Abstract

Building university timetables is a complex process that considers varying types of constraints and objectives from one institution to another. The problem solved in this paper is a real one featuring a number of hard and soft constraints that are not very conventional. The pursued objective is also novel and considers maximizing resource utilization. This paper introduces a genetic algorithm that uses some heuristics to generate an initial population of feasible good quality timetables. The algorithm uses a simple weighted sum formula to respect professors’ preferences and handle conflicts. In order to reduce waste, a crossover type focusing on the utilization rates of learning spaces is introduced. A targeted mutation operator that uses a local search heuristic is also employed. The algorithm applies a composite fitness function that considers space utilization, gaps between events and a maximum number of lectures per day. A large dataset with real data from the Faculty of Commerce, Alexandria University in Egypt was used to test the contributed algorithm. The algorithm was also tested against two difficult benchmark problems from the literature. Testing proved that the developed algorithm is an effective tool for managing timetables and resources in universities. It performed remarkedly well on the large datasets of the two benchmark problems and it also respected more constraints than those stated in the initial problem statement of the two benchmark datasets.

Abstract

Reflection “Communication-Education” is not limited to the analysis of practices, teaching-learning methodologies, the role of subjects in the dyad or the ideological issue that crosses the educational policies, but discuss the triad “teacher-knowledge-student” every time in a historical context. The binomial referred should also be enriched by scientific inquiry, which accounts for (among many other aspects) effective job placement of professionals (conceived as the fruit of this educational process of “Communication-Education”) in the immediate organizational environment of the higher education institutions. With this objective in view, an exploratory research was carried out (as a first and necessary step) to know more about the demand of social communicators in organizations (public, private or mixed) in the city of Chilecito, province of La Rioja (Argentina), an area which National University of Chilecito is inserted in period 2013-2014.

Organizations are areas of professional intervention for Social Communicators with Institutional orientation: it is a wide and complex area of socio-cultural, administrative, economic, financial, political and ideological realities where they can deploy versatility of the competences and skills acquired during their degree training. On the other hand, investigating characteristics of the demand of these professionals constitutes a valuable resource at the moment of recognizing the feasibility and suitability of educational offer. These aspects have been the main motivations that have guided the development of the present paper.