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Monash University

FIT5195 Business intelligence and data warehousing - Semester 2, 2015

This unit is intended to provide students with a framework for understanding business intelligence systems as well as the provision of high quality, integrated data for decision support through data warehousing. The unit has a particular focus on the evolutionary process of developing a business intelligence system and multi-dimensional modelling for structuring business intelligence data. The unit also presents students with coverage of several important aspects of business intelligence and data warehousing, including architecture, design, implementation, data sourcing, organisational issues and governance. The unit will present this material using relevant research, case studies and practical exercises. Students will develop a prototype business intelligence system using a business intelligence software package.

Mode of Delivery

  • Caulfield (Day)
  • Caulfield (Online)

Workload Requirements

Minimum total expected workload equals 12 hours per week comprising:

(a.) Contact hours for on-campus students:

  • 2 hours of lectures
  • One 2-hour laboratory

(b.) Study schedule for off-campus students:

  • Off-campus students generally do not attend lecture and tutorial sessions, however should plan to spend equivalent time working through the relevant resources and participating in discussion groups each week.

(c.) Additional requirements (all students):

  • A minimum of 8 hours independent study per week for completing lab and project work, private study and revision.

See also Unit timetable information

Unit Relationships

Prohibitions

FIT5095, FIT5093

Prerequisites

FIT9132 or FIT5132 or FIT9003 or equivalent

Chief Examiner

Campus Lecturer

Caulfield

Yuri Song

Felix Lizama

Your feedback to Us

Monash is committed to excellence in education and regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through the Student Evaluation of Teaching and Units (SETU) survey. The University’s student evaluation policy requires that every unit is evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys. The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

For more information on Monash’s educational strategy, see:

www.monash.edu.au/about/monash-directions/ and on student evaluations, see: www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/quality/student-evaluation-policy.html

Previous Student Evaluations of this Unit

Based on a review of the unit for Semester 1, 2015, interviews will be introduced for feedback for some parts of the portfolio assignment.  This will allow richer and more useful feedback on the practical aspects of the unit.

If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to
https://emuapps.monash.edu.au/unitevaluations/index.jsp

Academic Overview

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, students should be able to:
  • describe the scope and application of business intelligence and decision support;
  • design systems for sourcing and structuring data to provide an integrated, non-volatile collection of data for decision support using data warehouses;
  • design multidimensional data models and implement them using star schemas and relational databases;
  • communicate and foster realistic expectations of the role of OLAP technology and business intelligence systems in management and decision support;
  • explain the need for evolutionary development approaches to developing business intelligence and data warehouse systems;
  • develop a simple business intelligence system using an OLAP tool;
  • apply theories and principles of data visualisation to encourage high quality analysis of business information to inform decision making;
  • design governance mechanisms for the development and management of business intelligence and data warehouse systems in an organisation.

Unit Schedule

Week Activities Assessment
0   No formal assessment or activities are undertaken in week 0
1 Understanding Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing Assignment 1: Student Portfolio submissions made throughout the semester
2 Business Intelligence Interfaces 1  
3 Business Intelligence Interfaces 2  
4 Dimensional Modelling for Business Intelligence Applications  
5 Dimensional Modelling for the Data Warehouse  
6 Designing for Customer Relationship Management and Data Warehousing Architectures  
7 Data Quality and the Extract, Transform and Load (ETL) Process Portfolio Feedback Session 1
8 Development Lifecycles Assignment 2a: Business Intelligence Application Design due
9 Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing Case Studies  
10 Governance for Business Intelligence & Data Warehousing Projects Portfolio Feedback Session 2
11 Contemporary Directions in Business Intelligence Assignment 2b: Data Warehouse Design Specification due
12 Current research topics in Business Intelligence Final Student Portfolio due before SWOT VAC
  SWOT VAC No formal assessment is undertaken in SWOT VAC
  Examination period LINK to Assessment Policy: http://policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/
academic/education/assessment/
assessment-in-coursework-policy.html

*Unit Schedule details will be maintained and communicated to you via your learning system.

Teaching Approach

  • Lecture and tutorials or problem classes
    This teaching and learning approach helps students to initially encounter information at lectures, discuss and explore the information during tutorials, and practice in a hands-on lab environment.
  • Simulation or virtual practice
    This approach allows gives students the opportunity to put into practice skills learnt during lectures and tutorials in a simulation of real-world scenarios.

Assessment Summary

Examination (3 hours): 50%; In-semester assessment: 50%

Assessment Task Value Due Date
Assignment 2a: Design Assignment Part 1 - Business Intelligence Application Design 20% Week 8
Assignment 2b: Design Assignment Part 2 - Data Warehouse Design Specification 15% Week 11
Assignment 1: Student Portfolio 15% Submissions made in Weeks 7, 10 and 12 throughout the semester. Final Portfolio due before SWOT VAC
Examination 1 50% To be advised

Assessment Requirements

Assessment Policy

Assessment Tasks

Participation

  • Assessment task 1
    Title:
    Assignment 2a: Design Assignment Part 1 - Business Intelligence Application Design
    Description:
    Given a case study of a business decision problem, students will perform a dimensional analysis, design a business intelligence application and implement a prototype.

    The following unit learning outcomes will be assessed in this assignment:
    • describe the scope and application of business intelligence and decision support;
    • design multidimensional data models and implement them using star schemas and relational databases;
    • communicate and foster realistic expectations of the role of OLAP technology and business intelligence systems in management and decision support;
    • apply theories and principles of data visualisation to encourage high quality analysis of business information to inform decision making
    Weighting:
    20%
    Criteria for assessment:
    • Quality of support for business requirements
    • Quality of the interface design
    • Correctness of dimensional model
    • Quality and professionalism of presentation
    Due date:
    Week 8
  • Assessment task 2
    Title:
    Assignment 2b: Design Assignment Part 2 - Data Warehouse Design Specification
    Description:
    Building on the work from Part 1, students will extend the design report to include specification of a supporting data warehouse using star-schema dimensional models.  The design will also include ETL mapping to source information systems and a data dictionary.

    The following unit learning outcomes will be assessed in this assignment:
    • describe the scope and application of business intelligence and decision support;
    • design systems for sourcing and structuring data to provide an integrated, non-volatile collection of data for decision support using data warehouses;
    • design multidimensional data models and implement them using star schemas and relational databases;
    • communicate and foster realistic expectations of the role of OLAP technology and business intelligence systems in management and decision support
    Weighting:
    15%
    Criteria for assessment:
    • Correctness of schema construction
    • Quality of design and justification, including support for designs from Part 1.
    • Identification of business requirements
    • Quality and professionalism of presentation
    Due date:
    Week 11
  • Assessment task 3
    Title:
    Assignment 1: Student Portfolio
    Description:
    A selection of exercises and study tasks will be made available to students, including reflections on readings, modelling and other skills-based tasks.  Students will select six of these over the course of the semester for submission and assessment.

    The following unit learning outcomes will be assessed in this assignment:
    • describe the scope and application of business intelligence and decision support;
    • design multidimensional data models and implement them using star schemas and relational databases;
    • apply theories and principles of data visualisation to encourage high quality analysis of business information to inform decision making;
    Weighting:
    15%
    Criteria for assessment:

    Each portfolio task will have customised assessment criteria.  Typical criteria for a modelling task would be:

    • Quality of the model
    • Correctness of the model

    Typical criteria for a reflective piece would be:

    • Depth of analysis
    • Quality of expression
    Due date:
    Submissions made in Weeks 7, 10 and 12 throughout the semester. Final Portfolio due before SWOT VAC

Examinations

  • Examination 1
    Weighting:
    50%
    Length:
    3 hours
    Type (open/closed book):
    Closed book
    Electronic devices allowed in the exam:
    None

Learning resources

Monash Library Unit Reading List (if applicable to the unit)
http://readinglists.lib.monash.edu/index.html

Feedback to you

Types of feedback you can expect to receive in this unit are:

  • Informal feedback on progress in labs/tutes
  • Graded assignments with comments
  • Interviews
  • Solutions to tutes, labs and assignments

Extensions and penalties

Returning assignments

Referencing requirements

Students should follow the instructions in the Referencing section of the Faculty Style Guide.

For information on how to cite and reference correctly, see the Library Guides for Citing and Referencing at http://guides.lib.monash.edu/content.php?pid=88267&sid=656564

Assignment submission

It is a University requirement (http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/conduct/student-academic-integrity-managing-plagiarism-collusion-procedures.html) for students to submit an assignment coversheet for each assessment item. Faculty Assignment coversheets can be found at http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/resources/student/forms/. Please check with your Lecturer on the submission method for your assignment coversheet (e.g. attach a file to the online assignment submission, hand-in a hard copy, or use an electronic submission). Please note that it is your responsibility to retain copies of your assessments.

Online submission

If Electronic Submission has been approved for your unit, please submit your work via the learning system for this unit, which you can access via links in the my.monash portal.

Required Resources

Please check with your lecturer before purchasing any Required Resources. Limited copies of prescribed texts are available for you to borrow in the library, and prescribed software is available in student labs.

Students should have access to a Windows or Mac OS computer for work on assignments. Software will be available in student computer labs as well as for download and installation on personal computers. Students working off-campus may be required to install the Monash VPN software to connect to our servers for some tutorial exercises.

Other Information

Policies

Monash has educational policies, procedures and guidelines, which are designed to ensure that staff and students are aware of the University’s academic standards, and to provide advice on how they might uphold them. You can find Monash’s Education Policies at: www.policy.monash.edu.au/policy-bank/academic/education/index.html

Faculty resources and policies

Important student resources including Faculty policies are located at http://intranet.monash.edu.au/infotech/resources/students/

Graduate Attributes Policy

Student Charter

Student services

Monash University Library

Disability Liaison Unit

Students who have a disability or medical condition are welcome to contact the Disability Liaison Unit to discuss academic support services. Disability Liaison Officers (DLOs) visit all Victorian campuses on a regular basis.

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