scholarly journals Developing an efficient optimization of course-lecturer distribution timetabling using transportation algorithm: A case study of Federal Polytechnic Offa

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-189
Author(s):  
Afolabi LO ◽  
Ibrahim MA ◽  
Kehinde OO
Keyword(s):  
Distribution Model ◽  
Course Timetabling ◽  
Electronic Engineering ◽  
Teacher Assignment ◽  
Engineering Department ◽  
Manual Methods ◽  
Course Timetabling Problem ◽  
Future Work

The institution course timetabling problem (ICTP) is a multidimensional assignment-problem that varies from course timetabling, class-teacher timetabling, student scheduling, teacher assignment, and classroom assignment. Many researchers have attempted to solve problems as related to timeslot but neglecting areas of course allocation to lecturers. The paper presented a course allocation and distribution model for lecturers based on their fields of interest and qualification to a transportation algorithm which was aimed at optimising the performance of lecturers in each course. It also evaluated overall efficiency of lecturers without exceeding the maximum workload. The performance of the course-to-lecturer allocation of the electrical/electronic engineering department, federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State was collected using simple questionnaire. The information obtained from the questionnaire was used to test the Algorithm developed. The result showed that using the developed algorithm for course distribution, the performance is 76.98% and 82.1% for the first and second semesters respectively. This showed that using the algorithm for allocation of courses to the lecturers of any department can be done based on input data without exceeding the recommended workloads of each cadre. This improved the quality of teaching, save time, and resources compare with manual methods. The study therefore recommended that future work should include practical distribution among technologists, sharing the excess workload to a particular lecturing grade as the case may be.

scholarly journals A Methodology for Classifying Search Operators as Intensification or Diversification Heuristics

Complexity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Jorge A. Soria-Alcaraz ◽  
Gabriela Ochoa ◽  
Andres Espinal ◽  
Marco A. Sotelo-Figueroa ◽  
Manuel Ornelas-Rodriguez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Search Strategy ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Iterated Local Search ◽  
Search Process ◽  
Local Optima ◽  
Course Timetabling ◽  
Methodological Rigor ◽  
Improved Performance ◽  
Course Timetabling Problem

Selection hyper-heuristics are generic search tools that dynamically choose, from a given pool, the most promising operator (low-level heuristic) to apply at each iteration of the search process. The performance of these methods depends on the quality of the heuristic pool. Two types of heuristics can be part of the pool: diversification heuristics, which help to escape from local optima, and intensification heuristics, which effectively exploit promising regions in the vicinity of good solutions. An effective search strategy needs a balance between these two strategies. However, it is not straightforward to categorize an operator as intensification or diversification heuristic on complex domains. Therefore, we propose an automated methodology to do this classification. This brings methodological rigor to the configuration of an iterated local search hyper-heuristic featuring diversification and intensification stages. The methodology considers the empirical ranking of the heuristics based on an estimation of their capacity to either diversify or intensify the search. We incorporate the proposed approach into a state-of-the-art hyper-heuristic solving two domains: course timetabling and vehicle routing. Our results indicate improved performance, including new best-known solutions for the course timetabling problem.

scholarly journals Knowledge sharing success and resistance in an engineering department: A case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 254-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire M Gardiner
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Individual Behavior ◽  
Relational Capital ◽  
Knowledge Culture ◽  
Engineering Department ◽  
Personal Expertise

AbstractThe centrality of knowledge sharing to organizations’ sustainability has been established. This research explores and illustrates the influences for individual professionals and paraprofessionals – specifically civil engineers and design drafters – to share their deep, personally constructed knowledge, in a public sector provider of railways infrastructure. It investigates the extent to which: (i) knowledge sharing will be positively influenced by the professional identity, values and knowledge culture to achieve organizational and project goals; and (ii) sharing of deep personal expertise will be influenced by the quality of relational capital among individuals and individual perspectives. It finds that knowledge sharing develops within frameworks established through the alignment among sector, profession and organization values. However, individual behavior is found to be most strongly influenced by the presence and quality of relational capital and individuals’ personal perspectives.

scholarly journals Constructing population of initial university timetable: design and analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 1109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Wahid ◽  
Syariza Abdul-Rahman ◽  
Aniza Mohamed Din ◽  
Naimah Mohd-Hussin
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Sequential Order ◽  
Course Timetabling ◽  
Timetabling Problem ◽  
University Course Timetabling ◽  
Hard Constraints ◽  
Course Timetabling Problem ◽  
University Course

The construction of population of initial timetable is an essential stage in population-based metaheuristic approach for solving curriculum-based university course timetabling problem because it may impact the quality of the final timetable. This paper presents population of initial timetable construction approach in curriculum based course timetabling problem by using the graph heuristics to determine the sequential order of courses/lectures to be assigned in the timetable. The graph heuristics were implemented as single and combination of two heuristics. The courses in curriculum-based university course timetabling problem that was organized based on the heuristics setting will be repeatedly assigned to valid empty slots while fulfilling all the hard constraints. If a course is unable to be assigned to whichever slots because of no more valid empty slots, it will be inserted into the unscheduled courses/lectures list. The unscheduled courses/lectures list will be assigned later to the timetable using several procedures executed in a sequence. The approaches were tested on the ITC2007 instances and the results were analyzed with some statistical tests to determine the best setting of heuristics in the construction approach.  The result shows that the construction approach with combination of largest degree followed by saturation degree heuristic, generate the maximum number of population of initial timetables. The result from this study can be used in the improvement stage of metaheuristic algorithm that uses population-based approach.

Benefits of Social Sciences Courses at Technical University As a Quality of Teaching

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 8-34
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Lindr
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Teaching Quality ◽  
Quality Of Teaching ◽  
Key Competencies ◽  
Technical University ◽  
Education Of Students ◽  
Future Work

Nowadays, the need for general development in the education of students is increasing. Implementation of social sciences to the curriculum of technical universities is a way to fulfil this concept. The paper focuses on the evaluation of the benefits of social sciences courses for students. The theoretical basis justifies the need for implementation of general subjects at a technical university in order to equip the graduates with professional and general key competencies for further professional and personal development. The paper attempts to find a connection between the quality of teaching and the benefits for students. A case study is based on the characteristics of teaching quality. It designs, develops and evaluates the criteria for assessing the quality of teaching in connection with the benefits of the courses. It provides a list of the most important criteria that influence the perception of social sciences benefits, e.g. motivation, relevance to the future work, contribution to the personal development, cultivation of intellectual skills, the relevance for technicians and others. The paper attempts to describe a mutual relationship between the criteria. The research revealed that the students appreciate the courses in which they feel a closer connection to the professional specialisation. Social sciences courses in a curriculum of a technical university represent an integral part of the humanisation of technical environment and they contribute to the cultivation of students.

Misophonia: An Evidence-Based Case Report

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 685-690
Author(s):  
C. S. Vanaja ◽  
Miriam Soni Abigail
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Case Report ◽  
Case History ◽  
Pure Tone ◽  
Physiological Responses ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Management Option ◽  
Pure Tone Audiogram

Purpose Misophonia is a sound tolerance disorder condition in certain sounds that trigger intense emotional or physiological responses. While some persons may experience misophonia, a few patients suffer from misophonia. However, there is a dearth of literature on audiological assessment and management of persons with misophonia. The purpose of this report is to discuss the assessment of misophonia and highlight the management option that helped a patient with misophonia. Method A case study of a 26-year-old woman with the complaint of decreased tolerance to specific sounds affecting quality of life is reported. Audiological assessment differentiated misophonia from hyperacusis. Management included retraining counseling as well as desensitization and habituation therapy based on the principles described by P. J. Jastreboff and Jastreboff (2014). A misophonia questionnaire was administered at regular intervals to monitor the effectiveness of therapy. Results A detailed case history and audiological evaluations including pure-tone audiogram and Johnson Hyperacusis Index revealed the presence of misophonia. The patient benefitted from intervention, and the scores of the misophonia questionnaire indicated a decrease in the severity of the problem. Conclusions It is important to differentially diagnose misophonia and hyperacusis in persons with sound tolerance disorders. Retraining counseling as well as desensitization and habituation therapy can help patients who suffer from misophonia.

Chronic Refractory Cough: A Case Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 57-62
Author(s):  
Anna Maria Siciliano
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Adult Female ◽  
Chronic Cough ◽  
Treatment Regime ◽  
Speech Language Pathology ◽  
Old Adult ◽  
Language Pathology

This paper presents a successful behavioral case study in treatment of chronic refractory cough in a 60-year-old adult female. The efficacy for speech-language pathology treating chronic cough is discussed along with description of treatment regime. Discussion focuses on therapy approaches used and the patient's report of changes in quality of life and frequency, duration, and severity reduction of her cough after treatment.

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