Syllabus

Homework and Lab Assignments

All lab, homework and project assignments are to be handed in at the beginning of the class on the day they are due. Late assigments will not be accepted, unless pre-approved by the instructor.

Textbooks:

1. (R&C) Peter Rob and Carlos Coronel, Database Systems: Design, Implementation, and Management, Second Edition, Boyd & Fraser, 1995.

2. (MS) Microsoft Access for Windows 95 Step by Step, Microsoft Press, 1995.

Course Rationale:

Computer-based information systems are ubiquitous in today's society, and managers can expect to have frequent contact with them. Skill in using information systems - understanding their capabilities and limitations, knowing how to access them directly or through more technical specialists, knowing how to effectively use the information such systems can provide, and facility in specifying new systems and unique applications is a distinct advantage today and will become a necessity in the future.

Databases are central to most organizations' information system strategies, and will therefore be the focus of this course. We will thoroughly cover the modern relational database model, using a 50-50 mix of lectures and 'hands-on' lab work. The lab work and project will be completed using Microsoft's relational database package Access, Version 2.0 for Windows.

Course Objectives:

Students completing this course will have developed two complementary skills which can be used to advantage in managerial positions. The first is the ability to design and use so-called "service delivery system" databases. As opposed to scientific database, service delivery systems are designed to contribute to the effectiveness and efficiency of organizations. Common examples include invoice and inventory systems, and cataloging systems used in libraries and museums. Understanding how such systems are conceived and built will enable students to oversee and contribute to the development of innovative systems in their own work. This understanding will also enable students to more efficiently and effectively leverage the information stored in these systems. Students will gain a working knowledge of the related concepts of a) the relational database model, and b) the entity-relationship model.

The second skill, which reinforces the first, is the ability to use a specific database management system "package" (Microsoft Access). Facility in using such a package is a transferrable skill, because of the growing standardization of relational database technology. Students will become proficient in the techniques used to a) create and use master tables, b) query the database, and c) generate reports.

The first three lectures focus on the use of an existing relational database system. The focus of the next four lectures is on the design of a new relational database system. The remainder of the lectures focus on the role of relational database technology in organizations and the managerial issues for successfully leveraging this technology.

Labs and Review Sessions:

During much of the semester, class will be divided between lectures and lab work. The first half of the class will be normal classroom lecture and discussion, while the second half will be "hands-on"work in the computer lab. During this second portion, the course TAs and the instructor will be available to provide individual help with the tutorials and homework assignments. There is much to learn, and the pace will be fairly brisk, so be sure to read and think about the tutorial assignments in advance.

From May 31 - July 5, there will be six weekly review sessions held on Saturday mornings, 10:00 - 11:30. These are entirely optional, but they are a good chance to ask lots of questions and to see more examples worked out. All review sessions will be conducted by the instructor.

Schedule