We live in the world of data. Everything around us has its own meaning and descriptions and it can have a spectrum of meanings from different perspectives. In addition, We live in the digital era. It sounds we are trying to have a digital copy of the world on the machines, therefore, data should be represented for the machines and ultimately machines should have the capability to use it. We as an individual collect data through talks, reading, watching, feeling, hearing and sensing. We store data in our mind, connect the collected and stored data and create knowledge. Iteratively, we exchange our knowledge through communication channels such as talking, writing, watching and drawing. In the digital era, it is worthwhile to know how computers collect, store, retrieve, reuse and produce data? In the era of the connected world, it is significant to learn how computers communicate with human and machines and exchange data? Within this course, you will learn the basics of the languages enhanced storing, retrieving, reusing and exchanging data through the web. And you will learn how the semantic web is created and how the virtual world is shaped.

By attending the course and fulfilling the project and assignments, you will be able to represent the following knowledge, skills and competences:

Subject-related skills:

• Explaining about the structure of data, information and knowledge.
• Explaining and applying different character encodings
• Defining data structure, particularly tree structure and graph theory
• Designing a simple database and applying SQL
• Coding HTML pages, Using CSS and Coding Java Scripts
• Coding  XML documents, Describing XML structures using DTD and XSD, Retrieving XML information using XPath, Transforming XML information using XSLT
• Describing semantic structures using RDF
• Developing simple ontologies using Protégé.

Transferable skills:

• Team working
• Creating an idea and developing it
• Designing and developing a web-site
• Presenting and defending your work
• Creating a video
• Explaining your work to convince the others.
• Explaining your work at a glance in a form of infogram.

• In general, attendance is mandatory.
• A maximum of 4 hours (or 20%) absence is acceptable.
• Attendance in the first unit is mandatory else you will lose the place in the course!

The aim of this course is not only to provide you with relevant theoretical knowledge, but also to enable you to put what you have learned into practical use. The design of the course reflects this, combining phases of knowledge acquisition with exercises and practical application. The instructor takes a part of a mentor, rather than a teacher; hence the course is driven by your active participation and learning needs.

The course consist of (1) a preparatory, information unit (unit-0), (2) four core units, (3) self-organised, autonomous study periods, (4) self-organised project work in groups, the results will be a web-site, a video and an infogram and (5) a workshop day (unit-5) for presenting the results of the project and (6) a final exam. In the beginning of the course, there is a 30-min information session, where you can get information about the course format, course aims as well as assignments. This session is followed by four 4.5-hour sessions, each focused on selected topics. In preparation of these core units, you will be required to engage in self-organised, autonomous study of the topics. As a result of your autonomous study phase, you will be required to hand in a graded assignment. In the sessions themselves, we will then concentrate on applying what you have learned, making sure that you are able to use your knowledge in practice. Your skill will be put to a test in a group project as well as in a final exam.

To pass the course you must submit all four deliverables and obtain a grade higher than 50%.

• 40% Project result (Web-site)
• 20% Video (documentation of the project)
• 10% Infogram (documentation of project and learning activities)
• 30% Final exam

Grading system 

• 87% - 100% = "Sehr gut" (Excellent)
• 74% - 86.99% = "Gut" (Good)
• 61% - 73.99% = "Befriedigend" (Satisfactory)
• 50% - 60,99% = "Genügend" (Sufficient)
• Below 50% = "Nicht Genügend" (Fail)

Courses: GK1 Grundzüge der ITK (Foundations in ICT) for WU students attending the specialisation  - this is a fixed restriction that cannot be waived under any circumstances!

 Recommended:  BIS I, BIS II  (see also recommended previous knowledge and skills in the syllabus)

Administrative: Registration in the LPIS, attendance of the first unit, participation in course planning

Please NOTE:

• The number of available places is limited and there is often a list of students waiting for free places. If you have signed up for the course and during the registration period find out you will not attend, please remove your name from the list via LPIS. This will make your place available to others.
• The participation in the first unit is mandatory; students who fail to come forfeit their place to students on the waiting list. Students can excuse themselves if the reason for missing the first unit is serious and will concern only the first unit. Students who are absent on the first session without bringing an absent note lose their place in the course. This place will be allocated to students in the waiting list who come to the first session according to the waiting list order.

Lecturer:   Marjan Khobreh

E-Mail:      marjan.khobreh@wu.ac.at

This is a course for everyone who not only wants to know about data and information structuring, but who actually wants to be able to sit down to a computer and apply the new-learned knowledge, develop web-site and enjoy to work on the backstage of the web. The course welcomes participants from very different backgrounds (with existing IT skills or even totally without).