vliet (5/14/2014)
It depends on the exact profession but in my opinion nothing can replace a solid theoretical background. Especially with databases, because thinking in sets instead of records requires a mind shift that needs a whole new approach, and mister Edgar Codd gave us a perfect way to establish that solid background. Knowing when to use a LEFT OUTER JOIN or even a FULL OUTER JOIN instead of an INNER JOIN to get the correct results depends highly on your understanding of the model behind the data.
I'm torn here. I think good solid basics in an area are important. However I'm not sure to what depth someone needs relational knowledge. There are lots of people that end up writing lots of CRUD, simple aggregates and basic report queries.
I think more we want to provide them with a way to understand when they're out of their depth. Maybe references on how much effort (resources) the computer should spend calculating problems per mm rows? Not sure.