Dec. 12, 2015
Today was the second day to work on our group project. Now that our High Level Design Document was finished, it was time to gather our data. We began by researching the influences on the price of gas. We found that various factors such as the supply of crude oil, the refinement cost of crude oil, and the demand of gas all affect the gas price. Once we gathered the required data, we began to work on our three models. Brandon worked on the Vensim model, Israfil worked on the Microsoft Excel model, and I worked on the Agent Cubes Online model. We finished a sizable amount of work today. Although we still needed to fix some things, I was satisfied with the general quality of our work.
Dec. 5, 2015
Today we began working on our first group project. I partnered up with my friends Israfil and Brandon. I was somewhat worried when I learned we would only have three days to finish our project, but once me and my group got started, things went by fast. We spent most of the day planning out our project. The project requirements consisted of a High Level Design Document (HLD), and three different models using Microsoft Excel, Vensim, and Agent Cubes Online. We decided to do our project on the fluctuation of gas prices over time, and we began by creating a High Level Design Document.
Nov. 21, 2015
Today we began with Dr. Panoff teaching us about "brain phases". The different phases are Expectation, Observation, and Reflection. Dr. Panoff explained that whenever we are doing something, we are in one of these phases. Later on, we learned how to use another modeling program called Agent Cubes Online. We used Agent Cubes Online to create a model of disease spreading throughout a population. Agent Cubes Online was probably my favorite modeling tool overall, because it offered a lot of fun features and customization. Agent Cubes Online can also be accessed from the internet, so downloading software is not required.
Nov. 14, 2015
Today we talked about modeling again, and this time we used a program called Vensim. Vensim is different than Microsoft Excel in that it offers a more visual display. Microsoft Excel and Vensim seem appropriate for different types of models. Vensim has some amazing features, such as the ability to simulate your model, and watch a graph of your model's data change over time. I really enjoyed the interactivity of Vensim, and I hope we will get to use it again.
Nov. 7, 2015
Today we talked a lot about modeling and the purpose of modeling. We used Microsoft Excel spreadsheets to make our own model. We made a model of a rabbit population plagued with a disease. The model showed how the spreading disease affected the rabbit population over time. Dr. Panoff explained the growing demand of modeling skills in the workforce. He said it was ranked the #1 skill desired by CEO's according to a study. I found the statistics very intriguing, and I learned how important modeling is in the world today.