Prudence Djagba

Prudence Djagba, J. K. Buwa Mbouobda

Breast cancer is a major global health issue that affects millions of women worldwide. Classification of breast cancer as early and accurately as possible is crucial for effective treatment and enhanced patient outcomes. Deep transfer learning has emerged as a promising technique for improving breast cancer classification by utilizing pre-trained models and transferring knowledge across related tasks. In this study, we examine the use of a VGG, Vision Transformers (ViT) and Resnet to classify images for Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) cancer and make a comparative analysis of the algorithms. The result shows a great advantage of Resnet-34 with an accuracy of $90.40\%$ in classifying cancer images. However, the pretrained VGG-16 demonstrates a higher F1-score because there is less parameters to update. We believe that the field of breast cancer diagnosis stands to benefit greatly from the use of deep transfer learning. Transfer learning may assist to increase the accuracy and accessibility of breast cancer screening by allowing deep learning models to be trained with little data.

Prudence Djagba, Callixte Ndizihiwe

This study investigates the application of machine learning algorithms, particularly in the context of pricing American options using Monte Carlo simulations. Traditional models, such as the Black-Scholes-Merton framework, often fail to adequately address the complexities of American options, which include the ability for early exercise and non-linear payoff structures. By leveraging Monte Carlo methods in conjunction Least Square Method machine learning was used. This research aims to improve the accuracy and efficiency of option pricing. The study evaluates several machine learning models, including neural networks and decision trees, highlighting their potential to outperform traditional approaches. The results from applying machine learning algorithm in LSM indicate that integrating machine learning with Monte Carlo simulations can enhance pricing accuracy and provide more robust predictions, offering significant insights into quantitative finance by merging classical financial theories with modern computational techniques. The dataset was split into features and the target variable representing bid prices, with an 80-20 train-validation split. LSTM and GRU models were constructed using TensorFlow's Keras API, each with four hidden layers of 200 neurons and an output layer for bid price prediction, optimized with the Adam optimizer and MSE loss function. The GRU model outperformed the LSTM model across all evaluated metrics, demonstrating lower mean absolute error, mean squared error, and root mean squared error, along with greater stability and efficiency in training.

Leonora Kaldaras, Tingting Li, Prudence Djagba et al.

Learning Progressions (LPs) can help adjust instruction to individual learners needs if the LPs reflect diverse ways of thinking about a construct being measured, and if the LP-aligned assessments meaningfully measure this diversity. The process of doing science is inherently multi-modal with scientists utilizing drawings, writing and other modalities to explain phenomena. Thus, fostering deep science understanding requires supporting students in using multiple modalities when explaining phenomena. We build on a validated NGSS-aligned multi-modal LP reflecting diverse ways of modeling and explaining electrostatic phenomena and associated assessments. We focus on students modeling, an essential practice for building a deep science understanding. Supporting culturally and linguistically diverse students in building modeling skills provides them with an alternative mode of communicating their understanding, essential for equitable science assessment. Machine learning (ML) has been used to score open-ended modeling tasks (e.g., drawings), and short text-based constructed scientific explanations, both of which are time-consuming to score. We use ML to evaluate LP-aligned scientific models and the accompanying short text-based explanations reflecting multi-modal understanding of electrical interactions in high school Physical Science. We show how LP guides the design of personalized ML-driven feedback grounded in the diversity of student thinking on both assessment modes.