Abstract
Westside High School (WHS) of Omaha, Nebraska utilizes a sophisticated scheduling environment called “modular scheduling.” Modular scheduling empowers teachers with the ability to design the structure of their classes by adjusting the frequency, duration, and location of each of their lessons. This paper presents a novel heuristic methodology, implemented as a computer program called the sequential modular algorithmic routines for timetabling (SMART) Scheduler, which creates cohesive modular class schedules using effective techniques such as ejection trees and student sectioning. In experimentation, the SMART Scheduler is able to schedule over 2,800 distinct lessons in less than 4 s using data provided by WHS. This paper describes algorithms within the SMART Scheduler as well as computational results of its implementation.
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Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the Principal and Head Scheduler at Westside High School for both their financial support and prompt responses to numerous questions. The authors would also like to thank three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments, which helped to strengthen this paper.
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Muggy, L., Easton, T. Generating class schedules within a complex modular environment with application to secondary schools. J Sched 18, 369–376 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10951-014-0403-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10951-014-0403-z