Date:         Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:00:20 -0400
Reply-To:     Geoffrey Hubona <ghubona@CIS.GSU.EDU>
Sender:       "SAS(r) Discussion" <SAS-L@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Geoffrey Hubona <ghubona@CIS.GSU.EDU>
Subject:      Live, online SmartPLS SEM workshops June 11-12 and June 18-19
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We are conducting two online Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) workshops using SmartPLS for faculty, practitioners, and students during June 2010. SmartPLS is an extremely popular, and free PLS path modeling SEM tool, in contrast to the SAS covariance modeling SEM tool, PROC CALIS (or LISREL, or SPSS AMOS, or EQS, or MPlus, etc.). Before May 16th (early registration), the cost for faculty and/or practitioners is $250 USD (using the discount code 'early'). The cost for full-time students (before May 16) is $175 (USD) (using the discount code 'earlystudent' while registering for the workshop). The globally-available, synchronous, online workshops are scheduled for June 11-12 @ Noon-4PM EDT (GMT-5) and on June 18-19 @ 6PM - 10PM EST (GMT-5). The later 'at-night' workshop is intended for the convenience of Pacific Rim countries.

There is more information about workshop content, instructor, and registration information at the following sites:

1.      https://www.regonline.com/smartpls-june-2010 (please copy and paste the url, do not click on it) 
2.      https://www.regonline.com/smartpls-june-18-19-2010 (please copy and paste the url, do not click on it) 

Please note that a portion of the revenues from these workshops go to the respective University's software development team to keep the cost and availability of SmartPLS free for academic use.

In cooperation with: (1) the University of Hamburg; (2) Radboud University and PLS-School; and (3) faculty at Georgia State University, we are offering globally-available, synchronous, live, interactive, video- and audio-supported online workshops for structural equation modeling (SEM) partial least squares (PLS) path modeling using SmartPLS. These online workshops are conducted using the award-winning eLearning platform Elluminate Live ! The purpose of the online workshops are to inform participants of the uses and applications of PLS path modeling using SmartPLS and to provide live, "hands-on" demonstrations of the basic and intermediate techniques of using SmartPLS.

The workshops consist of two integrated sessions on two consecutive days. All that is required to participate is a fast, reliable Internet connection (not dial-up) and a set of inexpensive headphones with a microphone. There is no cost for participants to use the Elluminate Live ! platform. Participants receive: (1) the SmartPLS software; (2) all training materials, data sets, and slides from the training sessions; (3) abundant literature regarding PLS path modeling; and (4) access to high-fidelity recordings of all of the presented live material after the workshop is completed (on Internet-provided recordings available free of charge for three months following the workshop). These workshop recordings are for individual participant use only, and include all video, audio and "hands-on" demonstrations and exercises.

In addition to an introduction to PLS path modeling using SmartPLS, the following topics (in addition to others) are included:

        CB-SEM vs. PLS-SEM 
        SmartPLS Visual Interface 
        Scale Development 
        Bootstrapping vs. Jackknifing 
        Blindfolding 
        PLS Algorithm 
        Theory Testing vs. Prediction 
        Assessment of PLS Path modeling estimates (measurement model and structural model)
           Reflective vs. Formative 
        Interpreting SmartPLS Output 
        Overall Goodness-of-Fit 
        Effect Size 
        Reflective vs. Formative indicators 
        Second-order Factor Models 
        Mediating Factors 
           Assessing the effect 
        Moderating Factors 
           Product indicator approach 
           Group differences approach 
           Three-Way Interactions 
           Determining strength of moderating effect 
           Two-stage approach 
        Non-linear Effects 
        Heterogeneity, Segmentation and FIMIX-PLS 

The workshop agenda approximates the following schedule. There are seven separate learning modules in each workshop, five of which conclude with a "hands-on" exercise using SmartPLS with existing data sets (provided).

DAY 1

1.      Introduction to PLS, Latent Constructs, SEM and SmartPLS 
2.      Basic path modeling with SmartPLS 
        Basic path modeling exercise - TAM model data 
3.      Evaluating PLS path models 
        Model evaluation exercise - UTAUT model data 

DAY 2

1.      PLS algorithm, bootstrapping, jackknifing and blindfolding 
2.      Mediation 
        Mediation exercise - Social presence model data 
3.      Moderating variables 
        Moderation exercise - UTAUT moderating relationships 
4.      Second order models, multi-group analysis, heterogeneous data and FIMIX-PLS 
        FIMIX-PLS exercise - UTAUT heterogeneous data 

Please send questions to ghubona@gmail.com.

Geoffrey S. Hubona 
Associate Professor 
Computer Information Systems 
J. Mack Robinson College of Business 
Georgia State University 
Atlanta, Georgia