Exam Scheduling using Graph Coloring

Marathon, Hurdling or Sprint? The Effects of Exam Scheduling on Academic Performance

Formal methods are widely used by using mathematical notations to precisely express requirements specification. In this paper, we discuss the formal specification using a case study of Examination Scheduling System (ESS). ESS is a system that generates exam schedule by using genetic algorithm. ESS is developed to solve the exam scheduling problem in order to reduce time-consuming for conventional manually managing the exam venue. By using genetic algorithm, it helps to generate exam schedule very fast and reduce time taken on processing the exam schedule manually. The formal specification of ESS using Z language is also presented in order to show the mapping of the implementation of ESS with its design by using the formal specification. The Z schema can effectively remove ambiguity presents in natural language specification. Hence, this will help to reduce defect in developing the system during implementation phase.

Scheduling is one of the vital activities needed in various aspects of life. It is also a key factor in generating exam schedules for academic institutions. In this paper we propose an exam scheduling technique that combines graph coloring and genetic algorithms. On one hand, graph coloring is used to order sections such that sections that are difficult to schedule comes first and accordingly scheduled first which helps in increasing the probability of generating valid schedules. On the other hand, we use genetic algorithms to search more effectively for more optimized schedules within the large search space. We propose a two-stage fitness function that is targeted toward increasing student comfort. We also investigate the effect and potency of the crossover operator and the mutation operator. Our experiments are conducted on a realistic dataset and the results show that a mutation only hybrid approach has a low cost and converges faster toward more optimized schedules.

Generic University Examination Timetabling System with Steepest-Ascent Hill Climbing Hyper-heuristic Algorithm

Scheduling final exams for large numbers of courses and students in universities is an intractable problem. Where scheduling is done manually, conflicts and unfairness are inevitable. Conflicts occur when simultaneous exams are scheduled for the same student, and unfairness to a student refers to consecutive exams or more than two exams on the same day. A good exam schedule should aim to minimize conflicts and the two unfairness factors based on user-assigned weights to these three factors and subject to some constraints such as classrooms’ number and capacities. In this work, we use a modified weighted-graph coloring problem formulation and adapt two stochastic search algorithms for solving the problem. The two algorithms are a simulated annealing algorithm (SA) and a genetic algorithm (GA). We also propose an improvement to a ‘good’ clustering-based heuristic procedure, known as FESP, by using simulated annealing procedures. The improved heuristic is referred to as FESP-SA. Then, we empirically compare the three proposed algorithms and FESP using realistic data. Our experimental results show that SA and GA produce good exam schedules that are better than those of FESP heuristic procedure. Also, SA and GA allow a reduction in the number of exam days without much aggravating conflicts and unfairness. However, SA is more favorable since it is faster than GA.

In an age of globalization, social networking sites are integral to student life as in Bangladesh as well as globally. Among others, Facebook and YouTube are the most popular and widely utilized social networking platforms among Bangladeshi students. This article examines how students at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh use social networking sites (such as Facebook and YouTube) for their formal and informal studies. Following mixed methodology, data collection was completed using a structured survey questionnaire and a few semi-structured interviews. Social Learning Theory (SLT) is relevant for this research since social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, etc., have contributed to education through observation, imitation and modeling. Attending online classes, communicating with class teachers and classmates, collecting information about the class and exam schedules, uploading, downloading, and sharing academic materials, participating in group discussions, downloading tutorial videos of educational courses and informal education topics, and completing online coursework have come forth as the most prevalent uses of Facebook and YouTube by University of Dhaka students during their studies. Teacher’s World: Journal of Education and Res arch, 50(1): 95-118

Academic calendar and suicide-related emergency department visits among adolescents in Louisiana, 2021-2023.

Data in brief: Dataset of residues of drugs of abuse in wastewaters from Educational Institutions

RIO GRANDE VALLEY, the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship, School of Accountancy invites applications from

This study aims to examine the aligenment between class scheduling and the performance of the live daily prayers among student4s at UIN Walisongo Semarang. As an Islamic higher education institution, UIN Walisongo expected to integrate academic activities with the religious obligateions of its students. However, the intensity of class schedules and the dynamics of campus activities often have the potensial to conflict with prayer times, making it necessary to investigate the exten to which academic schedules are synchronized with the required times for prayer. This research focuses on three main aspects: (1) the compatibility of class schedules with the times of the five daily prayers, (2) the extent to which academic administrator consider prayer times when designing class scheduls, and (3) the forms of taysir or facilitative measures provided by the anniversity to support timely prayer performance. Using a qualitative field research method and a case study approach, data are collected through observations, interviews, and documentation related to class schedules and worship facilities within the campus environment. The findings of this study are expected to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between academic scheduling systems and the practice of performing the five daily prayers among students. In addition, this research aims to generate recommendations based on Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic time management principles, which my serve as a foundation for developing academic policies that are more supportive of religious observance. Such policies would help ensure that academic activities and religious obligations can operate in harmony and mutually reinforce one another.

Good library services are user-oriented. This study tried to understand the behavior of college library visitors, based on their visiting time to the library, namely hours, days, and months. User behavior is seen from the number of visits, and the number of loan transactions and book returns in the last 3 years. Data are grouped based on service hours, library open days, and months. After that, look for the average number of each transaction based on the specified time dimension. To see the trend, the data was processed using descriptive statistical methods with the help of Microsoft Excel applications. The results are analyzed by the academic calendar in the year concerned to see the effect of the academic calendar on the frequency of library visits. It turned out that student activities in the library increased at the beginning of the semester, especially the beginning of the academic year, and tended to decline until during semester breaks. While the exam and graduation do not affect the activities of students in the library. Based on the day, the most crowded activities occur on Mondays and tend to decline until the weekend.

Nowaday, the development of smartphone technology is increasingly popular. Android as one of the operating systems of mobile devices, provides tools and API for Android developers to develop applications. At universities, smartphone use is popular among students. Through smartphones, the use of mobile and web applications is more effective and efficient with the ease of delivery and receipt of information. In this study, the author made a mobile application that contains academic informations that complements the class schedule, the final semester exam schedule, incidental schedules, academic calendar and the latest announcements with push notification as a reminder for students. With this application it is expected that students can access and obtain the latest information anywhere more easily.

Academic activities are daily operational activities that occur in an educational institution, especially in universities. Academic activities must be carried out by students and lecturers. Within the scope of academic activities at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Muhammadiyah Bengkulu, the media used to convey information on the current academic schedule no longer uses bulletin boards but uses social media, namely whatsapp. Although academic activities are routine, it is still common for students and lecturers to forget the schedule of academic activities. To overcome this, the Faculty of Engineering requires a personal digital assistant application (virtual assistant) as an accurate, efficient and portable reminder. The virtual assistant application that is built consists of two platforms. First, the mobile platform used by lecturers and students to view some academic agenda information and receive real-time information/announcements and notifications/alarms related to academic activities. Second, the web platform used by the Administration to broadcast announcements or invitations to mobile application users. Based on the test results, the virtual assistant application can run on two platforms.

Educational institutions have had the pending task of knowing what really happens in their classrooms, which professors make a real difference, which students would need help to improve their performance, and even more importantly, how to manage the enormous amount of information gathered each year. To address this problem, in this paper we propose the use of retrospective data from 210 undergraduate courses in Spain, which equals 1,320 European credits, 10,500 students, and four complete academic years (18/19, 19/20, 20/21, 21/22) to generate a monitoring tool or automatic dashboard with which to try to optimize the operation of such institutions and help them to make (even more) optimal decisions. To do this, all courses were grouped into ten typologies or categories: (1) if they were 'soft skills'/'hard skills' courses, (2) if they were taught in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th academic year, (3) if the professor was male or female, (4) whether the course was taught in English or not, (5) whether the professor was internal and permanent staff of the university or an associate professor with a temporary contractual relationship with the institution, (6) whether his/her main professional activity was teaching, therefore being more academic-oriented or this was rather a hobby and a complementary professional activity, therefore being more practical-oriented, (7) their age, (8) if several professors shared the course or only one taught it, (9) if it was a semester or annual course, (10) and if it was taught during the Covid-19 period or outside of it. Our results show that, despite the existence of numerous types of methodologies to achieve the desired student motivation, there would only be one category that would generate significant differences in the grades of the students: if they were ‘soft skills’/’hard skills’ courses. However, on the contrary, there would be much more types of courses (and professors) which would affect the preferences and valuation of the student to the teaching received (and effectively paid by him/her). That is, despite reaching the same academic results, students do value one type of professors better than others. Likewise, through this work it is intended to demonstrate the non-existence of the "false belief" that better evaluations received by professors are since they give higher grades to their students, regardless of its dispersion. In this way, it is intended to prevent possible atypical behaviors by professors. Thus, this paper gives light to (re)consider which variables should actually matter in educational institutions, analyzing its teaching-learning processes, management and even the retention of its key players.

This study aims to determine the effect of promotion on the decision of students to choose the Islamic Education Management Study Program of the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teachers of the Darussalam Islamic Institute of Academic Year 2019/2020. As one of the factors influencing students' decision to choose a study program, promotion is one of the most important variables in the marketing mix undertaken by a company or educational institution. This research is a quantitative research. This type of research uses quantitative descriptive. Data collection techniques using a questionnaire or questionnaire that has been tested for validity and reliability. To find out whether there is a significant influence between promotion of student decisions in choosing the Islamic Education Management Study Program at the Faculty of Tarbiyah and Teaching Institute of Islamic Religion in the Academic Year 2019/2020 using Pearson's product moment formula. After analyzing the data collected, it was found that (1) the results of the questionnaire were about promotion with 53 respondents classified as very good with the percentage of 88.60% (2) the results of the questionnaire about the student's decision were classified as very good with a percentage of 88.86%. (3) Effect of Promotion on Students' Decisions to Choose Islamic Education Management Study Program of the Tarbiyah and Teaching Faculty of Islamic Republic of Darussalam Academic Year 2019/2020 shows an effect of 90.63%, with the results of t count then 0.935 is between 0.80 - 1,000 Very strong.