Information Systems

Subject description

Information systems fundamentals (information, data, knowledge, data sources); Data, information and knowledge structure (basic and complex data types, metadata, tabular data format, relationships, data model); Data storage (databases, data servers, data warehouses); Data use, maintenance, and management; Queries (query language, text search, multimedia content search, keywords, data mining); Data protection; Tools for working with data (direct connection, connection interfaces, remote access, client/server system). Three tier architecture (web, active server applications, web services).

The subject is taught in programs

Electrical engineering 1st level

Objectives and competences

The objective of the course is to familiarize students with the fundamental knowledge in the field of information systems. This knowledge is necessary for engineers engaged in the Information Society and is a part of general education. The course provides an overview of information systems, principles of planning and management, as well as various tools for their maintenance and data query. The subject is of interest to all students of electrical engineering and is a good basis for future studies of information and communication technologies.

Teaching and learning methods

The lectures provide a theoretical background of the discussed chapters. We also show the solutions to simple practical examples. At the end of each chapter discussion, students are encourage to further reflect on the topic and search for advanced solutions for more demanding problems. We then also show how to implement these solutions in practice.

Students are provided with detailed study material.

In the first part of the laboratory exercises, students gradually learn how to use the dedicated software environment and to solve problems regarding working with databases.

Problems that we consider are predefined; we arrive to the solutions to these problems together, following an inclusive discourse. We present several solutions to one problem and encourage discourse in order of finding the most appropriate.

In the second part of the laboratory exercises, students are encouraged to use the acquired knowledge in a practical way – to solve a specific problem in the form of a project task. Students can work on the project alone or in a group. The maximum number of students in one group in three. The project task can be carried out independently or during regular consultations with teachers, which then direct the students towards the best possible solution.

At the end of the semester, students report their final results with a possible literature comparison.

Expected study results

Students define the basics of design, implementation and use of modern information systems. They associate the obtained theoretical knowledge with practical challenges and principles of storage and working with data. They develop information systems for a variety of problems. They find different ways of solving a problem. They recognize typical errors in the process of designing modern information systems. They evaluate different concepts and solutions that are typical of modern information systems.

Basic sources and literature

1. T. Vidmar, Informacijsko komunikacijski sistem, Pasadena, Ljubljana 2002.

2. A. Silberschatz et al, Database Systems Concepts, Fifth Edition, McGraw-Hill, 2011.

3. H. Garcia-Molina, J. – D. Ullman, J. Widom, Database Systems: The Complete Book, Second Edition, Pearson Prentice Hall, 2014.

4. M. Arenas, P. Barceló, L. Libkin, F. Murlak, Foundations of Data Exchange, Cambridge University Press, 2014.