31,247 research outputs found
Logistics of Mathematical Modeling-Focused Projects
This article addresses the logistics of implementing projects in an
undergraduate mathematics class and is intended both for new instructors and
for instructors who have had negative experiences implementing projects in the
past. Project implementation is given for both lower and upper division
mathematics courses with an emphasis on mathematical modeling and data
collection. Projects provide tangible connections to course content which can
motivate students to learn at a deeper level. Logistical pitfalls and insights
are highlighted as well as descriptions of several key implementation
resources. Effective assessment tools, which allowed me to smoothly adjust to
student feedback, are demonstrated for a sample class. As I smoothed the
transition into each project and guided students through the use of the
technology, their negative feedback on projects decreased and more students
noted how the projects had enhanced their understanding of the course topics.
Best practices learned over the years are given along with project summaries
and sample topics. These projects were implemented at a small liberal arts
university, but advice is given to extend them to larger classes for broader
use.Comment: 27 pages, no figures, 1 tabl
Penalized Regression with Ordinal Predictors
Ordered categorial predictors are a common case in regression modeling. In contrast to the case of ordinal response variables, ordinal predictors have been largely neglected in the literature. In this article penalized regression techniques are proposed. Based on dummy coding two types of penalization are explicitly developed; the first imposes a difference penalty, the second is a ridge type refitting procedure. A Bayesian motivation as well as alternative ways of derivation are provided. Simulation studies and real world data serve for illustration and to
compare the approach to methods often seen in practice, namely linear regression on the group labels and pure dummy coding. The proposed regression techniques turn out to be highly competitive. On the basis of GLMs the concept is generalized to the case of non-normal outcomes by performing penalized likelihood estimation. The paper is a preprint of an article published in the International Statistical Review. Please use the journal version for citation
Marker effects and examination reliability: a comparative exploration from the perspectives of generalizability theory, Rasch modelling and multilevel modelling
This study looked at how three different analysis methods could help us to understand rater effects on exam reliability. The techniques we looked at were: generalizability theory (G-theory) item response theory (IRT): in particular the Many-Facets Partial Credit Rasch Model (MFRM) multilevel modelling (MLM) We used data from AS component papers in geography and psychology for 2009, 2010 and 2011 from Edexcel.</p
Multicriteria mapping manual: version 1.0
This Manual offers basic advice on how to do multicriteria mapping (MCM). It suggests how to: go about designing and building a typical MCM project; engage with participants and analyse results – and get the most out of the online MCM tool. Key terms are shown in bold italics and defined and explained in a final Annex.
The online MCM software tool provides its own operational help. So this Manual is more focused on the general approach. There are no rigid rules. MCM is structured, but very flexible. It allows many more detailed features than can be covered here.
MCM users are encouraged to think for themselves and be responsible and creative
Bagging and boosting classification trees to predict churn.
Bagging; Boosting; Classification; Churn;
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