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Course

Hyperparameter Tuning in R

AdvancedSkill Level

4.7+

Updated 03/2026

Learn how to tune your model's hyperparameters to get the best predictive results.

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RMachine Learning4 hr14 videos47 Exercises3,500 XP7,704Statement of Accomplishment

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Course Description

For many machine learning problems, simply running a model out-of-the-box and getting a prediction is not enough; you want the best model with the most accurate prediction. One way to perfect your model is with hyperparameter tuning, which means optimizing the settings for that specific model. In this course, you will work with the caret, mlr and h2o packages to find the optimal combination of hyperparameters in an efficient manner using grid search, random search, adaptive resampling and automatic machine learning (AutoML). Furthermore, you will work with different datasets and tune different supervised learning models, such as random forests, gradient boosting machines, support vector machines, and even neural nets. Get ready to tune!

Prerequisites

Machine Learning with caret in R

1

Introduction to hyperparameters

Why do we use the strange word "hyperparameter"? What makes it hyper? Here, you will understand what model parameters are, and why they are different from hyperparameters in machine learning. You will then see why we would want to tune them and how the default setting of caret automatically includes hyperparameter tuning.

Parameters vs hyperparameters

Model parameters vs. hyperparameters

Hyperparameters in linear models

What are the coefficients?

Recap of machine learning basics

Machine learning with caret

Resampling schemes

Hyperparameter tuning in caret

Hyperparameters in Stochastic Gradient Boosting

Changing the number of hyperparameters to tune

Tune hyperparameters manually

2

Hyperparameter tuning with caret

In this chapter, you will learn how to tune hyperparameters with a Cartesian grid. Then, you will implement faster and more efficient approaches. You will use Random Search and adaptive resampling to tune the parameter grid, in a way that concentrates on values in the neighborhood of the optimal settings.

Hyperparameter tuning in caret

Finding hyperparameters

Cartesian grid search in caret

Plot hyperparameter model output

Grid vs. Random Search

Grid search with range of hyperparameters

Find train() option for random search

Random search with caret

Adaptive resampling

Advantages of Adaptive Resampling

Adaptive Resampling with caret

3

Hyperparameter tuning with mlr

Here, you will use another package for machine learning that has very convenient hyperparameter tuning functions. You will define a Cartesian grid or perform Random Search, as well as advanced techniques. You will also learn different ways to plot and evaluate models with different hyperparameters.

Machine learning with mlr

Machine Learning with mlr

Modeling with mlr

Grid and random search with mlr

Random search with mlr

Perform hyperparameter tuning with mlr

Evaluating hyperparameters with mlr

Why to evaluate tuning?

Evaluating hyperparameter tuning results

Advanced tuning with mlr

Define advanced tuning controls

Define aggregated measures

Setting hyperparameters

4

Hyperparameter tuning with h2o

In this final chapter, you will use h2o, another package for machine learning with very convenient hyperparameter tuning functions. You will use it to train different models and define a Cartesian grid. Then, You will implement a Random Search use stopping criteria. Finally, you will learn AutoML, an h2o interface which allows for very fast and convenient model and hyperparameter tuning with just one function.

Machine learning with h2o

Prepare data for modelling with h2o

Modeling with h2o

Grid and random search with h2o

Grid search with h2o

Random search with h2o

Stopping criteria

Automatic machine learning with H2O

AutoML in h2o

Scoring the leaderboard

Extract h2o models and evaluate performance

Hyperparameter Tuning in R

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FAQs

Is this course suitable for beginners?

No. This coursed is aimed at Advanced learners with experience in programming in R.

Will I receive a certificate at the end of the course?

Yes, upon completing the course, you will receive a certificate of completion.

Who will benefit from this course?

Anyone working with supervised Machine Learning models such as Random Forests, Gradient Boosting Machines, Support Vector Machines and even Neural Nets could benefit from this course.

How long would it take to complete the course?

The course consists of 4 chapters and should take approximately 4 hours to complete.

What packages will I use in this course?

In this course, you will work with the caret, mlr and h2o packages to find optimal combinations of hyperparameters.

How will I tune hyperparameters?

You will use grid search, random search, adaptive resampling and automatic machine learning (AutoML) to tune hyperparameters.

Will I learn about plotting and evaluating models?

Yes, you will learn about plotting and evaluating models with different hyperparameters when you work with mlr and h2o packages.

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