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There are 4 modules in this course
Welcome to the Foundations of Machine Learning, your practical guide to fundamental techniques powering data-driven solutions. Master key ML domains—supervised learning (prediction), unsupervised learning (pattern discovery), data preprocessing & feature engineering, and time series forecasting—using Pandas, Scikit-learn, Statsmodels, and Prophet to tackle real-world challenges.
By the end of this course, you'll be able to:
- Implement and evaluate key supervised models (e.g., regression, classification, Tree-based models & SVMs) for prediction.
- Apply unsupervised methods (e.g., K-Means, Isolation Forest) for segmentation and anomaly detection.
- Perform robust data preprocessing: handle missing data, encode categoricals, scale features, and apply dimensionality reduction (PCA).
- Build and analyze time series forecasts with ARIMA, Exponential Smoothing, Holt-Winters and Prophet.
Through hands-on exercises and a capstone customer purchase prediction project, you'll develop versatile skills to confidently address common machine learning challenges.
Welcome to supervised learning, the foundation of modern machine learning! In this module, you'll master essential algorithms such as linear regression, logistic regression, decision trees, and support vector machines (SVMs) that form the backbone of predictive analytics. We'll guide you through hands-on implementations using industry-standard tools like Scikit-learn, helping you build models that can predict outcomes with impressive accuracy. By the end of this module, you'll be able to select the right algorithm for different problems, train and evaluate models effectively, and interpret their results to drive data-informed decisions.
What's included
13 videos10 readings6 assignments4 ungraded labs
Show info about module content
13 videos•Total 67 minutes
Welcome to the Course•3 minutes
Regression in Action: Predicting Sales From Advertising •6 minutes
Classification in Action: Predicting Diabetes From Patient Data•5 minutes
Understanding Regression Through a Real-World Example•6 minutes
Script-Building and Evaluating a Simple Linear Regression Model•6 minutes
Getting Started with Logistic Regression for Binary Classification•6 minutes
Evaluating Binary Classification Models with Logistic Regression•6 minutes
How Decision Trees Make Predictions in Healthcare•4 minutes
Evaluating Decision Tree Performance and Avoiding Overfitting•5 minutes
Improving Model Accuracy with Random Forests•5 minutes
Using SVMs to Recognize Handwritten Digits•5 minutes
How SVMs Make Decisions: Margins and Support Vectors•4 minutes
Using the RBF Kernel to Improve Classification•5 minutes
10 readings•Total 85 minutes
What Is Supervised Learning?•10 minutes
How Supervised Models Are Trained and Used in Real Life•7 minutes
What Is Linear Regression and How Does It Work? •7 minutes
Evaluating a Linear Regression Model•10 minutes
What Is Logistic Regression and Why Do We Use It? •10 minutes
How Do We Know If Our Classification Model Works?•10 minutes
How Do Decision Trees Work?•8 minutes
Decision Trees: Pros, Cons, and an Alternative•8 minutes
How Support Vector Machines Make Decisions •7 minutes
Knowledge Check: Decision Trees & Random Forests Key Concepts•15 minutes
Knowledge Check: SVM Key Concepts•15 minutes
4 ungraded labs•Total 240 minutes
Predicting House Prices Using Linear Regression•60 minutes
Predicting Loan Approval Using Logistic Regression•60 minutes
Attrition Prediction Using Decision Trees & Random Forests•60 minutes
Classifying Handwritten Digits Using SVMs•60 minutes
Unsupervised Learning
Module 2•7 hours to complete
Module details
What do you do when your data doesn't have labeled examples? In this module, you'll explore unsupervised learning, where algorithms find structure and insights in data all on their own. You'll master clustering techniques like K-Means and hierarchical clustering to group similar customers, products, or behaviors, and learn how to detect anomalies that could represent fraud or unusual events. By the end of this module, you'll be equipped with powerful tools to uncover hidden insights in your data that supervised methods might miss, expanding your toolkit for real-world data science challenges.
What's included
10 videos8 readings5 assignments4 ungraded labs
Show info about module content
10 videos•Total 44 minutes
What Makes Unsupervised Learning So Powerful•3 minutes
How Netflix & Spotify Use Unsupervised Learning•7 minutes
Exploring Unlabeled Data in Python•6 minutes
Customer Segmentation: Seeing Natural Clusters in Your Data•3 minutes
Clustering with K-Means: From Code to Customer Insights•3 minutes
Choosing the Best K with the Elbow Method•4 minutes
What Is Hierarchical Clustering and How Do We Visualize It?•4 minutes
Hierarchical Clustering in Action: Python Implementation & Insights•7 minutes
What Is Anomaly Detection? Exploring Credit Card Fraud Patterns•3 minutes
Anomaly Detection with Isolation Forest in Python•4 minutes
8 readings•Total 52 minutes
What Is Unsupervised Learning?•7 minutes
Anomaly Detection & Industry Applications•7 minutes
Segmenting Customers Using K-Means Clustering•60 minutes
Grouping Airline Customers Using Hierarchical Clustering•60 minutes
Detecting Credit Card Fraud with Isolation Forest•60 minutes
Data Preprocessing & Feature Engineering
Module 3•7 hours to complete
Module details
Did you know that data preparation often determines model success more than algorithm selection? In this essential module, you'll learn the critical skills of data preprocessing and feature engineering that separate novice from professional data scientists. We'll guide you through handling missing data, encoding categorical variables, scaling features, and selecting the most important attributes that will make your models shine. By mastering these techniques, you'll dramatically improve your models' accuracy and reliability, ensuring they perform well on real-world messy data that would otherwise cause less-prepared models to fail.
What's included
11 videos7 readings5 assignments4 ungraded labs
Show info about module content
11 videos•Total 45 minutes
Why Data Preprocessing & Feature Engineering Matter So Much•3 minutes
Why Missing Data Breaks Models: The Problem in Action•4 minutes
How Missing Data Affects Model Accuracy — and What to Do About It•5 minutes
Why ML Models Can't Handle Raw Categorical Data•5 minutes
Types of Categorical Variables and How to Encode Them•3 minutes
Label Encoding and Model Performance Comparison•5 minutes
Why Feature Scaling Matters in Machine Learning•5 minutes
Scaling Your Data: Normalization with Min-Max Scaler•3 minutes
Standardization with Z-Score Scaling + Impact on Model Performance•3 minutes
Why Too Many Features Can Hurt Your Model•3 minutes
Applying Feature Selection & PCA in Python•5 minutes
7 readings•Total 54 minutes
What Causes Missing Data—and Why It Matters•5 minutes
How to Handle Missing Data in ML Pipelines•8 minutes
Why We Encode Categorical Data in Machine Learning•10 minutes
Choosing the Right Encoding Method for Your Data•5 minutes
What Is Feature Scaling and Why It Matters in Machine Learning•6 minutes
Why and How We Select the Right Features•10 minutes
What Is Feature Extraction and When Should You Use It?•10 minutes
5 assignments•Total 90 minutes
Data Preprocessing & Feature Engineering Mastery•30 minutes
Knowledge Check: Handling Missing Data Key Concepts•15 minutes
Transforming Categorical Data for a Salary Prediction Model•60 minutes
Scaling Features for a Loan Approval Model•60 minutes
Reducing Features for a House Price Prediction Model•60 minutes
Time Series Forecasting
Module 4•8 hours to complete
Module details
Let's figure out how to properly make forecasts from time-based data! In this module, you'll learn specialized techniques for working with time-dependent data like stock prices, sales forecasts, and sensor readings that traditional ML approaches can't handle effectively. You'll implement practical forecasting models using tools like ARIMA, Exponential Smoothing, and Facebook Prophet, understanding how to identify trends, seasonality, and other temporal patterns. By the end of this module, you'll be able to build accurate forecasting systems that can predict future values based on historical patterns, adding a powerful and in-demand skill to your machine learning toolkit.
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What is a machine learning workflow in this course?
In this course, a machine learning workflow means turning raw data into usable model results through a repeatable sequence of preparation, modeling, and evaluation. The emphasis is on core foundations like prediction, pattern discovery, feature preparation, and time-based forecasting so you can see how the pieces fit together.
When would you use a machine learning workflow?
You would use a machine learning workflow when you need a structured way to move from raw data to a prediction, grouping, anomaly-finding, or forecast. In this course, it is used for problems where choosing a method and checking its results matters more than relying on intuition alone.
How does a machine learning workflow fit into a broader data workflow?
It sits between collecting data and using model outputs, giving you a clear process for preparing inputs, training methods, and judging results. The course treats it as the link between data preparation and applied tasks like prediction, pattern discovery, and forecasting.
How is a machine learning workflow different from traditional data analysis?
Traditional data analysis is mainly about describing what is already in the data, while a machine learning workflow is about learning patterns that can be applied to new cases. In this course, that means going beyond summaries and charts to train, test, and interpret models.
Do you need any prerequisites before learning a machine learning workflow?
A basic understanding of data analysis and Python-based work is helpful, because the course focuses on applying machine learning methods rather than only defining them. What matters most is being able to work with tabular data, follow a modeling process, and interpret results.
What tools, platforms, or methods are used in this course?
The course uses Python-based tools, especially Pandas for working with data and Scikit-learn for building and evaluating models. It also introduces forecasting-focused libraries for time series work.
What specific tasks will you practice or complete in this course?
You'll practice preparing data, building prediction models, exploring unlabeled data for groups or unusual cases, and creating forecasts from time-based patterns. Across those tasks, the course keeps the focus on following a repeatable machine learning workflow from input data to evaluated output.