Nifty with Data: Can a Business Intelligence Analysis Sourced from Open Data form a Nifty Assignment?

摘要

This paper describes an assignment investigating the relationship between weather conditions and levels of air pollution. The case study illustrates aspects of finding and accessing Open Data, sections of the Extract-Transform-Load processes of data warehousing, building an analytic cube, and application of data mining tools. It is intended to aid tutors and students of databases by providing a study that gives a practical case example that gives an overview of how several topics in the area of data collection and analysis integrate together. As well as being an interesting assignment in its own right, the case study raises a number of questions about what makes a good assignment for students learning to handle data (some of the usual nifty criteria have to be adapted), and about the use of Open Data in student assignments.