DSC 533 - Information Analysis for Managerial Decisions

Project 2 - presentation

Task

In a group of two or three, make a 9 minute presentation to the class on Monday of dead week (exact time limit will be determined once groups have been sorted out). Your group can either be the same one as for the first (written) project or a different one. Options for topics are:

1. Base your presentation on your written project (this is the "easy" option).
2. Present results of an analysis of one of the datasets you didn't analyze for your written project.
3. Review link analysis (Chapter 10 in the book).
4. Review survival analysis (Chapter 12 in the book).
5. Review genetic algorithms (Chapter 13 in the book).
6. Review data warehousing (Chapter 15 in the book).
7. Data mining information from Internet sources (see data page for some links).
8. Privacy implications of data mining (handout available).
9. Oregon 2006 state measure 42 on using credit scores to determine insurance premiums (handout available).
10. Some other suitable topic of your choice (check with me first).

It will be easier to get a better grade by choosing from options 2-10 (although it should be possible to pass the course with option 1).

Due date

Grading

Each presentation will be graded (with all group participants receiving the same grade) taking into account the following criteria:

• Substance: Did you provide interesting, useful information to the class, enabling everyone to see the "big picture?"
• Clarity: Did you explain clearly and concisely the main issues, and what your conclusions are?
• Focus: Did you cover the main points of the topic fully and without superfluous discussion?
• Presentation: Was the presentation crisp and professional and did you manage your time effectively?

Time: The presentation cannot go over the time limit - this rule will be strictly enforced to ensure that each group gets an equal amount of time for their presentation. Presentation order (who goes when) will be determined randomly the week before the presentations.

Slides: You might like to use a few slides (I suggest a maximum of 6) to enhance your presentation. Don't go crazy though - for a 9 minute presentation it will not be possible to use more than 5 or 6 slides effectively. Effective use of slides can improve your grade. Let me have a Powerpoint or PDF file of your slides before class on Monday November 26 if you want to use slides.

Handout: Sometime a handout can be more effective than slides, so feel free to prepare a one-page handout to use instead of (or in addition to) slides. An effective handout can improve your grade.

Presenting: Not all group members need to talk during the presentation - it is up to each group to decide how to best present their material. But everyone in the group should be comfortable with their own role and everyone else's - see "slackers" below.

Class feedback: I will base the presentation grades partly on my judgement (using the criteria above), and partly on feedback from the rest of the class - everyone in the class will turn in an evaluation sheet on Monday November 26 with personal scores based on the criteria above.

Slackers: Try to resolve workload issues within your group, but if it is clear that an individual is not pulling their weight I reserve the right to reduce his/her resulting grade.