Experiences with a Variety of
Technologies Designed to Aid
Instruction
James R. Evans
Operations, Business Analytics, and Information
Systems
Lindner College of Business
Online MBA Program
• Business Analytics I – Data Analysis
• Business Analytics II – Decision Models
– Seven week courses
– Typically from 70 – 140 students
– Excel-based
– Relatively fast-paced
Assignments
• Excel-based homework designed for practice
and reinforcement of key concepts,
computations, spreadsheet modeling, and
procedures
• Individual projects
– Data analysis: questionnaire, data collection, and
analysis projects
– Decision modeling: individual spreadsheet model
(simulation or optimization)
Grading Challenges
• Time – reviewing individual spreadsheets
for roughly 5-7 problems/week
• Student “collaboration”
• Differences in approaches, particularly for
spreadsheet models
Solution
• Assignment quizzes automated on Blackboard
– Based on correct or expected answers from Excel
procedures or models
– Random pools of questions – not everyone gets the
same question
– Correct answers provided after due date
– Individual review of Excel worksheets for feedback
and explanations for wrong answers.
Example: PivotTables
1. For Problem 3.33, the cross-tabulation shows
how many individuals having Furniture loans with
high credit risk?
Answer: 43
2. For Problem 3.33, the cross-tabulation shows
how many individuals having Furniture loans with
low credit risk?
Answer: 42
3. For Problem 3.33, the cross-tabulation shows
how many individuals having Used Car loans with
high credit risk?
Answer: 12
4. For Problem 3.33, the cross-tabulation shows
how many individuals having Used Car loans with
low credit risk?
Answer: 28
Example: Hypothesis Testing
1. For Problem 7.27, what is the value of the
F statistic provided by the Excel hypothesis
testing tool (to 2 decimal places)?
Answer 1.28
2. For Problem 7.27, what is the p-value for
the hypothesis test provided by the Excel
hypothesis testing tool (to 2 decimal
places)?Answer 0.19
3. For Problem 7.27, what is the value of F
Critical one-tail provided by the Excel
hypothesis testing tool (to 2 decimal
places)?Answer 1.56
Example: Spreadsheet Modeling
1. What is the net present value over the
three-year period in problem 11.9?
Answer: 958321.57 (Blackboard precision
958321 to 958322)
2. In problem 11.9, what is the total profit
that your model predicts in year 3?
Answer: 372112.64 (Blackboard
precision 372112 to 372113)
3. In problem 11.9, what is the total profit
that your model predicts in year 2?
Answer: 345920
Example: Spreadsheet Simulation
1. In problem 12.9, what variable has the largest influence on
the distribution of profit from the sensitivity chart?
Unit price
Unit cost
Fixed cost
Demand
Answer: B
2. The mean profit achieved in problem 12.9 is closest to what
value?
$126,000
$149,000
$183,000
$216,000
Answer: C
3. In problem 12.9 how would you characterize the distribution
of profit?
a symmetric distribution
a distribution that is negatively skewed
a distribution that is positively skewed
a distribution that resembles a uniform distribution
Answer: B
Example: Optimization
1. In the optimal solution to problem 14.5 how many
pounds of Premium tea should be produced?
Answer: 22500
2. In the optimal solution to problem 14.5 how many
pounds of Duke Grey tea should be produced?
Answer: 35000
3. In the optimal solution to problem 14.5 how many
pounds of Breakfast tea should be produced?
Answer: 0
“You’re finessing the issue of which variables or
results in the student’s model match up with certain
variables or results in the “reference model” by
asking the student to do the matching and interpret
the results correctly. So the student has to
understand that a certain cell in his/her worksheet
corresponds to unit price, unit cost, mean profit,
weekly profit, pounds of Premium tea, etc.”
–Dan Fylstra, Frontline Systems
Example: Sensitivity Analysis
1. In problem 14.10, how much would the total amount invested (currently at
$100,000) have to increase before you could no longer predict how the total net
return would change without re-solving the model?
Answer: 14000
2. In problem 14.10, how much would the total amount invested (currently at
$100,000) have to decrease before you could no longer predict how the total net
return would change without re-solving the model?
Answer: 6000
3. In problem 14.10, how much would the net return for Growth & Income have
to be (among the following answers) before it would be worthwhile to invest any
money in this fund?
$0.20
$0.09
$0.1468
We would not invest in Growth & Income no matter what the net return is.
Answer: A
Limitations
• Grading correct answers is easier than
grading incorrect answers
– Feedback is required for incorrect answers.
• No partial credit
– However, these grades are a relatively small
portion of the total grade. The goal is to get
students to actually do the work.
Other Experiences or
Suggestions?