Foundations of Causal Model Development

This unit develops students’ ability to design and communicate conceptual and process models for causal AI, covering the visual elements and fundamental building blocks of causal models. It also establishes collaborative practices and hybrid-team roles for planning model creation, preparing learners for hands-on model building and evaluation in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze conceptual and process models to identify key variables, causal assumptions, and system boundaries within given scenarios
• Apply elements of visual modeling and fundamental causal AI components to construct clear conceptual and process diagrams for a case study
• Demonstrate effective collaboration between business and analytics professionals by defining team roles and producing a hybrid-team project plan that aligns stakeholders and model objectives
• Evaluate complex causal models and the model-creation workflow by critiquing model structure, identifying risks and limitations, and recommending improvements for implementation