Development of an Integrative Timetabling IS for Generation and Management using Genetic Algorithm

Bara'u Gafai Najashi, Oluwatobi Samuel Sholanke

Abstract


The timetable generation problem, as reported time and time again in the literature, has been solved using several techniques. Such claims lead to a benchmark that is proposed to enable an initial comparison of the effectiveness of proposed solutions by different researchers. Despite over sixty years of research conducted into this area, there still exist a significant number of research avenues still to be pursued.  In this work, an information system based upon the need to support timetable production and maintenance is presented. Given the very practical outcomes expected of timetable research, the information system was designed to enable the whole range of administrative functions performed by lecturers to be either directly supported or readily modified to prove such support. The implementation of this particular system is given and results are presented and discussed. The system generated manual and automated timetables and these were produced by trailing several objective functions. It was noted that the determination of the optimal objective function is dominated by specific individual institutional criteria. It is suggested that this would make a more than a significant project for future information systems research.

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