Due
2300 on Lessons 37 and 38
Duration
30–60 minutes
Points
10 points

Help Policy

Authorized Resources
Any, excluding classmates
Notes
Never copy another person’s work and submit it as your own

You must document all resources, including the instructor and instructor-provided course materials (such as the textbook)

Instructions

Respond to one of the following prompts, and reply to one of your classmates’ original posts. Unless otherwise indicated by the prompt, it is expected that responses should be no more than a paragraph (one paragraph ≈ 200 words).

  1. Massive quantities of data are being collected from Internet users and by Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Describe a novel (possibly historically novel) use for this data, particularly to provide a unique service to users. Do you think that this use is appropriate, or does the use of the data (for that service) violate users’ privacy?
  2. Big data often raises privacy concerns. Briefly describe an approach to anonymizing data (e.g., differential privacy, k-anonymity, or l-diversity), including an example of how it works and its limitations.
  3. Many NoSQL databases exist, including

    to name a few. Describe a NoSQL database (you need not choose from the prior list). How does that database prioritize consistency, availability, and partition tolerance?

  4. NewSQL databases are sometimes described as a redesign of relational databases “from the ground up.” Describe a NewSQL database and when you might consider using it (instead of, say, a NoSQL database). How does the performance of the NewSQL database compare to alternatives?

Submission

Submit your posts using the Blackboard discussion board for your section.

Due to the way that Blackboard is configured (i.e., one site per course instead of one site per section), the main “Discussion Board” is visible to all students. Thus, it might be difficult for those posting later to avoid rehashing the same content.

Consequently, each section has its own discussion forum, which is accessible only to students in that section. You can access the discussion forum for your section in the following ways:

  • Groups > Section ? > Group Tools > Group Discussion Board
  • My Groups > Section ? > Group Discussion Board

where ? is a placeholder for the section number (e.g., M3A).

Be sure to document any sources that you used when writing your posts.

Grading

Grading is largely based on completion, but posts should demonstrate effort commensurate with the expected duration for this activity. Citing multiple references, drawing connections among others’ posts, additional responses, etc. all demonstrate effort that is appropriate or even exceeds the expectation. Conversely, summarizing the first paragraph of a Wikipedia article, poor spelling and grammar, off-topic posts, etc. demonstrate lack of effort.

Posts that express simple (dis)agreement will be ignored for the purpose of grading. For example,

I agree.

may be appropriate in the context of a conversation but does not satisfy the requirements when responding to someone else’s post. (A good rule of thumb might be that fewer than 20 words does not qualify as a “post.”) Nevertheless, several short posts (e.g., 100 words) may collectively sum to the level of effort expected.

Rubric

The specific grading rubric is as follows:

Initial post
Exceeds standard (100%)
Fully addresses prompt and expands upon it
Meets standard (90%)
Fully addresses prompt
Nearly meets standard (75%)
Addresses most, but not all, of the prompt
Below standard (50%)
Post is obviously incomplete or off-topic
Missing (0%)
Post does not address the prompt or is missing entirely
Response
Exceeds standard (100%)
Contributes to the discussion in a meaningful way (e.g., adds new information to that previously presented)
Meets standard (90%)
Contributes to the discussion
Nearly meets standard (75%)
Response is on-topic but does not further the discussion
Below standard (50%)
Response is off-topic or inappropriate or may not be relevant to the larger discussion
Missing (0%)
Response is limited to simple (dis)agreement or missing entirely

As indicated by the rubric, earning all the points requires exceeding the standard. Simply addressing the prompt and contributing to the discussion will only earn 90% of the available points.