Information Technology (2009/2010)

Learning outcomes

The course is organized in two modules.
The first module introduces the modern computerized systems for the information management, guiding the participants, through group applied activities in computer laboratory, to design a small personal database.
The second module aims to give the fundamentals about architecture and operations of the main Internet services, to promote an aware and safe utilization of the ICT (information and communication technologies).
Some usefull software tools are also presented, in order to favor a better understanding of the computer world, and a better control of the computer instrument.

1. Data bases.
1.1. Introduction to the data bases. Systems software for the management of data bases (DBMS). The relational data bases.
1.2. The conceptual designing. The E-R model. Relations between entities. From the analysis of requirement to the conceptual model. The problem of the redundancy and the consistency of the data base.
1.3. The logical designing. The relational model. Functional dependencies and the Normalization.
1.4. The physical designing. Data types. Indices and efficiency. Referential integrity.
1.5. The SQL Language. Operations of interrogation of a relational data base. Selection query. Types of Join. Parameterization of a query. Aggregation query and data sinthesis. Complex and nested queries.
1.6. Practical laboratory with MS Access. Data structure and applications. Tables and relations. Indices and ties. Writing a query in SQL language.

Presentation and discussion of a database project.