Theme: Designing the Blueprint — how data is stored, related, and organised
| Section | Duration | Topic / Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Part 1: The Data Landscape | 50 min | Relational vs. NoSQL vs. Vector Databases; SQL Data Types |
| Part 2: Building the Blueprint | 50 min | Primary & Foreign Keys; Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD) |
| Part 3: Organising Data | 50 min | Database Normalisation — 1NF, 2NF, and 3NF |
(Plus two 10-min breaks between parts — see Lesson Plan for the full agenda, totalling 3 hours.)
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Analyse the differences between Relational, NoSQL, and Vector databases and select the right type for a given use case.
- Apply Primary Keys and Foreign Keys to design Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERD) using DBML.
- Evaluate an unnormalised dataset and decompose it into 3rd Normal Form (3NF).
- Create a complete database schema for a real-world business scenario.
| Material | Description | Est. Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Class | Database types, keys, and normalisation fundamentals | 30–45 min |
| Lesson Plan | Instructor guide for the 3-hour flipped classroom session | 3 hours |
| Assignment | FoodFast Database Design Challenge | 45–60 min |
| Reference | DBML syntax, ERD notation, and normalisation cheat sheet | As needed |
- dbdiagram.io: Free browser-based ERD tool — create a free account before class.
- DBML syntax: Used for describing schemas; introduced in the pre-class material.
- No installation required for this lesson.