Modeling optimization problems in the unstructured world of spreadsheets

Conway, Daniel G.; Ragsdale, Cliff T.

doi:10.1016/s0305-0483(97)00004-2

Cited by 36 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 3 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Grading homework assignments and exams can be a very time-consuming chore if students are permitted to construct their models in any form. Spreadsheet is inherently free-form and imposes no particular structure on the way problems may be modeled (Conway and Ragsdale, 1997). Although model building is an art and comes only with practice (Mathur and Solow, 1994), there is also a place for a relatively structured approach so that students have a conceptual approach and design guidelines they can follow whilst they gain experience.…”

Section: Structured Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One short sentence can be all it takes to let the reader know how or why some things are done in a certain way. Other useful methodological and design principles are debated in Conway and Ragsdale (1997) and Mather (1999).…”

Section: Structured Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As noted by Conway and Ragsdale (1997), apart from positional separation, the inputs, decision variables and outputs can be color coded to enhance user-friendliness. For example, all decision variables cells can be in a red border, all input cells in a blue border and shaded, and the target cell (output) in a double black border.…”

Section: User-friendlinessmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A Spreadsheet-Based Approach for Operations Research Teaching

Munisamy

2009

IES

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper considers the use of spreadsheet for introducing students to a variety of quantitative models covered in an introductory Operations Research (OR) course at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. This approach allows students to develop skills in modeling as they learn to apply the various quantitative models in a spreadsheet. Indeed, imparting spreadsheet and modeling skills with OR skills will make students highly sought after in the modern workplace. This paper goes on to report on the experience in using spreadsheet in the Introductory OR course and students evaluations.

show abstract

Section: Structured Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Structured Methodologymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

A Spreadsheet-Based Approach for Operations Research Teaching

Munisamy

2009

IES

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The literature contains various recommendations on how to implement advanced spreadsheet tools. Conway and Ragsdale (1997) provide guidelines which should help with implementing reliable, auditable, and modifiable spreadsheet tools. Edwards et al (2000) provide numerous "best practice points" for a spreadsheet implementation.…”

Section: Figure 1: Schematic Process Of Accomplishing a Business Taskmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elements of End-User Software Engineering

Scheubrein

2003

INFORMS Transactions on Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Today many end-users implement software tools on their own due to their high, general computer literacy and the increased user-friendliness of the software. The most popular and ubiquitous software packages to implement such personal productivity tools for analytical purposes are spreadsheets. A general problem is that a typical knowledge worker in the role of an end-user does not have explicit training in software engineering. Therefore, in this article some aspects of software engineering in general and spreadsheet engineering in particular are discussed. Based on this discussion several guidelines for implementing spreadsheet-based tools are given. Applying these guidelines helps to design spreadsheet-based tools that can be easily reused, extended, and shared with other users. A case study illustrates how to use Microsoft Excel to implement a tool which is in compliance with these guidelines. The case study is designed as an introduction for MBA students on how to implement spreadsheet-based analytical tools.Editor's note: This is a pdf copy of an html document which resides at http://ite.pubs.informs.org/Vol4No1/ Scheubrein/

show abstract

“…In the 1990s, the use of spreadsheets for data management and problem formulation and solution increased dramatically (Erickson and Turban 1985, Jones 1986, Winston 1996, Conway and Ragsdale 1997, Martin 2000. The next innovation focused spreadsheet capabilities on business decision models and the use of management science in these models (Bodily 1996, Mather 1999, Powell 2000, Robinson et al 2003, Sokol 2005, Grossman 2006).…”

Section: Introduction and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Online Teaching in a Large, Required, Undergraduate Management Science Course

Miltenburg

2019

INFORMS Transactions on Education

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. This paper describes how a required management science course is taught online to a large number of undergraduate business school students. The paper describes the design of the online course, how online documents are created, testing, student effort and performance, and student evaluation of the course. Some of the insights are as follows. (i) In a large, required, undergraduate business school course, many students seek a shallow rather than in-depth understanding of the course material. Doing the course online makes it easier for these students to acquire this understanding and achieve a good final course grade. (ii) The online course works well for about 85% of the students and for the university. It works less well for about 15% of the students who procrastinate, then fall behind, and cannot catch up. Improving the course design for these students is a priority. (iii) When the amount of online video material increases, students value the course more and value the instructor less. Consequently, an instructor contemplating online teaching should think very carefully about how student evaluation of instructor effectiveness will be done.

show abstract

Modeling optimization problems in the unstructured world of spreadsheets

Cited by 36 publications

References 3 publications

A Spreadsheet-Based Approach for Operations Research Teaching

A Spreadsheet-Based Approach for Operations Research Teaching

Elements of End-User Software Engineering

Online Teaching in a Large, Required, Undergraduate Management Science Course

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About