Advanced Linear Models for Data Science 1: Least Squares
Johns Hopkins University · View on Coursera ↗
Taught by Brian Caffo, PhD
Math and LogicData Science
About the course
Welcome to the Advanced Linear Models for Data Science Class 1: Least Squares. This class is an introduction to least squares from a linear algebraic and mathematical perspective. Before beginning the class make sure that you have the following: - A basic understanding of linear algebra and multivariate calculus. - A basic understanding of statistics and regression models. - At least a little familiarity with proof based mathematics. - Basic knowledge of the R programming language. After takin
The dissent
The most-upvoted critical review (9 votes, 3.0★).
“This course is very interesting and Professor Caffo is very good at teaching. The proposed material is not very well organised and even if there are multiple sources available (videos, book, YT videos) they all say the exact same things (literally): it isn't helpful, only redundant. Moreover, I felt a lack of context: yes, it is only a 6 weeks course and yes there is a strict relationship with at least other 5 courses on Coursera (as a prerequisite) so it may be hard to contextualise. Nevertheless the material seems to be taken here and there from other courses/specialisations so you often have the feeling that you are missing something that may have been said in a previous lesson that does not belong to this course (and I am not talking about basic linear algebra stuff) or you wonder "what are we trying to prove? And why?". Material desperately lacks homogeneity, and it's easy to lose focus. Last but not least: R is a prerequisite, which is a bit strange since the topic is very theoretical (and there are no practical references throughout the course). …”
Excerpt. Read the full review on Coursera ↗
Coursera's 4.5 comes from 192 ratings. Of those, 4.2% are 1–2★.
Starisk reads the reviews learners voted most helpful, and weights each by the square root of its votes: a review with 80 upvotes counts about five times one with 2. Unvoted reviews are not skipped out of laziness — by this model they carry no evidence that other students endorsed them.
That measures what the most-endorsed reviews say, not “true quality.” The rating distribution above is the whole population, so you can see the sample next to it.
Reviews read on 23 Oct 2026.Read them on Coursera ↗