completed in order to obtain course credit. Late assignments
will be penalized and receive a mark of zero, and need not be handed in, unless prior arrangements are made
with your professor in writing. Any missed evaluation points will result in a grade of “0”. In the case of a
documented emergency the professor, in consultation with the Chair, will determine how the marks will be
made up and/or final grade adjusted.
The ICT Department requires that all course assignments (homework exercises, laboratory work, projects,
etc) be submitted by students using a standard which could be specific to one or more courses. Professors will
ensure, at the beginning of the term, that students are advised of the exact details of these course specific
submission requirements. Professors will also post them online alongside the course outline. Student
submissions that do not meet the course published submission standards may not be marked, and may incur a
penalty of up to 100% of the submission mark.
All students are required to write the final exam. If, as a result of being off-track in your program, you note that
there is a scheduling conflict in your final exam schedule, it is your responsibility to alert your course professor
no later than one week before the start of the final exam period, to allow for any special arrangements. For any
other situations resulting in a student not writing their final exam, the normal Carleton University rules for
missed final exams will apply. See the following link for details:
http://calendar.carleton.ca/undergrad/regulations/academicregulationsoftheuniversity/examinations/#deferred-final-exams
All material covered in this course, including the lab assignments, is examinable during term
test(s) and/or the final exam.
In order to pass this course, students must pass the Theoretical component in isolation (items 1 & 2, above).
That is, they must score a minimum of 30% on the 60% portion attributed by the Term Test and Final Exam,
combined. (Students who do not satisfy this criterion will be summarily awarded a grade of “F”.) In addition,
their final grade including the Practical component must aggregate to a minimum of 50% or “D-”.
Lab evaluation is conducted by the lab professor. For this course, the following criteria must be satisfied in
order to obtain a non-zero lab mark:
It is also your responsibility to retain course outlines for possible future use to support applications for transfer
of credit to other educational institutions.
College email account. Algonquin College provides all full-time students with an email account. This is the
address that will be used when the College, your professors, or your fellow students communicate important
information about your program or course events. It is your responsibility to ensure that you know how to send
and receive email using your Algonquin College account, and to check it regularly.
Harassment/Discrimination/Violence will not be tolerated. Any form of harassment (sexual, racial, gender
or disability-related), discrimination (direct or indirect), or violence, whether involving a professor and a
student or amongst students, will not be tolerated on the college premises.
Harassment means one or a series of vexatious comment(s) (whether done verbally or through electronic
means), or conduct related to one or more of the prohibited grounds that is known, or ought reasonably to be
known, to be unwelcome/unwanted, offensive, intimidating, derogatory or hostile.
This may include, but is not limited to: gestures, remarks, jokes, taunting, innuendo, display of offensive
materials, offensive graffiti, threats, verbal or physical assault, stalking, slurs, shunning or exclusion related
to the prohibited grounds.
Bachelor of Information Technology students are bound by the “Academic Regulations of the University –
Student Conduct”, “Offences of Conduct: Discrimination and Harassment” detailed within Carleton
University’s Regulations and online at:
https://calendar.carleton.ca/undergrad/regulations/academicregulationsoftheuniversity/
The School of Advanced Technology’s Standard Operating Procedure on Plagiarism and Academic
Honesty defines plagiarism as an attempt to use or pass off as one’s own idea or product, work of another
Algonquin College
of Applied Arts and Technology
without giving credit. Plagiarism has occurred in instances where a student either directly copies another
person’s work without acknowledgement; or, closely paraphrases the equivalent of a short paragraph or more
without acknowledgement; or, borrows, without acknowledgement, any ideas in a clear and recognizable form
in such a way as to present them as one’s own thought, where such ideas, if they were the student’s own
would contribute to the merit of his or her own work.
Plagiarism is one of the most serious academic offences a student can commit.
Bachelor of Information Technology students are bound by the “Carleton University's Academic Integrity Policy” that is
detailed at:
https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf
- General – The Copyright Act makes it an offence to reproduce or distribute, in whatever format, any
part of a publication without the prior written permission of the publisher. For complete details, see the
Government of Canada website at https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-42/Index.html. Make sure
you give it due consideration, before deciding not to purchase a textbook or material required for your
course.
- Software Piracy - The Copyright Act has been updated to include software products. Be sure to
carefully read the licensing agreement of any product you purchase or download, and understand the
term and conditions covering its use, installation and distribution (where applicable). Any infringement
of licensing agreement makes you liable under the law.
The Use of Electronic Devices during classes, other than those sanctioned by the course professor is strictly
prohibited. In particular, cell phones are not to be used to communicate during a class. The use of any
electronic devices during exams and mid-term tests, other than those sanctioned by the faculty in charge of
the examination is strictly prohibited.
In accordance with College Directive E39, any unauthorized use of a prohibited device will be considered
plagiarism and be dealt with as such. In these cases, Bachelor of Information Technology students would be
bound by the “Academic Integrity" detailed within Carleton University's Calendar, and online at:
https://carleton.ca/secretariat/wp-content/uploads/Academic-Integrity-Policy-2021.pdf
Disruptive Behaviour is any conduct, or threatened conduct, that is disruptive to the learning process or that
interferes with the well-being of other members of the College community. It will not be tolerated.
Members of the College community, both students and staff, have the right to learn and work in a secure
and productive environment. The College will make every effort to protect that right.
Incidents of disruptive behaviour must be reported in writing to the departmental Chair as quickly as possible.
The Chair will hold a hearing to review available information and determine any sanctions that will be imposed.
Disciplinary hearings can result in penalties ranging from a written warning to expulsion.
Students with Disabilities requiring academic accommodations in this course are encouraged to contact a
coordinator at the Paul Menton Centre (PMC) for Students with Disabilities to complete the necessary letters of
accommodation. After registering with the PMC, make an appointment to meet and discuss your needs with the
professor at least two weeks prior to the first in-class test or instructional television midterm exam. This is
necessary to ensure sufficient time for making any needed arrangements. Please note the deadline for
submitting completed forms to the PMC as published in Carleton University’s “Academic Year” calendar.
Retroactive Accommodations
Students are expected to meet evaluation and completion deadlines as stated in this course outline. However,
in circumstances where evaluation and/or completion deadlines are missed or student performance has been
affected by a temporary or permanent disability (including mental health), interim or retroactive
accommodations may be considered. In such instances, please consult your course faculty member. For other
situations where deferral of evaluations may be warranted, please refer to college policy AA21.
Challenge for credit is a Carleton University policy that enables students to obtain undergraduate academic
credit for any learning and experience gained through work and related professional development. It is not
intended to overlap in scope with transfer of credits or admission with advanced standing.
For details, see Carleton's "Academic Regulations of the University – Challenge for Credit (Sect.2.1.11)"
available online at:
http://calendar.carleton.ca/undergrad/regulations/academicregulationsoftheuniversity/registration-evaluation-
records/#challenge-for-credit
For this course, candidates will provide evidence of their learning achievement through the
successful completion of:
- A challenge exam with a breadth of coverage and level of difficulty equivalent to the final
examination in the course; plus,
The decision to grant a deferred exam is not determined by course performance. See
https://carleton.ca/registrar/deferral/ for details.
Pregnancy Obligation
Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of
class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit the
Equity Services website:
carleton.ca/equity/wp-content/uploads/Student-Guide-to-Academic-Accommodation.pdf
Religious Obligation
Please contact your instructor with any requests for academic accommodation during the first two weeks of
class, or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist. For more details, visit the
Equity Services website:
carleton.ca/equity/wp-content/uploads/Student-Guide-to-Academic-Accommodation.pdf
For more information on academic accommodation, please contact the departmental administrator at Algonquin
or Carleton, or visit: students.carleton.ca/course-outline
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Due to COVID19, courses offered in the Fall 2020 term will be delivered in a remote/online format and may have changes
reflected in the Course Outline. This document provided at the semester start may have updated information on what
changes “if any” will occur due to the Online Course delivery method.
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