BT 2101 Sem2 2019/2020 Syllabus

BT 2101–Decision Making Methods and Tools

Sem2 2019/2020
Wednesday 10:00AM – 12:00PM, LT15

Schedule updated on Dec 29, 2019

Instructor
• Prof. SungYong Um (Ph.D., Fox School of Business, Temple University)
• COM2 04-14, sungyong@nus.edu.sg
• Office Hours: Thursday 2-4pm, or by appointment
• Course Web Site: Available online at https:// luminus.nus.edu.sg

Course Objective

Students will experience diverse statistical knowledge domains possibly used in the decision-making
process when there are uncertainties such as identifying business problems, solvable problems,
available data, finding appropriate statistical algorithms. In particular, this course focuses on the
overview of econometrics, machine learning based on clustering and classification, stochastic
modeling, text mining, and neural network. Using R, students will go through the practical way of
how the decision-making process can reduce the uncertainties of business problems. Students can
gain hands-on experience by ultimately developing creative problem-solving skills from the use of R
and its applications.

Course Learning Goals

This class mainly focuses on understanding the methodological and technical basis of decision
making analytic tools to apply to various business problems. The goals of this course are as follows.

• Understand the conceptual foundations of decision making process

• Understand how advances in decision making tools enable to reduce uncertainties
• Identify business problems to facilitate decision making analytic tools
• Apply multiple analytic algorithms to efficiently analyze data
• Apply decision making process to various business cases

Additional pre-requites for course [suggested]

-1-
BT 2101 Sem2 2019/2020 Syllabus

• Suggested
o BT1101

Textbook
There are suggested textbooks for this course.

• Introduction to Econometrics, 3rd Edition, by James Stock and Mark Watson, Pearson
• Data Mining for Business Analytics: Concepts, Techniques, and Applications in R, 1 st Edition,
by Galit Shmueli, Wiley, 2017

Supplementary Reading
There are suggested supplementary readings for this course.

• Principles of Data Mining, 3rd Edition, by Bremer, Max, Springer-Verlag London Limited
2016
• Introduction to Scientific Programming and Simulation using R, 2 nd Edition, Owen Jones and
Robert Maillardet, Chapman & Hall, 2014
• An Introduction to Statistical Learning: with Applications in R, 2017 Edition, Gareth James et
al, Springler

Grading
The following is the tentative guideline for grading.

Exams 40%

Project (Case Analyses) 20%

Assignment 10%

Tutorials 10%

Class participation 5%

Peer evaluation 5%

Exams (40%)
• Final Exam (40%)
• The exams are closed-books-closed-notes.

Project (20%)
• Group or individual project to examine decision making methods
• Practice to extract meaningful information from various algorithms.

-2-
BT 2101 Sem2 2019/2020 Syllabus

• Late submission is allowed, but there will be 15% penalty per each 12 hours.

Assignments (10%)
• Assignments will be given throughout the semester.
• Late submission is allowed, but there will be 10% penalty per each 12 hours.
• The instructor will not take any extraneous circumstance such as PC malfunction or
network outrage into consideration.

Tutorials (10%)
• Tutorials will be given throughout the semester.

Peer evaluation (5%)

• Project requires active participation for the fair workload of participants.

Class participation (5%)

• A student is allowed to miss up to three sessions. However, please use these chances only
when it is needed!
• Leaving the classroom before a class finishes without the instructor’s prior consent will void
the attendance.
• Students are expected to actively participate in class discussions, activities, and debates.

Course Policies
The followings are the rules to be followed for the class.

• A student can request a review of the grade within one class-period of the day the
assignment/exam is graded. After that period, no grade will be revised.
• A student is required to keep all the graded material that is returned till after the semester
is over and he or she has checked the final grade. If there is a discrepancy between the
instructor’s records and the student’s scores for any of the graded material at any time, the
instructor’s records will be altered only if the student can produce the graded material that
the instructor has returned to the student as evidence.
• Using laptops or tablets is allowed only for class-related activities such as reading textbooks
or online materials or for in-class labs. Using them for other non-class activities including
Web surfing or checking emails is prohibited. Should the instructor find a student using a
laptop for personal use, he or she will be asked to turn off the laptop. Students are required
to close laptops while the instructor plays a video.
• Email: Use @nus.edu.sg or @comp.nus.edu.sg email account for all correspondents with the
instructor. Email messages sent from a non-NUS account may not be responded.
• Cell phones, PDAs, etc. should be turned off, muted, or turned to vibrate during class. Please
do not send or receive texts, tweets, e-mail, etc. or other communications during class.
• Please do not bring and eat foods.

-3-
BT 2101 Sem2 2019/2020 Syllabus

• Please arrive for class on time. Be advised that being late to class disturbs the peers’
learning.
• Participation: In order to speak, please raise a hand and wait for the instructor’s cue.

Course Schedule
This schedule is tentative and subject to change. Keep monitoring announcements.

Day Date Schedule

1 Jan-15 W1 Introduction: Fundamentals of Decision making, Course overview, Data

preparation

2 Jan-22 W2 Simple Linear Regression

3 Jan-29 W3 Multiple Linear Regression I

4 Feb-5 W4 Multiple Linear Regression II and Logistic Regression

5 Feb-12 W5 Support Vector Classifier

6 Feb-19 W6 Classification and Evaluation

7 Feb-26 W7 Recess Week

8 Mar-4 W8 Decision Analysis – Decision Tress

9 Mar-11 W9 Decision Analysis – Naïve Bayes Classifier

10 Mar-18 W10 Markov Chain Monte Carlo Methods

11 Mar-25 W11 Text Mining

12 Apr-1 W12 Neural Networks

13 Apr-8 W13 Time Series Model - Autoregressive Models

14 Apr-15 W14 Final Project Presentation

15 Apr-22 W15 Reading Week

16 Apr-29 W16 Final Exam

Academic Integrity – ZERO TOLERANCE

Collaboration with classmates for the final project is allowed. Collaboration for assignments is also
allowed. However, in case of assignments, all deliverables must be individual work and need to be

-4-
BT 2101 Sem2 2019/2020 Syllabus

created on an individual device. In case of plagiarism and academic dishonesty, both the student
who offers a file and the one who plagiarizes will be equally responsible and reported to the
University. The most obvious one is copying from another student’s materials, but the following are
also forms of this:
• Copy and paste materials directly from the Internet (or another source) without a proper
citation
• Turning in an assignment from a previous semester as if it were your own
• Having someone else complete your assignment and submitting it as if it were your own
• Signing someone else’s name to an attendance sign-in sheet
• Use of assignments completed in one class as any part of a project assigned in another class
• Sharing/copying homework assignments.
• Use of unauthorized notes during an examination

Academic Honesty
Academic misconduct is any act that does or could improperly distort student grades or other student
academic records. The following sections provide guidelines on NUS policies regarding academic
integrity, cheating, plagiarism, etc. The University takes a strong stand on these matters, and students
are made aware of these policies and the consequences one is likely to face if they were to engage in
any form of academic misconduct. These are spelt out in the NUS Honour Code issued by the
Registrar’s Office (reproduced below). Students are to sign an Acceptance Record in which they
expressly declare that they have read and agreed to the policies, undertakings, and authorisation
requirements (this includes the NUS Honour Code) mentioned in the website
www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/adminpolicy/acceptance.html.

NUS HONOUR CODE

As a student of the National University of Singapore, I agree to abide by this Honour Code and
undertake the following:
• To comply with all the Statutes, regulations, rules, codes of conduct and procedures as may
from time to time be prescribed by the University, and any conditions stipulated or
undertakings made by me in connection with my admission to the University;
• To maintain the highest standards of personal integrity and respect the rule of law, social
order, and the rights of others as are expected of all members of the University, both
within and outside the University; and
• To uphold and maintain absolute academic honesty and integrity at all times. This duty
extends beyond my own behaviour and actions to include the responsibility to uphold
standards in the University community and report academic dishonesty. I understand
that the forms of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to cheating, giving or
receiving any unauthorised aid, fabrication, plagiarism or engaging in any act that
compromises the integrity of the academic standards of the University.
I consent to the exercise of disciplinary powers by the University against me even when I cease
to be a student of the University in relation to offences committed by me while being a student
of the University. I further accept that disciplinary actions may include the deprivation of any
degree, diploma, certificate or other academic distinction conferred upon me.

-5-
BT 2101 Sem2 2019/2020 Syllabus

The NUS community’s objective is to provide the students with a high quality education while
developing in them a sense of ethics and social responsibility. All members of the University
community share the responsibility to maintain an environment of mutual respect, integrity and
reason.
For disciplinary matters concerning students, TAs should consult the supervising faculty member.
Where necessary, the faculty member would raise the issue through the Head of the Department and
the Dean of the Faculty, who will refer the matter to the Registrar’s Office which is responsible for
handling issues of academic and non-academic misconduct. As a TA, your responsibility is to alert
and inform the module lecturer/lab coordinator should any incidence of academic misconduct come
to your attention.

Source: Available online at:

http://www.cdtl.nus.edu.sg/ta-handbook/academic-integrity.htm

-6-