CORTEX FOR ACADEMICS
It's not whether you win or lose.
It's what you learn from the game.
That’s the thinking behind a collaboration between SAS and HEC Montréal, where students can play an online simulation game and learn analytics skills using predictive modeling technology. It’s a great way for professors to bring real-world experience into the classroom and an even better way for students to build their résumés. They compete for fun now – to win jobs in the future.
Watch this video to see how others are experiencing Cortex.
The Benefits
Students get the thrill of competition. Professors get a powerful instruction tool. Everyone wins.
Professors can:
- Adjust the level of the game based on student needs. Prebuilt SAS® Enterprise Miner™ diagrams are available for inexperienced students, while advanced students can create their own models.
- Encourage students to work on the game individually or collaboratively.
- Access a full suite of curriculum content, including an instructor guide and how-to videos.
- Deliver a complete experience to students by allowing them to play on a local install of SAS or 20 hours of access in the cloud.
Students can:
- Celebrate victory when results are uploaded to the leaderboard. Once students see how their results compare to their classmates', they can give it another shot to improve their ranking.
- Practice skills that will become an impressive addition to their résumés.
- Learn technology that could have a significant impact on their future careers.
- Earn a digital badge that can be shared online.
The Scenarios
The game is not unlike something you’d work on in real life.
Fundraising Scenario: You’re working on a fundraising campaign for a well-established, nonprofit charitable foundation. You must raise as much money as possible by using predictive modeling software; you’ll decide whom to call to get the most bang for your buck. You'll need to be strategic because cold-calling potential donors comes at a cost. Your goal? To raise the most profitable donations, quickly and efficiently. We’ll provide you with information on the organization and the data set of potential donors, as well as access to SAS® software. Once you're done, you'll upload your call list to the leaderboard and see where you rank.
Credit Risk Scenario: You're a loan officer working for a large bank. You must evaluate loan applicants' creditworthiness by developing a predictive model to determine whether they should be approved or rejected. To accomplish this, you'll receive a file with historical customer loan information, including demographics, financial indicators, credit-related metrics, type of funding requested and prior default history – plus you'll have access to SAS® software. Who gets a loan? Who doesn't? And, more importantly, how high will you rank on the scoreboard once your list is uploaded?
Customer Retention Scenario: Your employer, a large telecom company, has asked you to manage a customer loyalty campaign that involves planning an upscale event and courting the right customers. Your main goal, of course, is to increase loyalty and keep customers happy – but you also need to keep your employer happy by generating profits while keeping costs down. It's a delicate balance. Luckily, you'll have instructions, a data set and SAS® software to help you make the best decisions – and crush the competition.
The Starting Point
Ready to play? Follow these instructions. Put your game face on. Go.
Professors
- Contact us at cortex@hec.ca and tell us a little about the courses you're teaching and the experience level of your students. We'll send you access so you can test out the platform. We'll also answer any questions you have.
- Watch the on-demand webinar to learn more about the game, how to access it and how to get your students involved.
Students
- Interested in playing the game? Watch the video at the top of the page to see if Cortex might benefit your coursework.
- Encourage your professor to visit this page to learn more.
Pricing & Purchase Options
| Cortex using SAS® Enterprise Miner | Cortex Desktop | Cortex using SAS and Python | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game Materials and Leaderboard | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Available Scenarios | Fundraising, Credit Risk, Customer Retention | Fundraising, Credit Risk, Customer Retention | Fundraising |
| Software Access | 20 hours of software in the cloud | Bring your own install of SAS Enterprise Miner | SAS OnDemand for Academics and Python |
| Price | $100 | $50 | $35 |
Cortex Using SAS® Enterprise Miner
Includes access to SAS software in the cloud. Choose your scenario below.
Order Multiple Licenses
Universities that wish to purchase the game on behalf of their students can order activation codes. Students can then use the activation codes to access the game.
A deep dive into the world of machine learning, focusing on credit risk … The opportunity to learn and apply these tools in a competitive setting was immensely gratifying. Ahmed Ali Student, MSc in Business Analytics Ivey Business School
The Cortex analytics simulation game gave students an opportunity to apply concepts they learned in the program. It also allowed students to explore models that they may not have engaged with yet but will likely encounter in their future analytics roles. Overall, the case study, data, models and platform that are integrated into Cortex make it an excellent teaching tool in business analytics programs. Harish Krishnan Professor, Master of Business Analytics Program Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia
