CBIT205

Number of Hours

Hours Description

Number of Credits

70 hours

2 hours lecture per week

3 hours lab per week


	Date, time and place of lectures and labs, see the College Web Site at www.mhc.ab.ca

Prerequisite:

CBIT 165 or equivalent or instructor approval


	"An introduction to business programming and database management. The use of sophisticated software tools is stressed. Microsoft Access will be used as the foundation tool to produce business software solutions with the minimum of code writing. Forms, menus, reports and wizards will be covered in detail." - MHC 2000/2001 Academic Calendar

This course has been designed to provide a strong theoretical foundation in relational database issues along with extensive opportunities for "hands-on" design and learning.

The theoretical elements will be presented in a lecture style with emphasis on terminology, concepts, and issues. The "hands-on" learning will be facilitated through a number of weekly learning opportunities in the computer lab.

Lectures will be based on the contents of the lecture text: Database Systems: Design, Implementation, & Management (4th ed.) by Rob and Coronel. Progression is planned at a chapter per week for fourteen weeks, allowing for a midterm exam on or about week eight, and review time for the final exam at the end of the semester.

The content of each of the lecture chapters has been assigned a level of knowledge in an effort to guide student time allocation and study focus. With these levels established, students should have no problem determining the focus of any of the exams. The midterm exam will be on material covered up to that time. The final exam will be comprehensive, with an emphasis on the material covered since the midterm exam.

Levels of knowledge, unless otherwise stated, are considered to be Level C -- General Knowledge.

LEVEL	KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED	EXAM CONSIDERATIONS
A	In-depth knowledge of this material is required. This is where we will be "going" in the chapter, and where we hope to gain the most! Know the terms, application, variations, implications, etc.	This material will definitely appear on exams. It will be the majority and the core content.
B	You need what I call a balanced knowledge of this material. Terms and application count here. This material is an essential component in eventually understanding Level A material.	This material is probably going to appear on exams, but will not be the majority content.
C	General level of knowledge. Usually background information leading to Levels B and A. Unless otherwise stated, material is considered to be Level C. You need to read and recall it, usually within the context of a foundation for more advanced knowledge.	If this material is specifically presented on an exam, it will be a very small part of the total mark value. Don't count on this material to be enough to get a passing grade!
D	You can OMIT this material! We will not be covering it, and you will not be expected to know it for any of our purposes.	Will not appear on any exam.

Each chapter will have a number of problems assigned for completion as homework, either individually or in groups -- the choice is yours. These problems reflect the focus of the chapter and on the key elements of what you must learn. Whenever possible, we will review the problem solutions as a class. Where this is not possible (unlikely), the solutions will be made available to you. These problems are learning opportunities for you. They will not be graded! They will prepare you for the kinds of questions you will face during the exams.


	Each of the lab periods will be assigned a section of the lab text. I will introduce the sections where necessary, and allow you to proceed with the lab text as your guide. I will be available to provide assistance and/or answer questions during the lab time. You will need to complete the sections during the allotted time, or complete them on your own time. These labs are also learning opportunities for you! It has been my experience that the best kind of learning where software is concerned, is working through and understanding the necessary steps toward a goal. The lab text has been selected in part because it accomplishes this very well. Necessary background information and concepts are presented within the context of a Case. The steps to completion are illustrated to guide your learning. You will need to reflect this learning during the midterm lab exam, and in completion of the post-midterm lab project. While the majority of the lab work you will perform will be using the computer, please become comfortable detailing and diagramming initial table requirements, etc. on paper. This should be one of the first things you do both here in college and out in the work-world.

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