Measuring the suitability of rooms for higher education

R.A. Oude Vrielink, V.M. Nijhuis-Boer, E.W. Hans, J. van Hillegersberg

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Abstract

This paper studies the suitability of classrooms for higher education. We propose a model to quantify the suitability, which allows measuring and optimizing the fit of classrooms for a given curriculum event. This model is unique, as there is no such model yet in literature that provides insight into the variables and interrelationships that are relevant when assessing classrooms and their allocation in the timetables. We also present a case study in which we apply the model to the timetable allocations at the University of Twente, for both assessing the suitability of its classrooms, and assessing to what extent its timetables take the classroom suitability into account. We compared the measurements of the suitability to the perceptions that both teachers and the support services have towards the allocations of suitability, as a reference of the extent to which the measurements are recognizable in practice. There are two main contributions of the research in this paper. First, we make the suitability of classrooms for education quantifiable and measurable, enabling the allocation of suitability to be transparent, to improve it and to optimize it as a performance indicator of the timetables. Second, this research goes beyond the current dominant way of timetabling which tries to fit class sizes to room capacities, by introducing the maximization of value adding as a new way for optimizing the allocation of classroom-based education. The research in this paper describes a method with which the suitability of classrooms can be made measurable. By using this method, insight will be gained into the performance of timetables on the aspect of suitability.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationICEIT 2019
Subtitle of host publicationProceedings of the 2019 8th International Conference on Educational and Information Technology
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
Pages120-123
Number of pages4
ISBN (Print)9781450362672
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 4 Mar 2019
Event8th International Conference on Educational and Information Technology, ICEIT 2019 - Cambridge, United Kingdom
Duration: 2 Mar 20194 Mar 2019
Conference number: 8

Conference

Conference8th International Conference on Educational and Information Technology, ICEIT 2019
Abbreviated titleICEIT 2019
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityCambridge
Period2/03/194/03/19

Keywords

  • Adaptive scheduling
  • Classrooms
  • Education logistics
  • Fit of rooms
  • Suitability

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