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Experimentation for Improvement

Approx. 13 hours to complete

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Course Summary

Learn the fundamentals of experimentation, including hypothesis testing, causal inference, and A/B testing. This course covers statistical concepts such as sample size, significance, and power, and teaches you how to design and analyze experiments that can help you make better decisions.

Key Learning Points

Understand the key concepts of experimentation
Learn how to design and analyze experiments
Gain practical skills in hypothesis testing and causal inference

Learning Outcomes

Design and analyze experiments to make better decisions
Understand statistical concepts such as sample size, significance, and power
Gain practical skills in hypothesis testing and causal inference

Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course

Basic knowledge of statistics
Familiarity with spreadsheet software

Course Difficulty Level

Intermediate

Course Format

Self-paced
Video lectures
Quizzes

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Description

We are always using experiments to improve our lives, our community, and our work. Are you doing it efficiently? Or are you (incorrectly) changing one thing at a time and hoping for the best?

In this course, you will learn how to plan efficient experiments - testing with many variables. Our goal is to find the best results using only a few experiments. A key part of the course is how to optimize a system. We use simple tools: starting with fast calculations by hand, then we show how to use FREE software. The course comes with slides, transcripts of all lectures, subtitles (English, Spanish and Portuguese; some Chinese and French), videos, audio files, source code, and a free textbook. You get to keep all of it, all freely downloadable. This course is for anyone working in a company, or wanting to make changes to their life, their community, their neighbourhood. You don't need to be a statistician or scientist! There's something for everyone in here. ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ Over 1500 people have completed this online course. What have prior students said about this course? "This definitely is one of the most fruitful courses I have participated at Coursera, considering the takeaways and implementations! And so far I finished 12 [courses]." "Excelente curso, flexible y con suficiente material didáctico fácilmente digerible y cómodo. No importa si se tiene pocas bases matemáticas o estadísticas, el curso proporciona casi toda explicación necesaria para un entendimiento alto." "I wish I had enrolled in your course years ago -- it would have saved us a lot of time in optimizing experimental conditions." Jason Eriksen, 3 Jan 2017 "Interesting and developing both analytical and creative thinking. The lecturer took care to bring lots of real live examples which are fun to analyze." 20 February 2016. "... love your style of presentation, and the examples you took from everyday life to explain things. It is very difficult to make such a mathematical course accessible and comprehensible to this wide a variety of people!" ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

Outline

Introduction
Promotional video for this course
1A: Why experiments are so important
1B: Some basic terminology
1C: Analysis of your first experiment
1D: How NOT to run an experiment
Materials for this section
Ungraded practice quiz 1
Module 1 quiz

Analysis of experiments by hand
2A: Analysis of experiments in two factors by hand
2B: Numeric predictions from two-factor experiments
2C: Two-factor experiments with interactions
2D: In-depth case study: analyzing a system with 3 factors by hand
Enrichment: Made for you by Madeleine: an interview with Joy
Materials for this section
Ungraded practice quiz 2
Module 2 quiz

Using computer software to analyze experiments
3A: Setting up the least squares model for a 2 factor experiment
3B: Solving the mathematical model for a 2 factor experiment using software
3C: Using computer software for a 3 factor experiment
3D: Case study: a 4-factor system using computer software
Enrichment: Dr. Soo Chan Carusone talks about experiments in a medical context
Materials for this section
Ungraded practice quiz 3
Module 3 quiz

Getting more information, with fewer experiments
4A: The trade-offs when doing half-fraction factorials
4B: The technical details behind half-fractions - math warning!
4C: A case study with aliasing in a fractional factorial
4D: All about disturbances, why we randomize, and what covariates are
4E: All about blocking
4F: Introducing aliasing notation
4G: Using aliasing notation to plan experiments
4H: An example of an analyzing an experiment with aliasing
Enrichment: My colleague, David, and his student Jeff, talk about water treatment experiments
Materials for this section
Ungraded practice quiz 4: [4A,B,C,D]
Ungraded practice quiz [4E, 4F, 4G, 4H]
Module 4 quiz [4A to 4H]

Response surface methods (RSM) to optimize any system
5A: Response surface methods (RSM): an introduction
5B: Response surface methods (RSM): one variable
5C: Why changing one factor at a time (OFAT) will mislead you
5D: The concept of contour plots and which objectives should we maximize
5E: RSM in 2 factors: introducing the case study
5F: RSM case study continues: constraints and mistakes
5G: RSM case study continues: approaching the optimum
Enrichment: An interview with Dr. Joe Kim (McMaster University)
Materials for this section
Ungraded practice quiz [5A, 5B, 5C, 5D]
Module 5 quiz [5A, 5B, 5C, 5D]
Ungraded practice quiz [5E, 5F, 5G]
Module 5 quiz [5E, 5F, 5G]

Wrap-up and future directions
6: The big picture (wrapping it up, and other topics)
Materials for this section
Final survey: your feedback and comments

Summary of User Reviews

Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course

Many users found the course material to be insightful and informative.

Pros from User Reviews

The course is well-structured and easy to follow.
The instructors are knowledgeable and engaging.
The assignments and quizzes help reinforce the concepts taught.

Cons from User Reviews

Some users found the course to be too basic and not challenging enough.
The course may not be suitable for those with advanced knowledge in statistics.
The discussion forums can be overwhelming and difficult to navigate.

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