At the beginning of this course, I indicated that I wanted to learn how to use Smart PLS and possibly the R software for data analysis. During the second week, I explored what smartPLS is about and how to download the software, and I also did some readings. During the third week, I signed up for an online workshop on the R studio, where I learned about the user interface of R studio and how to run some commands. I must tell you that the R software is very difficult to navigate, and I doubt if I can be very efficient in using that software.

However, as I began exploring the SmartPLS user interface, I realized that I needed to familiarize myself with some key ideas and the meaning of some statistical techniques to enable me to explore the assessment model in SmartPLS. These techniques include exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), path analysis, and bootstrapping. So I had to check on YouTube as my go-to learning platform.

To further enhance my learning, I came across this slideshare presentation, Confirmatory factor analysis overview, which also provided guidance on the rule of thumb for factor loadings on a specific model when doing CFA or EFA. I also used Practical Introduction to CFA and explored more on the path analysis using the below YouTube video, and I was able to get a soft copy of the 6th edition of Advanced and Multivariate Statistical Methods. 

I latter realized that I will need a set of data to enable me to explore this software effectively. Why I am busy reading up on the various techniques, I also had to ask a colleague to help me share an online survey I drafted for this purpose.

Just as I said earlier, my goal is to be able to run a sophisticated and complex statistical analysis that involves structural equation modeling. I want to do a video of my learning, but this can only happen when I start running my own model. which I think I will begin in my next phase since the participants that had access to my questionnaire through my colleague have started responding. But I will first need to clean up the data and do a code book from an Excel sheet before transferring the data to the smartPLS platform. This is what my week 5 and 6 update will entail because coding participants responses is a bit of work.