Appendix D Test Items

1. Which of the following is the best definition of data analytics?

a. a set of tools used to make predictions about the future

b. descriptions of data

c. data used to determine the possible courses of action and the ramifications of varying courses of action

d. a field that extracts knowledge from data

2. Which of the following is the best definition of machine learning?

a. a set of tools used to make predictions about the future

b. descriptions of data

c. data used to determine the possible courses of action and the ramifications of varying courses of action

d. a scientific branch that creates algorithms that enable a computer to learn and make decisions when exposed to new data

3. Which of the following is the best definition of data science?

a. a set of tools used to make predictions about the future

b. descriptions of data

c. data used to determine the possible courses of action and the ramifications of varying courses of action

d. a field that extracts knowledge from data

4. Which of the following is the best definition of prescriptive analytics?

a. a set of tools used to make predictions about the future

b. descriptions of data

c. data used to determine the possible courses of action and the ramifications of varying courses of action

d. a field that extracts knowledge from data

5. Which of the following is the best definition of descriptive analytics?

a. a set of tools used to make predictions about the future

b. descriptions of data

c. data used to determine the possible courses of action and the ramifications of varying courses of action

d. a field that extracts knowledge from data

6. _____ is the amount of data generated.

a. volume

b. velocity

c. variety

d. veracity

7. When the Associated Press reported that there were two explosions at the White House and that President Obama had been injured, what factor related to data influenced this report?

a. volume

b. velocity

c. variety

d. veracity

8. Addie and Lacey started their own dating website called Dog Lovers Only.com. Before launching their new site, they met with a data storage proprietor and asked about whether the storage could grow with their business if it achieved the success of Farmers Only.com. What storage characteristic was of concern in this example?

a. scalability

b. redundancy

c. speed

d. proportion

9. When Addie and Lacey met with the data storage service for their new online dating service, Dog Lovers Only.com, they asked if the service included creating backup copies of their data. What storage characteristic was of concern in this example?

a. scalability

b. redundancy

c. speed

d. proportion

10. Data mining is best described as which of the following?

a. selling information to the highest bidder

b. selling the personal information of only users with high incomes.

c. hulling out information that is not useful

d. examining data for new, useful information

11. Target has created a predictive model based on buying patterns that can fairly accurately predict when a woman is pregnant.

a. True

b. False

12. Big data is simply a large data set that can be managed in Microsoft Excel or Access.

a. True

b. False

13. Humans generate data all the time without thinking twice about it, such as when we “favorite” a friend’s tweet on twitter.

a. True

b. False

14. Data mining is the field that attempts to extract knowledge from data through advanced mathematical analyses, computers, and databases.

a. True

b. False

15. Data gathered in the past cannot be used to make predictions about the future.

a. True

b. False

Essays:

16. Describe the difference between human-generated and machine-generated data.

17. Differentiate among the terms Big Data, machine learning, data science, and data analytics.

18. Explain Doug Laney’s 3 Vs of Big Data.

19. Explain Mark van Rijmenam’s additional 4 Vs of Big Data.

20. Describe the relationship between Big Data and cloud computing.

21. Evaluate different methods researchers can utilize to evaluate Big Data.

Matching:

22. Match each of the following terms with the correct statement.

a. Metadata = Information that provides context for other pieces of data generated.

b. Machine Learning = Branch of science involving the creation of algorithms that enable a computer to learn and make decisions when exposed to new data.

c. Data Nudging = The purposeful use of user-interface designs of various forms of technology that help guide consumers’ decision-making processes and behaviors in digital environments.

d. Prescriptive Analytics = Data analytics designed to determine possible courses of action and what the ramifications of these different courses of action would be.

e. Big Data = Data that are simply too large to store on a single computer and are beyond the scope of traditional statistical research software.