Article ID: | iaor201111789 |
Volume: | 52 |
Issue: | 2 |
Start Page Number: | 505 |
End Page Number: | 513 |
Publication Date: | Jan 2012 |
Journal: | Decision Support Systems |
Authors: | Miranda Jaime, Rey Pablo A, Robles Jos M |
Keywords: | timetabling, programming: integer |
A key process for post‐secondary educational institutions is the definition of course timetables and classroom assignments. Manual scheduling methods require enormous amounts of time and resources to deliver results of questionable quality, and multiple course and classroom conflicts usually occur. This article presents a scheduling system implemented in a Web environment. This system generates optimal schedules via an integer‐programming model. Among its functionalities, this system enables direct interaction with instructors in order to gather data on their time availability for teaching courses. The results demonstrate that significant improvements over the typical fully manual process were obtained.