Several daily phenomena around us can be modeled as time-evolving networks. Working with expressive and tractable models for the evolution of such networks can improve different prediction and decision-making tasks. While the literature has studied many approaches to model such networked phenomena partially, multiple gaps remain. This thesis is an…

During the 1990s computers were placed into most educational classrooms; however, they sat underused or not used at all. One reason for this is students lacked the skills to use computers effectively. One set of skills that can help students make use of computers is self-regulated learning. By using think aloud protocol analysis while students…

Purpose: The purpose of this case study was to determine the impact of utilizing predictive modeling to improve successful course completion rates for at-risk students at California community colleges. A secondary purpose of the study was to identify factors of predictive modeling that have the most importance for improving successful course…

With increasing Internet connectivity and traffic volume, recent intrusion incidents have reemphasized the importance of network intrusion detection systems for combating increasingly sophisticated network attacks. Techniques such as pattern recognition and the data mining of network events are often used by intrusion detection systems to classify…

In large-scale assessments, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), plausible values based on Multiple Imputations (MI) have been used to estimate population characteristics for latent constructs under complex sample designs. Mislevy (1991) derived a closed-form analytic solution for a fixed-effect model in creating…

Every year a group of graduates from high schools enter the engineering programs across this country with remarkable academic record. However, as reported in numerous studies, the number of students switching out of engineering majors continues to be an important issue. Previous studies have suggested various factors as predictors for student…

Leadership is a multifaceted skill as it requires the alignment of body, spirit and mind (Brown & Moshavi, 2005). Furthermore, it is a combination of behavior, actions and interaction between leaders and followers. It is characterized by the leaders' decisions' ability to influence followers' performance and achievement through their…

This dissertation answers three research questions: (1) What are the characteristics of a combinatoric measure, based on the Average Search Length (ASL), that performs the same as a probabilistic version of the ASL?; (2) Does the combinatoric ASL measure produce the same performance result as the one that is obtained by ranking a collection of…

The Cox proportional hazards model and the accelerated failure time model are frequently used in survival data analysis. They are powerful, yet have limitation due to their model assumptions. Quantile regression offers a semiparametric approach to model data with possible heterogeneity. It is particularly powerful for censored responses, where the…

The size and dynamism of the Web poses challenges for all its stakeholders, which include producers/consumers of content, and advertisers who want to place advertisements next to relevant content. A critical piece of information for the stakeholders is the demographics of the consumers who are likely to visit a given web site. However, predicting…

Rapid growth in eBusiness has made industry and commerce increasingly dependent on the hardware and software infrastructure that enables high-volume transaction processing across the Internet. Large transaction volumes at major industrial-firm data centers rely on robust transaction protocols and adequately provisioned hardware capacity to ensure…

Internet access in the workplace has become ubiquitous in many organizations. Often, employees need this access to perform their duties. However, many studies report a large percentage of employees use their work Internet access for non-work-related activities. These activities can result in reduced efficiency, increased vulnerability to cyber…

In its report "To Err is Human", The Institute of Medicine recommended the implementation of internal and external voluntary and mandatory automatic reporting systems to increase detection of adverse events. Knowledge Discovery in Databases (KDD) allows the detection of patterns and trends that would be hidden or less detectable if analyzed by…

Successful enrollment management uses predictive modeling to achieve specific goals for admission rates, yield rates, and class size. Many of these models rely on evaluating an applicant's interest in the institution through measures of pre-application engagement. Recent increases in the number of applicants who do not visibly interact with…

Leadership is critically important because it affects the health of the organization. Research has found that leadership is one of the most significant contributors to organizational performance. Expanding and replicating previous research, and focusing on the specific telecommunications sector, this study used multiple correlation and regression…