1. To provide a comprehensive understanding of data warehousing concepts and techniques.

2. To provide an opportunity for students to create a data warehouse using open source technologies and open source public data sets.

3. To provide a comprehensive understanding of why data visualisation is important and how this communicates insights better than traditional reporting techniques.

4. To provide students with an opportunity to create data visualisations and combine such visualisations into a single dashboard so as to tell a "data story".

(M1) An in-depth knowledge of data warehousing concepts and techniques.

(M2) A comprehensive and critical understanding of the process of creating effective data warehousing solutions.

(M3) A systematic understanding of data visualisation techniques and best practice.

(M4) Hands-on experience of building a data visualisation dashboard using a state of the art visualisation system and how such visualisations may be used to support decision making.

(S1) Communication skills in electronic as well as written form.

(S2) Self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems.

(S3) An ability to act autonomously and professionally when planning and implementing solutions to computer science problems.

(S4) Experience of working in development teams, respecting others, co-operating, negotiating/persuading, awareness of interdependence with others.

Week 1
Review of the rational for, and benefits of, data warehousing. Common challenges (integration, data cleansing) and different data warehousing architectures (transactional, dimensional). The business case for data warehousing.

Week 2
Design of relational databases (normalising vs. de-normalising, defining dimensions and facts) using public data sources and an open source database platform.

Week 3
Data accuracy and data cleansing; defining rules for data warehousing.

Week 4
Loading data into a data warehouse and ensuring that relevant business case objectives are met.

Week 5
Benefits of visualisation and data storytelling, best practices for visualisation and how to avoid common mistakes, exploration of a selected data visualisation system.

Week 6
The process of building visualisations to answer common business questions illustrated using the visualisation system introduced in week 5.

Week 7
Combining visualisations into a single dashboard so as to "tell a story", and to provide insights concerning data stored in a data warehouse and appropriate conclusions what maybe drawn.

Week 8
Expanding and building on top of existing insights by adding trends and forecasts; comparison with other types of data analytics, such as predictive and prescriptive data analytics.

The mode of delivery is by online learning, facilitated by a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). This mode of study enables students to pursue modules via home study while continuing in employment. Module delivery involves the establishment of a virtual classroom in which a relatively small group of students (usually 10-25) work under the direction of a faculty member. Module delivery proceeds via a series of eight one-week online sessions, each of which comprises an online lecture, supported by other eLearning activities, posted electronically to a public folder in the virtual classroom. The mode of learning includes a range of required and optional eLearning activities, including but not limited to: lecture casts, self-assessment opportunities, and required and suggested further reading and try-for-yourself activities. Communication within the virtual classroom is asynchronous, preserving the requirement that students are able to pursue the module in their own time, within the wee kly time-frame of each online session. An important element of the module provision is active learning through collaborative, cohort-based, learning using discussion fora where the students engage in assessed discussions facilitated by the faculty member responsible for the module. This in turn encourages both confidence and global citizenship (given the international nature of the online student body).