A Soft-Computing Based Course Timetabling System for Schools in Nigeria

Received 31 July 2020 Revised 16 August 2020 Accepted 17 August 2020 Available online 31 August 2020 Timetabling, either course timetabling or examination timetabling is one of the major factor that influences the academic performance of any institutions. It’s a task that varies from one institution to another depending on the identified constraints. Timetabling is a constraint satisfaction problem whereby the primary goal is satisfying the amount of constraints as much as possible. The task of generating timetable is tedious, time consuming and getting a feasible timetable is not certain. This research work provides solution to the problem encountered in generating a timetable by designing and implementing a soft computing based course timetabling system using genetic algorithm. Genetic algorithm (GA) is one of soft computing techniques in solving optimization problems and is an adaptive heuristic search which is anchored on the principle of Darwin’s theory of natural selection and genetics. The system is found useful and supportive in generating timetable, as it saves the physical and mental stress undergone during manual drafting of the timetable.