E238 Information Systems 12
Databases: Timetable 2006

1. Define file organisation for:

• sequential files
• random files
• indexed sequential files (ISAM)

2. Apply relations, attributes, tuples, keys
(primary and foreign) and indexing.

3. Describe normalisation to the Third Normal Form (3NF).

4. Describe:

• data integrity
• data redundancy
• data duplication

5. Describe the role of the data dictionary in
systems analysis, design and development.

6. Apply entity-relationship diagrams.

7. Define database models:

• flat-file
• hierarchical
• network
• relational

Note: Students are expected to develop skills in using a
relational database and apply these skills to modify and
to build simple computer-based information systems.

Term 1

Week 1: Database models

Flat-file DB (AppleWorks last year)
Hierarchical (just a definition)
Network (just a definition)
Relational (all of this year's work)

Week 2: Drawing an Entity Relationship Diagram

Week 3: Practice in drawing an Entity Relationship Diagram

Week 4: Apply Entity Relationship Diagrams

Week 5: Normalisation to the First Normal Form

Week 6: Normalisation to the Second Normal Form

Week 7: Supervised: Do 1998 TEE, Question 32

Week 8: Data integrity; data redundancy; data duplication.

Week 9: Data Dictionary: What should be in it.

Week 10: Data Dictionary: Some real life examples.

Term 2

Week 1: Normalisation to the Third Normal Form

Week 2: Terminology: relations, attributes, tuples, primary key, foreign key,

Week 3: File Definitions: Sequential Files, Random Files, Indexed Sequential Files

Week 4: Revision.

Week 5: Semester 1 exams

Week 6: Semester 1 exams

Week 7: What you should have had in the exam.

Week 8: What you should have had as exam answers.

Week 9: Small World Phenomenon, Relationship to databases.

Week 10: No students: Reporting Day for Parents

Term 3

Week 1: RDBMS Major Assignment

Week 2: Major Assignment (show me ERDs)

Week 3: Major Assignment (3 periods this week)

Solve all "relationship" problems.
Solve all "look-up" problems.

Week 4: Major Assignment (2 periods this week)

Homours Society Presentation takes one of our periods.

Week 5: Major Assignment (3 periods this week)

Final details 1NF, 2NF, 3NF

Write 0.5 to 1 page about the structure of your DB w.r.t. normalisation.

1NF ร
2NF รร
3NF รรร

Terry Lane interview (“The National Interest“) ca. 20 minutes.
The type of "incidental" stuff you're expected to know on "Privacy", FOI, etc.
Finish your Oscars DB. Final Polishing.

Week 6: RDBMS from 2000 TEE.

Week 7: RDBMS from 2000 TEE.

Week 8: RDBMS from 2001 TEE.

Week 9: RDBMS from 2001 TEE.

Week 10: RDBMS general revision

Term 4

Week 1: Semester 2 exams

Week 2: RDBMS from 2005 TEE.

Week 3: RDBMS from 2005 TEE.

Total Time: 27.5 hours (Each Thursday period is only 55 minutes long.)