Design and Implementation of Examination Time-table Scheduling System in a Tertiary Institution
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF STUDY
The world is changing into a global village and the quest for knowledge and information is increasing. The computing is fast dominating all the aspects of life and many academic institution activities. There is a need for an easy way for planning and scheduling the school examination time table. To achieve this purpose, the following objectives must be put into consideration:
- Reducing clashes in time and venues for exams.
- To develop a system that will capture the actual sizes of the class and allocate venues accordingly.
- Develop a system that will create room for carryover to write their exams without clashes.
- Developing a system that will create room easy amendment where there are errors.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Examination timetabling is one of the most important administrative activities that takes place in all academic institutions. In this paper we present a critical discussion of the research on exam timetabling in the last decade or so. This last ten years has seen a significantly increased level of research attention for this important area. There has been a range of insightful contributions to the scientific literature both in terms of theoretical issues and practical aspects. The main aim of this survey is to highlight the new trends and key research achievements that have been carried out in the last decade. We also aim to outline a range of relevant important research issues and challenges that have been generated by this body of work.
DEFINITION OF TIME TABLE
Souza (2000) defines a timetable as the total schedule of a specific teaching, period of work or time to do a specific task, which will be attended by a group of students and the lecturer, at a specified time. He further stated that it requires specific resources such as, venue, examination aids such as papers-answer script and question papers probably writing material. Scheduling is parallel to the resources made available besides fulfilling other needs. In other words, time table can be also be refered to as a schedule of events that guides a school activities throughout the day, week, term or year.[Common Wealth of Learning(2000)]. Further more it stated that for each activity, a timetable generally specifies a starting time and an ending time and in some cases indicates who is involved and how the activity will be conducted.
HISTORY OF TIME TABLE
Timetabling problems arise in various forms including educational timetabling (e.g.), nurse scheduling sports timetabling and transportation timetabling. They have represented a challenging and important problem area for researchers across both Operational Research and Artificial Intelligence since the 1960s. Recent years have seen an increased level of research activity in this area. This is evidenced (among other things) by the emergence of a series of international conferences on the Practice and theory on automated Timetabling, and the establishment of a EURO (European Association of Operational Research Societies) working group on automated timetabling. Burke, Kingston and de Werra (2004) gave a definition of general timetabling, which covers many cases:
A timetabling problem is a problem with four parameters: T, a finite set of times; R, a finite set of resources; M, a finite set of meetings; and C, a finite set of constraints. The problem is to assign times and resources to the meetings so as to satisfy the constraints as far as possible. Among the wide variety of timetabling problems, educational timetabling is one of the most widely studied, from a practical viewpoint. It is one of the most important and time-consuming tasks which occur periodically (i.e. annually, quarterly, etc.) in all academic institutions. The quality of the timetabling has a great impact on a broad range of different stakeholders including lecturers, student and administrators. Variants of educational timetabling include school timetabling (class-teacher scheduling), university course timetabling, exam timetabling, and faculty timetabling and classroom assignment. It has been observed that course and exam timetabling are relatively close problems but very significant differences do exist. This survey will concentrate on examination timetabling.
An excellent survey of examination timetabling was published in 1986 and an insightful follow up paper appeared in 1996. However, a significant number of research papers in the area have been published since 1996. This paper will concentrate upon the research that has appeared since the publication of. The last decade has seen the establishment of a collection of benchmark exam timetabling problems which have been used by many of the examination timetabling research papers that have appeared since 1996.
CHAPTER THREE
SYSTEM ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
INTRODUCTION
It has been established that physical achieves are not always helpful a much better alternative is to use automated examination time table allocation system. This implies the creation of database management system (DBMS) which ensure that computer records are kept up to date and made available on demand to those who need them for planning and operational purpose. The level of success achieved in carrying out this research work is owed to the methodology adopted.
A research methodology is a systematic programming approach of a well-defined procedure that should be followed in carrying out a thorough research work. An adequately suitable methodology would ensure a very detail research work and ensure a higher degree of accuracy and efficiency. In other to attain quiet a reasonable acceptance of the research work we made use of the internationally accepted software engineering model, which is Structured System Analysis and Design Methodology. (SSADM).
The (SSADM) is a system approach` to the analysis and design of information system. It involves the application of a sequence of analysis, documentation and design tasks concern with the analysis of the current system logical data design, logical process design, etc. The research methodology used helps us to ensure that a thorough study of the present system is effectively carried out thus helping I and my project partner to completely understand the modus operandi of the present system so as to know how the new system should be structured and the functionalities needed in it to address the seemingly existing problems discovered. This helps to know if there should be total overhauling of the existing system or if only modification should be made. From the research carried out the existing system is a manual system which gives the option of overhauling the manual system the SSADM is adopted to create entirely a new system.
SYSTEM ANALYSIS
At the course of this research project work we have been able to collect information through several method of data collection in other to ensure that the existing system is investigated properly and that we have proper knowledge of the existing system. Some of this information are gotten directly from the organization while some are gotten aside the organization.
CHAPTER FOUR
SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
INTRODUCTION
Basically, system implementation involves creating the new system that brings the proposed system to life and placing it to the organization. This involves coding and testing, necessary software or hardware installation. Installation may proceed in four ways: direct, parallel, phased or pilot. It also touches areas such as programming language used, computer support, hardware and software involved. At this phase, close coordination is put in place in order to make the system not just remarkable but successful. Finally maintenance, which involves monitoring the new system to ensure that it is successful running and also updating and upgrading the system to keep pace with new requirements.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Summary
This research work examine some of the problems associated with the manual system of allocating examination time table in our higher institution using Federal Polytechnic Nekede Owerri (SIAS) as a case study. The study further outlined the procedure used to develop the software product for the automation of the examination time table allocation, attainment of the goals and necessary requirements for the implementation. The standard System Analysis And Design Methodology(SSADM) procedure was used to analyze the technical operation and economic feasibility of implementing the new system. It also considered the impact of the proposed system on the targeted end-users.
Conclusion
The tremendous of electronic technology such as computer on the human psychological capabilities and other related activities are very obvious and as such cannot be over emphasized. Based on the findings of this research work, it is clear that despite the identified challenges militating against the use of the new system, that it’s successful implementation will go a long way to improve time table allocation in Federal Polytechnic Nekede and related Institutions.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on the findings from this research, the following are recommended:
- Competent hands in the area of information technology should be engaged in the Exam Time Committee unit to handle IT related issues including this Automated Time Table System.
- Before the system is deployed for allocation of exam time table, it is important that power backup systems and other necessary maintenance facilities should be adequately provided.
- Other members of the staff of time table committee should be trained and retrained through workshops and seminars to prepare them for the changeover to the new system.
BIBLOGRAPHY
- M.J.F Souza; School Time Tabling, an approximation by metaheuristics(in portuguese).Phd thesis, systems Engineering and computer Science program federal University of Rio de Jenero Brazil, December 2000.
- E.k. Burke, J.H Kingston & D. de Werra (2000); Applications to Time Tabling
- Common Wealth of Learning & SADC Ministry of Education(2000); Module 14, Curriculum Practice.
- Schaerf A.. A survey of automated timetabling. Artificial Intelligence Review 13(2): 87-127.(1999).
- De Werra, .: An Introduction to Timetabling. Eur. J. Oper. Res 19, 151-162(1995)
- Abramson D (1991) Constructing School Timetables Using Simulated Annealing: Sequential and Parallel Algorithm. Management Science, Vol 37, No.1 98-113.
- E.H.L. Aarts, J. Korst and W. Michiels (2005). Simulated annealing. In: E.K.
- Burke and G. Kendall (eds.) (2005). Introductory Tutorials in Optimization, Decision Support and Search Methodology. ISBN: 0387234608, Springer. Chapter 7, 187-211
- Burke and W. Erben. (August 2000) Practice and Theory of AutomatedTimetabling.
