CSCI 340 - Databases and Web Systems

Location

WAC 249 (2nd floor)

Time

MWF 9:10 - 10:00
Fall 2019

Instructor

Dr. Mark Goadrich
goadrich@hendrix.edu
501-450-1367
Office Hours

A study of designing and using a database management system (DBMS) and of developing Web applications. Topics include HTML, CSS, the JavaScript language, relational database theory, techniques for supporting ACID properties, and frontiers in database research. As part of a large team, students design and develop a system using both Web and mobile front ends that interacts with a DBMS using SQL.

Prerequisites: CSCI 151.

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• model and capture database design, queries, and entity relationships in SQL
• design and construct a well-designed mobile-friendly Web application, incorporating HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript (with jQuery)
• use version control software
• style a blogging framework and publish entries
• utilize a web framework to access a backend database
• describe the basic theory and algorithms underlying implementation of database management systems

Draw.io

Moqups

Vertabelo

SQLite

We will be using no textbook but instead supplemental material such as relevant web-pages for the course. Readings will be assigned before material will be covered in class. You are expected to review the material and come to class prepared. As readings are assigned, they will be posted here.

User Stories and Use Cases

• http://www.agilemodeling.com/artifacts/userStory.htm
• http://www.romanpichler.com/blog/10-tips-writing-good-user-stories/
• http://agilemodeling.com/artifacts/systemUseCase.htm
• http://www.usability.gov/how-to-and-tools/methods/use-cases.html
• http://www.craiglarman.com/wiki/downloads/applying_uml/larman-ch6-applying-evolutionary-use-cases.pdf Section 6.8
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sequence_diagram

Entity Relationship Diagrams

• Entity Relationship Diagrams
• More Entity Relationship Diagrams

I have organized our course topics using a Gantt Chart to help you see the timeline of activities and the relationships between topics. This website also provides a calendar view of these topics to help you organize your schedule this semester.

There will be three methods used to reinforce your mastery of the course material: small individual labs to support the fundamentals of web programming and SQL, group presentations to facilitate personal discovery and information sharing, and a large term project to engage with the course material in concert with a community partner.

Each student has four late days to spend throughout the semester as they wish. Simply inform the instructor any time prior to the due date for an assignment that you wish to use a late day; you may then turn in the assignment up to 24 hours late. Multiple late days may be used on the same assignment. There are no partial late days; turning in an assignment 2 hours late or 20 hours late will both use 1 late day. Note that late days are intended to cover both normal circumstances (you simply want more time to work on the assignment) and exceptional circumstances (you get sick, travel for a game or family obligation, etc.). After you have used up your late days, late assignments will receive at most half credit.

Some of your experience with databases in this course will be through semi-weekly labs.

• Lab 1: Website Annotation - Due Aug 30
• Lab 2: HTML and CSS - Due Sep 13
• Lab 3: Jekyll Blog - Due Sep 18
• Lab 4: Jekyll Styling - Due Sep 25
• Lab 5: Data Modeling - Due Oct 2
• Lab 6: SQL Queries - Due Oct 9
• Lab 7: Javascript and jQuery - Due Nov 1

You will be assigned teams of three or four students and will be giving two presentations to the class as described below.

• Web Frameworks - Oct 11, 14
  Presentation Rubric
• Alternate Database Models - Nov 20, 22
  Presentation Rubric

Following each set of presentations, make a post to your Jekyll blog with your impressions of each framework or model other than your own presentation. Please only evaluate the frameworks or models and not the presentations on this public blog, the presentations are evaluated privately through the Rubric links above.

For the bulk of this semester, you will be participating in teams of five or six to develop a database and web application in coordination with a local non-profit organization.

• Project Description

It is my ultimate goal for this course, and my teaching, to develop your academic skills, advance your learning of computer science concepts, and support the liberal arts in general. To do so will require commitments from myself and from you toward meeting this goal.

Active Participation

I will be prepared and on time for class each day, ready to use class time to help you understand the course material. I will respectfully listen to, understand, and answer questions asked in class.

You are expected to attend class and actively participate in discussions every day, answering questions, asking questions, presenting material, etc. Your participation will be respectful of your classmates, both of their opinions and of their current point in their educational journey, as we each approach the material with different backgrounds and contexts.

You may miss three TR or four MWF non-presentation days with no penalty. These can be for sports travel, school sanctioned activities, sickness, mental wellness, etc. You are expected to make up any work you miss through these absences.

Every subsequent absence will result in a 4% penalty on your final grade.

If your schedule for the semester will necessarily involve missing more than four days of class, please talk to me very early in the semester so we can develop a gameplan together.

Constructive Feedback

I will keep office hours and be available for outside appointments, and respond to emails within one business day (not including weekends). I will provide feedback on group presentations within one day. For exams, projects, and homeworks, I will provide graded feedback within two weeks.

You are encouraged to provide constructive comments for improving this course for furthering your learning throughout the semester. There will be an opportunity for anonymous course feedback at the end of the term, in which I hope you all participate. Through your feedback I can improve this course and others for future students.

Academic Integrity

I will abide by the above syllabus and grade your work fairly.

As stated in the Hendrix Academic Integrity Policy, all students have agreed to adhere to the following principles:

• All students have an equal right to their opinions and to receive constructive criticism.
• Students should positively engage the course material and encourage their classmates to do the same.
• No students should gain an unfair advantage or violate their peers' commitment to honest work and genuine effort. It follows that any work that a student submits for class will be that student's own work. The amount of cooperation undertaken with other students, the consistency and accuracy of work, and the test-taking procedure should adhere to those guidelines that the instructor provides.
• Members of the Hendrix community value and uphold academic integrity because we recognize that scholarly pursuits are aimed at increasing the shared body of knowledge and that the full disclosure of sources is the most effective way to ensure accountability to both ourselves and our colleagues.

Learning Accomodation

I will make this classroom an open and inclusive environment, accommodating many different learning styles and perspectives.

Any student seeking accommodation in relation to a recognized disability should inform me at the beginning of the course. It is the policy of Hendrix College to accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law. Students should contact Julie Brown in the Office of Academic Success (505.2954; brownj@hendrix.edu) to begin the accommodation process.

Physical and Mental Health

I am willing to work with you individually when life goes off the rails.

Coursework and college in general can become stressful and overwhelming, and your wellness can be impacted when you least expect it. You should participate in self-care and preventative measures, and be willing to find support when you need it.

• The Office of Counseling Services welcomes all students to see a counselor in a private and safe environment regardless of their reasons for making an appointment. Counseling services are available to all Hendrix students at no cost.
• Student Health Services provides free healthcare to Hendrix students. Services are provided by an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) in collaboration with a local physician.

The Offices of Counseling Services and Student Health Services are located in the white house behind the Mills Center for Social Sciences at 1541 Washington Avenue.