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There are 3 modules in this course
Are you ready to master one of machine learning’s most powerful and interpretable algorithms? This course will guide you through the complete journey of understanding, building, and evaluating decision tree models using Java, the enterprise-standard programming language. You’ll start by exploring the core concepts, how decision trees partition data, why splitting criteria such as entropy and the Gini index matter, and when decision trees outperform other algorithms. From there, you’ll move into hands-on implementation, using industry-standard tools like Weka’s intuitive GUI and Java API along with Smile’s high-performance library to develop, tune, and deploy models. Through practical exercises, you’ll learn to configure hyperparameters, balance rapid prototyping with production-ready design, and apply robust model evaluation techniques such as confusion matrices, cross-validation, and key performance metrics.
Aspiring and experienced data scientists, Java developers, and machine learning engineers seeking to build, evaluate, and interpret decision tree models for real-world applications in finance, healthcare, and business analytics.
Basic Java programming experience, understanding of object-oriented concepts, and fundamental knowledge of data science principles required.
By the end of the course, you’ll be equipped to detect and reduce overfitting, optimize model performance, and effectively communicate insights to technical and business stakeholders alike.
Explore decision tree foundations including tree structure, classification mechanics, splitting criteria like entropy and Gini index, and how recursive partitioning creates predictive models for machine learning applications.
What's included
4 videos2 readings1 peer review
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 23 minutes
Welcome to Build and Evaluate Decision Trees with ML•3 minutes
Introduction to Decision Trees and Their Structure•6 minutes
Splitting Criteria for Entropy and Information Gain•6 minutes
Gini Index and Comparing Splitting Methods•7 minutes
2 readings•Total 10 minutes
Welcome to the Course: Course Overview•5 minutes
Decision Tree Algorithm Fundamentals and Mathematical Foundations•5 minutes
1 peer review•Total 20 minutes
Hands-On-Learning: Calculate Splitting Criteria for Medical Diagnosis Dataset•20 minutes
Building Decision Trees in Java
Module 2•1 hour to complete
Module details
Build decision tree classifiers using Weka's GUI and Java API, then explore Smile library for modern implementations. Configure hyperparameters, train models on real datasets, and export trained models.
What's included
3 videos1 reading1 peer review
Show info about module content
3 videos•Total 26 minutes
Setting Up Your Java ML Environment•7 minutes
Building Decision Trees with Weka GUI and Java API•10 minutes
Implementing Decision Trees with Smile Library•9 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Java Machine Learning Libraries and Best Practices•5 minutes
1 peer review•Total 20 minutes
Hands-On-Learning: Build and Compare Decision Tree Models Using Weka and Smile•20 minutes
Evaluating Decision Tree Performance
Module 3•2 hours to complete
Module details
Evaluate decision tree performance using confusion matrices, accuracy metrics, precision, recall, and F1-scores. Apply cross-validation techniques to assess model generalization. Learn to interpret results and identify overfitting.
What's included
4 videos1 reading1 assignment2 peer reviews
Show info about module content
4 videos•Total 40 minutes
Understanding Confusion Matrices and Classification Metrics•7 minutes
Cross-Validation Techniques for Model Assessment•13 minutes
Identifying Overfitting and Model Optimization•15 minutes
Course Wrap-up•4 minutes
1 reading•Total 5 minutes
Model Evaluation Best Practices and Performance Metrics•5 minutes
1 assignment•Total 20 minutes
Build & Evaluate Decision Trees for ML•20 minutes
2 peer reviews•Total 80 minutes
Hands-On-Learning: Comprehensive Model Evaluation and Performance Analysis•20 minutes
Project: Real-Time Streaming Pipeline for Fraud Detection•60 minutes
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What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
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Is financial aid available?
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