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Timetable Handling Mechanism Using Python

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 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 8, ISSUE 11, NOVEMBER 2019 ISSN 2277-8616

Timetable Handling Mechanism Using Python

Manpreet Kaur, Jasdev Bhatti, Mohit Kumar Kakkar, Deepika Goyal

Abstract: In this paper timetable strategy is designed and discussed in detail for handling any university course scheme based on resources available.
In addition to regular courses some new additional parameters like Engineering exploration, Team teaching technique, mentoring of students, etc. are
discussed that run parallel with unique mechanism. The allocation of timetable on basis of three different modules has been discussed satisfying all
major and minor challenges. The language named python is applied for optimizing and displaying timetable into three different views class wise
timetable (for students), faculty timetable, and classroom timetable.

Index Terms: Team teaching scheme, Course scheme, Constrains, Faculty load, Python.
——————————  ——————————

1. INTRODUCTION In 90’s time tables were handled manually, and every

Before the beginning of a session the first and foremost thing department had their individual time table in which there was
that is of the biggest concern to any department and the no constraint about the faculty involvement in different
concerned faculty is his/her time table. Time table is the departments like Bachelor and Master Courses Mathematics,
arrangement of the classrooms and the classes in an Physics, Chemistry etc. Yang, Y. et al (2006) had studied the
appropriate manner to get the definite schedule matching the general solution model for the course timetabling problem. In
requirement of the university curriculum. To every university, 2007 Oprea, M. had contributed by studying a multi-agent
time table is a unique concept to make coordination in system for university course timetable scheduling. In 2012 Al-
between the faculty, students, parents and the other Betar, M., et al. presented an algorithm named ―Harmony
academician. Although nowadays every university has its own search algorithm‖ which is a metaheuristic population-based
manual method or software usage technique for making time algorithm. This algorithm was derived from natural phenomena
table but making a perfect time table is still a cumbersome of musician’s behavior, that they co-operatively play their
task. Any software can arrange the cards (lectures) according musical instruments for achieving fantastic harmony. They
to the input only but giving it a perfect input/shape requires applied same algorithm to university course timetabling
days of planning by department. However, once the input is against standard benchmarks and explained its capability of
given and the cards are arranged then also the arrangement providing a viable solution compared to those in previous
of the cards is done manually. Hence this paper is studied to works. Further, Al-Betar, M., et al. discussed a technique
develop the practical approach for building lecture course named ―Memetic computing technique‖ that is designed for
timetabling system, which can be customized to fit to any UCTP, called the hybrid harmony search algorithm (HHSA). In
colleges timetabling problem. The college lecture-timetabling HHSA, the harmony search algorithm (HSA), which is a
problem asks us to find some time slots and classrooms which metaheuristic population-based method, has been hybridized
satisfy the constraints imposed on offered problem. In our by two factors: first the hill climbing, to improve local
proposed problem, the problem is not just fitting a normal exploitation and the second one is a global-best concept of
course scheme of the first-year students to the time table but particle swarm optimization to improve convergence. The
also keeping in mind the special courses and the results were compared against 27 other methods using the 11
arrangements provided by the university to the first-year datasets of Socha et al. comprising five small, five medium,
students, keeping many minor and major constraints in mind. and one large datasets. The proposed method achieved the
As per to the regular courses followed by educational optimal solution for the small dataset with comparable results
institutions in timetable there is an involvement of few new for the medium datasets. Furthermore, in the most complex
courses like Engineering Exploration which is also divided into large datasets, the proposed method achieved the best
six different verticals. The important factor to be notice is that results. Narang, B. et al (2013) had contributed by making use
all students who had enrolled in six different verticals have to of active rules and genetic algorithm to generate the
appear to each one vertical at the same time in groups but in automatic time-table In 2014, Babaei, H., et al, had
different venues. Along with this the new concept of team contributed to university course timetabling problem by
teaching in few subjects has also been inculcate in our studying the approach based on multi agent systems
proposed timetable. (cooperative search) in addition to briefly study approaches
———————————————— based on operational researches, meta-heuristic methods and
 Manpreet Kaur, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and intelligent novel methods. Genetic algorithm to generate the
Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab, India. Email: automatic time-table –an over view is analyzed by Ansari, A.,
manpreet,kaur@[Link] Bojewar, S. in 2014. In the same year, Chowdhary, A., et al,
 Corresponding Author*: Jasdev Bhatti, Chitkara University Institute introduced a practical timetabling algorithm capable of taking
of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab, India.
Email: [Link]@[Link]
care of both strong and weak constraints effectively, used in
 Mohit Kumar Kakkkar, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering an automated timetabling system. In his study each teacher
and Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab, India. Email: and student can view their timetable once they are finalized for
[Link]@chitkara,[Link] a given semester, but they can’t edit them. Ottoum, I. in 2015
 Deepika Goyal, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and given the result of the analysis and synthesis processes that
Technology, Chitkara University, Punjab, India. Email: take place when making a timetable for a University
[Link]@[Link]
Information System (UIS), especially for SIS. Along with this
he compares between two methods of designing a time table
and shows the advantages and disadvantages of these
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methods and more precisely the implementation of each using 3. ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS
programming languages. Mittal, D. et al (2015) had given an As per to the regular courses like Physics, Chemistry,
automatic timetable generation using genetic algorithm. Mathematics, Electronics, electrical followed by educational
Kralev, V. and Kraleva, R. (2016), had studied a local search institutions in timetable there is an involvement of few new
algorithm based on chromatic classes for university course courses like Engineering Exploration (divided into six different
timetabling problem. In last year 2017 Babaagba, K., Arekete, verticals) and mentoring for counseling session and interaction
S. carried out an extensive survey of various mobile agent of students.
systems that have been utilized in solving university course
time tabling problem. He discussed about the number of 3.1 Team Teaching
methods that have been adopted in solving the university As we know that every faculty is having specialization in some
course time tabling problem such as the use of linear subtopics of any subjects. So, in order to give the students
numberings, evolutionary algorithms, graph coloring among different or the best techniques of teaching, grouping of
others. They studied one recent technique employed involves faculties with topic expertise has been prepared before
mobile agents that are simply software agents which move timetable. For example, the two groups having six faculty with
from system to system within the network transporting both three in each has been divided for two different chapters that
their state and code. These are not bound to the system to be covered up before first sessional. Each group has been
where their execution begins. Also, Saritha, M., et al, has assigned with one topic and classes, which are going to be
proposed to make an automated system that will take various swapped after getting over with one topic. Same methodology
inputs like details of students, subjects and class rooms and has to be followed up in between first and second sessional. In
teachers available, depending upon these inputs it will this way, a teacher is rotated in different classes according to
generate a possible time table, making optimal utilization of all their expertise in the topic being taught.
resources in a way that will best suit any of constraints or
college rules. List of subjects may include electives as well as 3.2 Engineering Exploration
core subjects. Also, Khiarak, J., et al, investigated the As per today industrial demands for engineering students is
appropriateness of using the genetic algorithm (GA) and the the extra project and innovation knowledge of student except
imperialist competitive algorithm (ICA). The proposed his/her academic skills. In such university has taken the
technique consists of two steps: (i) using the proposed initiative by introducing the new course named ―Engineering
manipulated GA for solving the timetabling problem of each Exploration‖ to the first-year engineering students for all
department, and (ii) eliminating the interference of common branches like computer, electronics, electrical and mechanical.
events among multiple departments and satisfying the hard This course was subdivided into six different specializations in
and soft constraints by using ICA. Finally, a report on the which students were divided according to the student’s online
efficiency of the methodology used in this study was obtained registration. The course was integrated with electronics,
from the University of Tabriz in Iran and University of Udine in language and mechanical tools to buildup overall engineering
Italy. In this paper, the results are revealed in two ways: (i) development of students. In this faculty of different
reduction in the problems due to shrinking of the database and specialization or department are involved in subgroups for
solving of the problems in parallel and (ii) solving the different each six categories. The important thing to be care of is that all
parts of the problem by using various criterion results, fifteen classes and faculty have to be assigned for same slots,
increasing the common events satisfaction in that sub- different venues and six different courses.
problem. Eventually, the proposed model provided successful
satisfaction of the hard constraints in <700 iterations with GA 3.3 Labs
and elimination of interference in 40 iterations with ICA in most Engineering first year students study Engineering chemistry
of the cases. In all previous research the timetable is managed Lab, Engineering physics Lab and PSTC (Problem Solving
manually or by some software. But no one has given value to techniques using C) which are two hours each and a class is
optimizing the timetable mechanism. By this paper, timetable divided into two groups for these labs. Now when half the
strategy is designed and optimized in detail for handling any class is attending any of these labs then simultaneously the
university course scheme based on resources available. In other half group of the class can only have a lab or a tutorial
addition to regular courses some new additional parameters parallel to these labs, which is of the biggest concern for the
like Engineering exploration, Team teaching technique, faculty making the time table.
mentoring of students, etc. are discussed that run parallel with
unique mechanism. Python language is used for optimizing 3.4 Mentoring
and displaying timetable into three different views class wise A college mentorship program is a service intended to give
timetable (for students), faculty timetable, and classroom guidance to upcoming freshmen and transfer students. In
timetable satisfying all major and minor challenges. order to successfully transition from high school into college.
. Each class is divided into two groups and each group has a
2. SALIENT FEATURES OF THE SYSTEM mentor to it which can guide them through different phases of
 Automatic timetable software (ASC) generate their college life. As there is a special lecture for the same so
timetable automatically. we must give a special room for the same for each group of a
 An efficient time table is proposed according to class.
availability of resources and requirement.
 Management of faculty load according to their need 3.5 Genetic Algorithms (GA).
and availability. We know that Time Table Scheduling problem is
 Satisfying all needs and constraints/challenges of representative of the class of, NP-hard, combinatorial
departments and management. optimization problems with multi-constraints and for this we
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are using genetic algorithms (GA). GA has been found to be faculty members.
capable of getting optimized solutions for a number of  Limit time (hours per week) is given to every Batch
problems like Time Table Scheduling for which no other
algorithm exists. It is inspired by nature as altering a 4.3 Major Challenges
population of candidate solutions until a maximum or minimum  Faculty involved in teaching is from different
solution is found. Scheduling a Timetabling faces two types of departments so both the time tables should be checked
constraints, namely soft constraints and hard constraints. Soft at the same time.
constraints are those if we violate them in scheduling, the  During Team teaching, the teacher is to be swapped
output is still valid, but hard constraints are those which if we after every Sessional Exam.
violate them; the timetable is no longer valid. The search  As the teachers are going in different departments so
space of a timetabling issue is excessively tremendous, they cannot have lectures in different departments
numerous arrangements exist in the search space and some continuously.
of the arrangements are not possible. Possible arrangements  As students are studying PSTC Lab which they are
here mean those which don't damage hard constraints and as taught by a single teacher in two different groups so
well attempt to fulfill soft constraints. We have to pick the most while one group is studying PSTC then at that time the
suitable one from possible arrangements. Most suitable ones second group students can be occupied in some other
here mean those which don't disregard soft constraints to a lab or tutorial.
more noteworthy degree. In this paper hard- constraints have  There should not be any clashes between two faculty
been dealt with carefully and it has been guaranteed that soft members and two class rooms/venues. At the same time
constraints are too pursued however much as could be period there should not be a clash between two lectures
expected. of a class section
 The biggest challenge is the infrastructure where the
4. PROPOSED SYSTEM availability of classrooms as in our proposed problem,
The final system should able to generate time tables in the number of lecture halls is 9 and tutorial rooms are 2.
completely automated way which will save a lot of time and  As the students are involved in Engineering Exploration
effort of an institute administration. To make a timetable in which 2 sections are combined according to their
system generic so that everyone can work equally well for strength so those two sections must have their
different School, Colleges and Universities, the system had Engineering Exploration class at the same time with six
been divided into four modules: different categories and venues.
 Insertion module  The Engineering Exploration class should be of 2 hours
 Allocation module from 9 to 11 or from 12:40 to 2:30 pm.
 Algorithm  Four teachers are assigned in Engineering Exploration
 Display module class at the same time.
 The rooms of Engineering Exploration class should be
4.1 Insertion module fixed.
There are certain requisites that must be fulfilled for the data
entry in the same way. There are the following requirements: 4.4 Allocation Schedule
a) The name of the faculty from each department. This module is the most important one among all three, as
b) Classrooms, labs details and its capacity. under this module the user compile and start entering the
c) Subjects (theory, tutorials and labs) details with its total inputs that he/she received from all departments. The
number of lectures procedure of entering the details follows the pattern:
But there are certain pre requisites for the data entry of the  Subjects were assigned according to course scheme
software which are: with
i) Load of the faculty must be decided in advance. teaching hours load (Labs, Theory, and Mentoring).
ii) The course scheme must be well made  Numbers of section/ classes were assigned with time
Now, with this are certain constraints and challenges that have slots of 55 minutes per lecture.
to be taken care of while making the load of the faculty and  Faculties were assigned of all departments with
making the load. The Challenges faced during compilation of teaching load.
load for BE First Students can be categorized into two parts:  All entries were divided according to day and slot wise.
 Minor Challenges (Soft-Constraints) Now with the above all inputs, the software arranges the
 Major Challenges (Hard-constraints) timetable accordingly. After the completion of data by software
the timetable incharge must shuffle the slots of lecture keeping
4.2 Minor Challenges all minor and major challenges.
 A teacher cannot attend two classes at the same time.
 A course cannot be taught in two different classes at the 4.5 The algorithm
same time
 A teacher may request for a special classroom for a Initialization
given course {this step will create a population of N individuals, satisfying for
 The courses should be scheduled in a way that empty every individual a set of hard and soft constraints:
time slots of both teacher and students are minimized. Soft-Constraints:
 The lunch break should either be at 11:45 a.m. or at • Up to some extent equal load should be given to all faculty
12:40 p.m. members
 Up to some extent equal load should be given to all
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• limit time (hours per week) is given to every Batch

Hard-constraints (rigid):
• There should not be any clashes between two faculty
members and two class rooms/venues

• at the same time period there shold not be a clsh between

two lectures of a class section

}
while (End Test not Verified)
do {the end test is on the number of iterations performed}
begin
Reproduction implementation;
Crossover implementation;
for l:=1 to N do begin apply mutation of order k;
Mutation implementation;
if (LOCAL_ON) then apply local search {LOCAL_ON may be 0
or 1}
if (no. of infeasibilities > max no. of infeasibilities) then
apply filter
end; Figure 2: Class wise Timetable

end. 4.8 Faculty timetable

This view is generated for displaying the teaching load of
faculty. This view is subdivided into the following
characteristics:
a. Class for which faculty is assigned
b. Name of faculty for which teaching load is prepared.
c. Abbreviation of subject assigned to teacher.
d. Venue assigned for lecture.
e. Engineering exploration class with two different
sections assigned to faculty with venues.
Figure 2: Algorithm Evolutionary Cycle f. Mentoring lecture with assigned mentoring group and
venue.
Parameters Figure 3: Faculty Timetable
Size of Population = 150
probability (Mutation) = 0.035
Probability (Crossover) = 0.9
Maximum Generations = 500

4.6 Display Module

Under this module the incharge can view how the timetable is
finalized in display mode for each class and faculty. The
software has also benefitted us by providing the time table in
three different formats:
 Class wise timetable 4.9 Classroom timetable
This view is generated for displaying the classroom wise
 Faculty timetable
timetable required for department regarding availability of
 Classroom timetable
rooms for any other activity other than academics or for any
other extra lectures to students and any internal evaluations.
4.7 Class wise timetable
This view is subdivided into the following characteristics:
The class wise time table is mainly generated for display to
a. Class for which room is assigned with timings and
students. This view is subdivided into the following
lecture number.
characteristics:
b. Abbreviation used for the faculty assigned for class
a. Class for which time table assigned
with subject
b. Abbreviation used for the faculty assigned for class
c. Abbreviation of subject assigned to class with lecture
with subject.
number.
c. Labs assigned for class.
d. Venue assigned for lecture.
d. Venue assigned for lecture.
e. Engineering exploration class for two different groups
e. Parallel engineering exploration assigned to class
with assigned all faculties, venues.
with name of faculty and venues.
f. Mentoring lecture with assigned mentoring group,
f. Mentoring lecture with name of mentor and venue.
faculty as mentor and venue.
g. Tutorials assigned in parallel to labs with assigned
The major advantage of this the software been discussed in
groups.
this paper is that for any mistake or changes due to team
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 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 8, ISSUE 11, NOVEMBER 2019 ISSN 2277-8616

teaching or by any other reason, the timetable incharge must [8] Ansari, A., Bojewar, S., (2014), Genetic algorithm to
change it in any single one of the three views. But the software generate the automatic time-table –an over view,
changes it automatically in other two views that depicts it time International Journal on Recent and Innovation
saving nature. Trends in Computing and Communication,2(11),
pp.3480-3483.
Parameters Iteration-I Iteration-II Iteration- Iteration- [9] Chowdhary, A., Kakde, P., Dhoke, S., Ingle, S.,
III IV
Size of 150 150 150 150 Rushiya, R., Gawande, D., (2014), Time table
Population generation system, IJCSMC, 3(2), pp.410 – 414.
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(Mutation) structure within a student information system (sis),
Maximum 500 500 500 500 International Journal of Computer Science &
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Information Technology (IJCSIT) 7(1), pp.77-83.
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[12] Kralev, V., Kraleva, R., (2016), A local search
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