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Examination timetabling at the University of Cape Town: a tabu search approach to automation
With the rise of schedules and scheduling problems, solutions proposed in literature have expanded yet the disconnect between research and reality remains. The University of Cape Town's (UCT) Examinations Office currently produces their schedules manually with software relegated to error-checking st...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Statistical Sciences
2023
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| _version_ | 1867614360433590272 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Steenkamp, Ebrahim |
| author2 | Rakotonirainy, Rosephine Georgina |
| author_browse | Rakotonirainy, Rosephine Georgina Steenkamp, Ebrahim |
| author_facet | Rakotonirainy, Rosephine Georgina Steenkamp, Ebrahim |
| author_sort | Steenkamp, Ebrahim |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | With the rise of schedules and scheduling problems, solutions proposed in literature have expanded yet the disconnect between research and reality remains. The University of Cape Town's (UCT) Examinations Office currently produces their schedules manually with software relegated to error-checking status. While they have requested automation, this study is the first attempt to integrate optimisation techniques into the examination timetabling process. Tabu search and Nelder-Mead methodologies were tested on the UCT November 2014 examination timetabling data with tabu search proving to be more effective, capable of producing feasible solutions from randomised initial solutions. To make this research more accessible, a user-friendly app was developed which showcased the optimisation techniques in a more digestible format. The app includes data cleaning specific to UCT's data management system and was presented to the UCT Examinations Office where they expressed support for further development: in its current form, the app would be used as a secondary tool after an initial solution has been manually obtained. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/37800 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:50:48.497Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | Department of Statistical Sciences |
| publisherStr | Department of Statistical Sciences |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/37800 Examination timetabling at the University of Cape Town: a tabu search approach to automation Steenkamp, Ebrahim Rakotonirainy, Rosephine Georgina statistical sciences With the rise of schedules and scheduling problems, solutions proposed in literature have expanded yet the disconnect between research and reality remains. The University of Cape Town's (UCT) Examinations Office currently produces their schedules manually with software relegated to error-checking status. While they have requested automation, this study is the first attempt to integrate optimisation techniques into the examination timetabling process. Tabu search and Nelder-Mead methodologies were tested on the UCT November 2014 examination timetabling data with tabu search proving to be more effective, capable of producing feasible solutions from randomised initial solutions. To make this research more accessible, a user-friendly app was developed which showcased the optimisation techniques in a more digestible format. The app includes data cleaning specific to UCT's data management system and was presented to the UCT Examinations Office where they expressed support for further development: in its current form, the app would be used as a secondary tool after an initial solution has been manually obtained. 2023-04-20T13:31:13Z 2023-04-20T13:31:13Z 2022 2023-04-20T13:29:04Z Master Thesis Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37800 eng application/pdf Department of Statistical Sciences Faculty of Science |
| spellingShingle | statistical sciences Steenkamp, Ebrahim Examination timetabling at the University of Cape Town: a tabu search approach to automation |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Examination timetabling at the University of Cape Town: a tabu search approach to automation |
| title_full | Examination timetabling at the University of Cape Town: a tabu search approach to automation |
| title_fullStr | Examination timetabling at the University of Cape Town: a tabu search approach to automation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examination timetabling at the University of Cape Town: a tabu search approach to automation |
| title_short | Examination timetabling at the University of Cape Town: a tabu search approach to automation |
| title_sort | examination timetabling at the university of cape town a tabu search approach to automation |
| topic | statistical sciences |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37800 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT steenkampebrahim examinationtimetablingattheuniversityofcapetownatabusearchapproachtoautomation |