Elena K Cipparone

I think the most important take-away from this course was to see how often we interact with data and how important data has become. As we look forward to post-graduation plans, I think this course demonstrated that we will all use data on a daily basis, regardless of our major. I would tell a future MIS0855 scholar to take the course and make sure…[Read more]

One data-driven service I use daily is Blackboard. It stores my courses and grades. Each row would indicate an individual assignment and columns would include the grade, assignment title, assignment weight, subject, total points, etc.

This article discusses both how Apple was hacked by the FBI (though not exactly how the FBI hacked the iPhone) and how Apple cannot…[Read more]

I constantly use the KPI of how much time/work I am putting into my coursework, such as study/homework time. It is specific, measurable, and time-variant, as I can count the hours/minutes/ and it I were to set a timer, even seconds I spend. It is achievable, as I can adjust my schedule to alter the time I spend studying. And it is relevant because…[Read more]

I’ve made mistake number 9: copy formulas that use relative coordinates. Doing so provided the wrong calculation for that cell, and then upon copying the formula down, it caused every subsequent cell to be incorrect as well. Unfortunately, it is difficult to detect such an error since excel will simply recognize and assume the formula entered is…[Read more]

As an aspiring actuary*

http://www.theactuary.com/news/2016/02/life-expectancy-for-pensioners-highest-ever/

As an actuary, we use prior data to “predict” future outcomes. As I prepare to enter the insurance industry specific to retirement, it is interesting to see how prior data is used to predict that future lifetimes are increasing. This is important to me because…[Read more]

I think the “ask why” principle is most important. Without understanding why something is happening, there is really no use of knowing what is happening. Knowing why something is happening makes the data more useful in decision making, otherwise the data visualization is simply a “statement.” For example, if data visualization shows that umbrellas…[Read more]

I think the most important take-away from last week’s discussion is that you cant necessarily believe that the information you come across is completely accurate. Especially in the case of the Internet, where people are free to post/edit – there are bias’s present. I recently used the Google reviews and ratings when looking up a restaurant. I rea…[Read more]

http://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2016/01/22/thinking-big-about-big-data-in-insurance/#4c24247b3377

I found this article interesting because I am an actuarial science major about to enter the insurance industry. This article summarizes the importance of data in the industry and emphasizes the need to be able to work with that data. I also…[Read more]

I found a dataset regarding Residential Parking Permit Blocks in Philadelphia.
I found it through opendataphilly.org
I thought it was interesting because I live in Philadelphia, and during certain events, you are not allowed to park in areas where permit parking is required.
I learned which blocks require a permit to park for an extended…[Read more]

I found a dataset regarding Residential Parking Permit Blocks in Philadelphia.
I found it through opendataphilly.org
I thought it was interesting because I live in Philadelphia, and during certain events, you are not allowed to park in areas where permit parking is required.
I learned which blocks require a permit to park for an extended…[Read more]

A piece of conventional wisdom I’ve often heard is that students shouldn’t be measured by standardized test scores, such as the SAT and ACT. These are often the tests looked at by colleges and universities when evaluating an applicant. Though, test scores are not the only item that defines the applicant, but can prevent a student from being…[Read more]