Cedar Works
Cedar Works Explainable AI Lectures
Abstract visualization of AI model layers and decision pathways
Cedar Works — Explainable AI

When a model decides, you should know why

A lecture series on explainable artificial intelligence — built for practitioners who need to understand, justify, and audit the systems they deploy.

What this asks of you

The program runs across eight sequential modules, each building directly on the last. Expect roughly four to six hours per module — split between lecture content, worked examples, and a short written reflection. There is no live attendance requirement.

Access is structured, not open-ended. Each module unlocks after the previous one is marked complete, which keeps the material in sequence and prevents gaps from forming.

Structured learning pathway with sequential module progression
Format

Pre-recorded lectures with annotated slides, downloadable as PDF. No live sessions.

Duration

Eight modules. Most learners finish within nine to twelve weeks at a measured pace.

Assessment

Module reflections and a final case study. No timed exams, no pass-or-fail pressure.

Learner reviewing technical documentation and model output explanations

Who gets the most from this

This program works best for people who already have some exposure to machine learning — enough to have encountered a model output and wondered what produced it.

You do not need a research background. You do need patience with technical reading and a willingness to sit with incomplete understanding before it resolves.

  • Familiarity with at least one ML framework (scikit-learn, TensorFlow, or similar)
  • Comfort reading Python code at an intermediate level
  • Interest in how decisions made by models can be explained to non-technical stakeholders
  • Prior knowledge of XAI methods is not expected — SHAP, LIME, and attention maps are introduced from the ground up

The people behind the material

Three practitioners who have each spent years working at the intersection of model development and accountability.

Dagmar Ohlsson, lead curriculum designer and AI researcher

Dagmar Ohlsson

Curriculum Lead — Interpretability Methods

Dagmar spent six years at a financial services firm where regulatory auditors required written justification for every automated credit decision. She built the LIME and SHAP modules from that experience directly.

Radovan Blažek, applied ML engineer and course contributor

Radovan Blažek

Applied ML — Model Auditing

Radovan has contributed to three open-source XAI toolkits and led internal audit processes for deployed models in a healthcare logistics context. His modules focus on what happens after deployment.

Nneka Fawole, AI ethics researcher and course contributor

Nneka Fawole

AI Ethics — Accountability Frameworks

Nneka's background spans policy research and technical implementation. She designed the final module on communicating model behaviour to regulators and non-technical decision-makers.

The SHAP module changed how I write model documentation. I had been describing outputs — now I describe reasoning.

— Petra Kuznetsová, data analyst, Windsor ON
Learner working through XAI case study documentation
Course material showing feature attribution analysis and model explanation output
270 learners who have completed at least one module since 2015
4.7 average rating across all completed modules
8 sequential modules, each with worked code examples
Certificates

Completion certificate issued on final case study submission — includes module breakdown for portfolio use.

Language

All lectures, slides, and written materials are in English. Adapted for Canadian educational context.

Access

Twelve months of access from enrolment date. Download slides and worked notebooks at any point.

Updates

Modules are reviewed annually. Learners enrolled in the current cohort receive updates at no additional cost.