Course information:

Semester year: Spring 2024

Time/location: Tuesday/Thursday 12:30 - 1:50, Livermore Center 00101

Class material will be posted here and on Blackboard. 

Syllabus

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Staff information:

Instructor: Tara Salman email: tsalman@ttu.edu Office: EC306A

TA: TBA

Instructor office hour: Tue/Thu 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm, EC306A or by appointment 

TA office hours: TBA

Description

This course is an overview of a database system and its components; physical organization of data; data models; relational databases; and query processing.

It has several objectives including 1) understanding of data modeling concepts, 2) relational model for storage and retrieval of information, 3) formal query languages, 4) current database technologies such as SQL. 

Key topics include, but are not limited to:

1. Relational Model

 2. Relational Algebra

3. Data Definition and Manipulation with SQL;

4. Formal query languages

5. Normalization

6. Database Design Methodology

The textbook for the course is Fundamentals of Database Systems 7th edition, Ramez Elmasri and Shamkant B. Navathe, Pearson, 2015, ISBN: 9780133970777

Learning Outcomes & Assessment Methods

Students who have completed this course should have the ability to:

1.     Understand the fundamental principles of the relational data model 

2.     Formulate an Entity-Relationship (ER) diagram as conceptual design of database requirements 

3.     Map ER diagrams to relational schemas 

4.     Formulate a correct relational algebra expression to answer a query using a query language such as SQL that involves select-project-join, negation, union, intersection, minimum/ maximum, and a limited form of counting

5. Apply database theory to practice by creating a database application using a commercial database product 

Prerequisites

Course Prerequisites

CS 3364 Design and Analysis of Algorithms

Expected Prior Knowledge and Skills

logic, some programming knowledge, teamwork proficiency 

Grading Policy

Your course grade shall be based on the following weights.

Assignments: 15%

Quizzes: 5%

Class contributions: 5%

Course project: 40%

Midterm 1: 20%

Midterm 2: 20%

Assignments (15%)

There are several assignments assigned regularly. These can be considered as a mix of homeworks and labs (some would require a computer with mySQL installed). It is the responsibility of students to submit the assignments on time. The course has a late policy that allows late days, but that policy applies to all assigned work (Assignments, Quizzes, and projects) cumulatively. Please check the syllabus for more details. 

Quizzes (5%)

Quizzes will be given in class and are due at the end of the day they are given. There are ungraded ones, you just need to submit a trial for it. You may use them to train for other assignments or exams. The course has a late policy that allows late days, but that policy applies to all assigned work (Assignments, Quizzes, and projects) cumulatively. Please check the syllabus for more details. 

Attendance: (5%)

This “Bonus” grade will be divided into two segments.

• Attendance (2%): Attend class and write your R# or name whenever asked. Attend ungraded quizzes whenever possible. If you attend more than 50%, you will get 2. More than 25% will get 1. Less than 25% will get 0.

• Participation (3%): Participate by asking and/or answering questions. I will sometimes (my decision) give you a sticky note for your name. Get a few of those, and you will get the 3. Participation and focus in class is the key to these grades.

Course project (40%)

A maximum 5-member team will implement and present their work on a database project. The theme for this semester is healthcare-oriented projects, i.e., a database related to a hospital(s), pharmacy, emergency services, appointment scheduling, etc. If you have another project idea and want to implement it, please seek approval from the instructor. Project presentations will happen during the last 1-2 weeks of the semester.

Deadlines and delivery methods for the project

Check the syllabus for a detailed one

Midterm Exams

There will be two midterms that test your knowledge and skills in problem-solving, solution design, and implementation up to that point in the course. The second midterm is not cumulative. The dates are tentatively as follows

Midterm 1 date: Thursday, February 29th

Midterm 2 date: Tuesday, April 16th

Lectures 

Lecture Date Resources Reading List Activities 

1 (Introduction-Part1) Jan/11/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 1 (up till 1.3)

2 (Introduction2 &DB concepts)Jan/16/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapters 1.3-1.7 &Chapter 2 (up till 2.3)

3 (DB concepts&ER Diagram) Jan/18/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 2 (2.5-end) &Chapter 3 (3.1-3,3 (not all)) 

4 (ER Diagram) Jan/23/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 3 (3.1-3,3 (not all)) in-class exercise, Quiz 1,

5 (EER Diagram) Jan/30/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 4(4.1-4.3)

6 (EER Diagram) Feb/1/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 4(4.4-4.6) in-class exercise

7 (ER-EER mapping Diagram) Feb/6/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 9 Quiz 2

ER-EER mapping Diagram) Feb/8/2024 video Chapter 9 exercises in-class exercise

8 (Functional Dependencies) Feb/13/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 14 not strictly followed

9 (Functional Dependencies) Feb/15/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 14 not strictly followed in-class exercise

10 (SQL Basics) Feb/20/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 6

11 (SQL Basics) Feb/22/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 6

12 (Exam Review) Feb/27/2024

13 (SQL Basics) Mar/5/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 6 in-class exercise

14 (advanced SQL) Mar/7/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 6,7

15 (advanced SQL) Mar/19/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 6,7 in-class exercise

16 (Relational Algebra) Mar/21/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 8

17 (Relational Algebra) Mar/28/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 8 in-class exercise

18 (Relational Algebra) April/2/2024 in class solution video  - in-class exercise

18 (Distributed databases) April/2/2024 1PP 4PP video Chapter 23

Assignments and Project Descriptions

Homework 1

Homework 2

Homework 3

Project Proposal

Project Proposal Review form

Policies 

Late policy

Assignments and projects will be due at the beginning of class on the due date. Quizzes are at the end of the day. You are allowed to turn in these in the upcoming class (the class after the deadline) only twice in the semester. After that, late submissions will not be accepted unless it is pre-approved by the instructor/TA.

Collaboration policy

You may work on the assignments in pairs or a group of three if you prefer. If you choose to work with someone, please be sure to indicate this via the partners.txt file in your submission folder. Again, programming can be collaborative; reports have to be different.

Copying cheating policy

The first time, you fail the task (assignment, exam question, etc.). The second time, you fail the class.

Grading Rubric

A     90-100

B     80-89

C     70-79

D     60-69

F      Below 60

The grading rubric is strict. All extra grades are given throughout the course.