Experimentation for Improvement (Coursera)

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 hand calculations, then we show how to use FREE software.

The course comes with slides, transcripts of all lectures, subtitles (English & Spanish; 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.

Syllabus

Week 1: Introduction

Week 2: Analysis of experiments by hand

Week 3: Using computer software to analyse experiments

Week 4: Getting more information, with fewer experiments

Week 5: Response surface methods (RSM) to optimize any system

Week 6: Wrap-up and future directions