FIT5095 Data warehousing - Semester 1, 2009

Caulfield

• Rob Meredith

Prerequisites

Relationships

FIT5095 is a core unit in the Business Intelligence track of the Master of Business Systems, Master of Information Management & Systems and Master of Business Information Systems degrees.  It may be taken as an elective in other programs where you have satisfied the prerequisites and course rules permit.

Unit leader

Lecturer(s) :

Tutorial allocation

Communication, participation and feedback

Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Unit Schedule

Prescribed text(s) and readings

There is no required text for the unit, due to the breadth of topics covered.  Instead, an extensive reading list consisting, in most part, of items available electronically through the library (authcate username and password required) will be used.  The readings for each week will be listed on the unit website.

Recommended text(s) and readings

If you wish to purchase a textbook to assist your study, either of the following texts will be useful, especially in the first half of the semester:

•  Kimball , R., Reeves, L., Ross, M., & Thornthwaite, W. (1998 - or later editions) The Data Warehouse Lifecycle Toolkit. John Wiley & Sons

or

• Kimball, R. & Ross, M. (2002). The Data Warehouse Toolkit : The Complete Guide to Dimensional Modelling (2nd Ed). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN: 047120024-7

Required software and/or hardware

Equipment and consumables required or provided

Students will need access to:

• a personal computer with Windows XP or later
• the internet via dial-up connection or preferably by broadband
• a printer for assignments

On-campus students may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook.

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

• Weekly detailed lecture slides outlining the learning objectives, discussion of the content, required readings and exercises (note these are not a replacement for attending and taking your own notes during lectures);
• Weekly laboratory tasks and exercises with sample solutions provided where appropriate
• Assignment specifications
• A sample examination and consultation on your solutions
• Access to past examination papers;
• Discussion groups;
• This Unit Guide outlining the administrative information for the unit;
• The unit web site on Moodle, where resources outlined above will be made available.

Library access

The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching.  To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.

The Educational Library and Media Resources (LMR) is also a very resourceful place to visit at http://www.education.monash.edu.au/library/

Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

All unit and lecture materials are available through MUSO (Monash University Studies Online). Blackboard is the primary application used to deliver your unit resources. Some units will be piloted in Moodle. If your unit is piloted in Moodle, you will see a link from your Blackboard unit to Moodle (http://moodle.monash.edu.au) and can bookmark this link to access directly. In Moodle, from the Faculty of Information Technology category, click on the link for your unit.

You can access MUSO and Blackboard via the portal: http://my.monash.edu.au

Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then Blackboard under the MUSO learning systems.

In order for your Blackboard unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.

For example:

• Blackboard supported browser
• Supported Java runtime environment

For more information, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html

You can contact the MUSO Support by phone : (+61 3) 9903 1268

For further contact information including operational hours, please visit: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html

Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site: http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

Unit assessment policy

• 40% or more in the unit's examination and
• 40% or more in the unit's non-examination assessment
   and
• an overall unit mark of 50% or more

Assignment tasks

• Assignment Task

  Title : Assignment One: Data Warehouse Design

  Description :

  Using the multi-dimensional modelling technique, a logical design and requirements specification for a data warehouse will be produced by students for a given case study.

  Weighting : 20%

  Criteria for assessment :

  Assignment one will be assessed according to the following criteria:

  1. Correctness of schema notation;
  2. Quality of schema design in regards to elegance and support for all business requirements, and quality of justification of the design;
  3. Quality of sample reports demonstrating user requirement;
  4. Quality and professionalism of presentation, including layout, structure and grammar.

  Due date : Week 7

• Assignment Task

  Title : Assignment Two: Research Essay

  Description :

  A 3000 word essay on a data warehousing issue or topic.

  Weighting : 30%

  Criteria for assessment :

  The essay will be assessed according to the following criteria:

  1. Logical structure
  2. Critical analysis and understanding of the topic
  3. Literature utilised, including range, relevance and number
  4. Conclusions drawn
  5. Quality of writing, including expression, presentation and citation technique.

  Due date : Week 11

Examinations

• Examination 1

  Weighting : 50%

  Length : 2 hours

  Type ( open/closed book ) : Closed book

  
  

Assignment submission

Assignments will be submitted by paper submission to your tutor during your tutorial.  Assignments must include the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out and attached

Assignment coversheets

Due dates and extensions

The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

Late assignment

Assignments received after the due date will be subject to a penalty of 10% per day, not including weekends (Friday night to Monday morning counts as one day). Assignments received later than one week (seven days) after the due date will not be accepted.

Return dates

Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/

Plagiarism, cheating and collusion

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/committees-groups/facboard/policies/studrights.html) and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Register of counselling about plagiarism

The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.

Non-discriminatory language

The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:

• Faculty of Information Technology Student Service staff, and / or
• your Unit Coordinator, or
• Disabilities Liaison Unit

Deferred assessment and special consideration

Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.