# A Fair Post-Processing Method based on the MADD Metric for Predictive Student Models

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.05398 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.05398/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 6 of its 10 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 7 Jul 2024.

## Builds on (most cited first, 6 of 6)

- [A Survey on Bias and Fairness in Machine Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1908.09635/) (2019)
- [A Clarification of the Nuances in the Fairness Metrics Landscape](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.00467/) (2021)
- [Algorithmic Fairness in Education](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2007.05443/) (2020)
- [Educational data mining and learning analytics: An updated survey](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.07956/) (2024)
- [Equity and Artificial Intelligence in Education: Will "AIEd" Amplify or Alleviate Inequities in Education?](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2104.12920/) (2021)
- [Is Your Model "MADD"? A Novel Metric to Evaluate Algorithmic Fairness for Predictive Student Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.15342/) (2023)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Predictive student models are increasingly used in learning environments. However, due to the rising social impact of their usage, it is now all the more important for these models to be both sufficiently accurate and fair in their predictions. To evaluate algorithmic fairness, a new metric has been developed in education, namely the Model Absolute Density Distance (MADD). This metric enables us to measure how different a predictive model behaves regarding two groups of students, in order to quantify its algorithmic unfairness. In this paper, we thus develop a post-processing method based on this metric, that aims at improving the fairness while preserving the accuracy of relevant predictive models' results. We experiment with our approach on the task of predicting student success in an online course, using both simulated and real-world educational data, and obtain successful results. Our source code and data are in open access at https://github.com/melinaverger/MADD .