Determining the Success of NCAA Basketball Teams through Team Characteristics

Every year much of the nation becomes engulfed in the NCAA basketball postseason tournament more affectionately known as “March Madness.” The tournament has received the name because of the ability for any team to win a single game and advance to the next round. The purpose of this study is to determine whether concrete statistical measures can be used to predict the final outcome of the tournament. The data collected in the study include 13 independent variables ranging from the 2003-2004 season up until the current 2009-2010 season. Different tests were run in an attempt to achieve the most accurate predictive model. First, the data were input into Excel and ordinary least squares regressions were run for each year. Then the data were compiled into one file and an ordinary least squares regression was run on that collection of data in Excel. Next, the data were input into Minitab and a stepwise regression was run in order to keep only the significant independent variables. Following that, a regression analysis was run in Minitab. The coefficients from that regression analysis were input into a file with the 2009-2010 data in an attempt to test the model’s results against the actual results. All of the models developed, except one for the year 2005-2006, were determined to be significant. There were 6 significant independent variables determined. The final results showed that although the model developed through the study was significant, the ability to accurately predict the outcomes is very difficult

Exploring Predictors of Teamwork Performance in an Interprofessional Education Setting

Abstract EXPLORING PREDICTORS OF TEAMWORK PERFORMANCE IN AN INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION SETTING By Danah M. Alsane, MS. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Pharmaceutical Science at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016 Advisor: Patricia Slattum, Pharm.D., Ph.D. Professor and Director of the Geriatric Pharmacotherapy Program Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to explain how individual characteristics influence teamwork development. In addition, it evaluated how teamwork development, in conjunction with content knowledge, impact students’ performance on a team-based project in an Interprofessional Quality Improvement and Patient Safety (IPQIPS) course. Methods: This cross sectional study included medical, pharmacy, and nursing students enrolled in an IPQIPS course offered for the first time at VCU. Predictors of teamwork development examined included collective orientation (measured using the Collective Orientation Scale, which included dominance and affiliation subscales), and prior interprofessional teamwork experience (measured using self-report). The Team Development Measure (TDM) was used to measure teamwork development. The Statistical Process Control Quiz (SPCQ) was used to assess content knowledge acquired during the course. The final project score was used to evaluate students’ performance on a team-based project. Structural equation modeling was used to test study hypotheses. Results: Among the proposed predictors (dominance, affiliation, and interprofessional teamwork experience), only dominance was related to TDM. No significant relationship was found between teamwork development combined with content knowledge and successful accomplishment of team-based project. Conclusion: This study was the first to our knowledge to simultaneously assess the impact of individual characteristics on teamwork development, and how teamwork development (combined with individual student knowledge) influences students’ performance on team-based project in an interprofessional education setting. Although findings were not conclusive, several potential avenues for future study are highlighted

Beyond Surveys: Analyzing Software Development Artifacts to Assess Teaching Efforts

This Innovative Practice Full Paper presents an approach of using software development artifacts to gauge student behavior and the effectiveness of changes to curriculum design. There is an ongoing need to adapt university courses to changing requirements and shifts in industry. As an educator it is therefore vital to have access to methods, with which to ascertain the effects of curriculum design changes. In this paper, we present our approach of analyzing software repositories in order to gauge student behavior during project work. We evaluate this approach in a case study of a university undergraduate software development course teaching agile development methodologies. Surveys revealed positive attitudes towards the course and the change of employed development methodology from Scrum to Kanban. However, surveys were not usable to ascertain the degree to which students had adapted their workflows and whether they had done so in accordance with course goals. Therefore, we analyzed students' software repository data, which represents information that can be collected by educators to reveal insights into learning successes and detailed student behavior. We analyze the software repositories created during the last five courses, and evaluate differences in workflows between Kanban and Scrum usage

Professionalization of College Sports: The Case of College Basketball

This study examines how major college basketball programs have become professionalized, and follow a professional model in terms of their revenues, expenses, and profits. “Professionalized” is defined as having a fundamental focus on profits and revenues. Revenue and expense data for the 2006-2007 season was selected from the six major conferences: Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, PAC 10, and SEC. Data was collected from the Office of Postsecondary Education, where revenues and expenses are reported for each school. These data were examined and used to gauge whether these programs or conferences are following a professional model. In addition, the study examined the marginal revenue product of acquiring one more premium player (a player that has been drafted into the NBA or WNBA). Data were collected from NBAdraft.net, where NBA and WNBA draft classes were be used to determine the number of premium players on each college team. OLS regression analysis was be used to indicate relationships between the data. These relationships indicate that men’s basketball programs follow a professional model and that the marginal revenue product of acquiring one more premium player is greater than their compensation through scholarship. Women’s basketball programs do not appear to follow a professional model, or acquire players that generate significant revenues greater than their compensation through scholarship

Energy’s Role in the Extraversion (Dis)advantage: How Energy Ties and Task Conflict Help Clarify the Relationship Between Extraversion and Proactive Performance

While academic and practitioner literatures have proposed that extraverts are at an advantage in team-based work, it remains unclear exactly what that advantage might be, how extraverts attain such an advantage, and under which conditions. Theory highlighting the importance of energy in the coordination of team efforts helps to answer these questions. We propose that extraverted individuals are able to develop more energizing relationships with their teammates and as a result are seen as proactively contributing to their team. However, problems in coordination (i.e., team task conflict) can reverse this extraversion advantage. We studied 27 project-based teams at their formation, peak performance, and after disbandment. Results suggest that when team task conflict is low, extraverts energize their teammates and are viewed by others as proactively contributing to the team. However, when team task conflict is high, extraverts develop energizing relationships with fewer of their teammates and are not viewed as proactively contributing to the team. Our findings regarding energizing relationships and team task conflict clarify why extraversion is related to proactive performance and in what way, how, and when extraverts may be at a (dis)advantage in team-based work

Putting theory oriented evaluation into practice

Evaluations of gaming simulations and business games as teaching devices are typically end-state driven. This emphasis fails to detect how the simulation being evaluated does or does not bring about its desired consequences. This paper advances the use of a logic model approach which possesses a holistic perspective that aims at including all elements associated with the situation created by a game. The use of the logic model approach is illustrated as applied to Simgame, a board game created for secondary school level business education in six European Union countries

The influence of randomly allocated group membership when developing student task work and team work capabilities

This study explores whether randomly assigning group membership enhances the student learning experience. The paper starts with a critical analysis of the approaches to student learning within Higher Education and how these approaches conflict with findings from applied psychology on group behaviour. The study adopts a serendipitous qualitative methodology to explore how changes to assessment requirements can result in a more holistic learning experience. The findings suggest that students perceive the adoption of randomly allocated as an unnecessary risk to their performance within assessment as opposed to an opportunity to enhance their learning. This raises questions regarding the conflict that can exist within education between assessment and learning. The results suggest students operate in a ‘comfort zone’ which can be detrimental to their overall learning experience. Getting students to leave the comfort zone is a particularly stressful situation for both student and educator. Once students leave the comfort zone competencies that have been dormant surface and they are able to utilise and acquire a wider range of skills. Leaving the comfort zone also results in the creation of a critical incidence which can assist the student in developing their reflective capabilities. The results suggest that randomly allocated groups enhance both an individual’s task capabilities and their teamwork capabilities. The paper concludes that the findings have significant implications for those involved in the design of assessment. The paper also provides an interesting commentary on the issues educators face when undertaking education research within a higher educational context

Predictive Analytics for Fantasy Football: Predicting Player Performance Across the NFL

The goal of this research is to develop a quantitative method of ranking and listing players in terms of performance. These rankings can then be used to evaluate players prior to and during a fantasy football draft. To produce these rankings, we develop a methodology for forecasting the performance of each individual player (on different metrics) for the upcoming season (16 games) and use these forecasts to estimate player fantasy football scores for the 2018 season. More specifically, this work answers the following: In what order should players be drafted in a 2018 fantasy football draft and why? Which players can be expected to perform the best at their given position (Quarterback, Running back, Wide Receiver, Kicker, Team Defense) in 2018, and which players should we expect to perform poorly