Use the Load Balancing Screen

Rules can be applied to define how the system will optimise learner timetables, given the range of possible permutations. This allows you to prevent a continuous learning time of more than a certain number of hours, or create a maximum number of hours between classes as to reduce the likelihood of non-attendance.

While the course options of individual learners may mean that it is not possible to create an optimal timetable for every learner, load-balancing rules can be used to optimise each learner timetable within the constraints of their subject choices.

To achieve this, a set of rules can be created that begin with the optimal conditions and are then increasingly relaxed. These rules are then applied in sequence when performing load balancing.

The strictest rules are applied first, and all learners whose choice of subjects enables these conditions to be met are allocated an optimal timetable. These learners can then be locked down in the load balancing process to prevent their inclusion in future cycles of the load balancing process.

This will leave a number of learners whose ideal conditions cannot be met, so the load balancing process is re-run with the second, more relaxed, set of rules applied. Any learner timetables that did not meet the first rule, but meet the second rule will then be locked down after the second run.

There will always be cases where an acceptable timetable cannot be created with the combination of the current block matrix and defined load balancing rules. You can deal with any learners left over after all the rules have been checked on an individual basis through discussing the available options with the learner.

Rules are created and managed in the Manage Rules window.

This is accessed by clicking the Rules button on the Block Matrix ribbon.

Use the New and Delete buttons to create and delete rules.

Rules are applied in sequential order. You can control the order in which the rules will be applied by using the Move up and Move down buttons.

The fields on the Manage Rules window are described in the following table.

This field	Holds this information...
Enabled	Whether the rule is active.
Max Consecutive Hours	The maximum number of consecutive learning hours.
Max Hour Gap	The maximum number of hours between periods.
Auto Lock Learners	If selected, then the learners whose timetables fit the given rule are excluded from the load balancing process thereafter, preserving their optimal timetable. If deselected, learners can be manually locked (using the Lock Balanced button) after load balancing has been performed. Note: It is recommended that this option is selected for each rule apart from the last, so that the final learners who only meet the lowest ranked rule can be reviewed following load balancing.

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Click the Run Load Balancing button to run the load-balancing process.

This runs the load-balancing process, which automatically performs multiple passes through the data until all learners that can be allocated to course groups are allocated and passes no longer result in any adjustments. The process takes into account any load-balancing rules, and will lock successful allocations after each rule has been applied, if specified.

For uses of other buttons, refer to Use the Block Matrix Ribbon.

The Courses panel displays all courses that have been set up, with each row displaying the groups set up for each course.

Click the down arrow to filter by course code, if required.

The list is ordered by the priority in which the courses need to be addressed. Courses with overfilled groups are listed first, followed by any courses with no groups set up.

The vertical bars are split into multiple sections:

• The upper section displays the used (blue) and free (yellow) space in the group

  Note: If present, red sections represent overused space.

• The lower section displays the block to which the group belongs, the group code, and the total number of allocated places out of the total number of places.

Selecting a course displays the groups for that course in the Load-balanced Groups panel.

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The Learners panel displays a list of learners with enrolments or applications (depending on the option selected from the Apps/Enrols drop-down).

The fields in the Learners panel are described in the following table.

This field	Holds this information...
Lock	Whether the learner's allocation to course groups is locked.
Blocks	Colour codes of blocks to which the learner is assigned.
Learner	The name of the learner.
Perms	The number of acceptable permutations that the learner has out of the total number of permutations. Permutations are the various possible combinations of a learner’s course groups. Acceptable permutations are combinations that meet at least one of the load-balancing rules applied.
Uios	The number of UIOs that the learner is enrolled on or has applied to.

Click the down arrow to display the filter bar, if required, where you can apply the following filters:

• Filter learners by selected course - filters learners by the course selected in the Courses panel
• Hide locked learners - hides learners with the lock check box selected
• Filter - allows you to filter based on learner name

You can also click the Print button to print the learners.

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The Learner Details panel displays the individual details for the learner selected in the Learners panel.

The header displays the learner’s name and person code.

The panel is divided into the following sections:

• Enrolments/Applications (depending on the selection on the Apps/Enrols drop-down) - displays the blocks to which the various course groups are attached. The courses can be deselected to temporarily remove an enrolment or application from the load-balancing process without affecting the learner's actual enrolment or application record.

  Note: This can be used when dealing with learners for whom no viable timetable can be created by disabling enrolments or applications on courses and seeing the effect of those changes with the aim of creating a working timetable.

  

• Group Permutations - displays all of the permutations of groups that are possible for the learner. Each permutation uses colour-coding to display which groups are used.

  

  A green tick indicates an acceptable permutation (that is: combinations that meet at least one of the load-balancing rules applied).

  The radio button indicates which permutation is the most recommended. This can be overridden by selecting a different permutation.

  Note: Overriding the recommended permutation may affect the overall optimisation of the timetable.

  You can select a row in the Group Permutations section to display its details in the Timetable and Load-balanced Groups sections.

• Timetable - displays a snapshot of the actual timetable that the selected learner will have as a result of the currently selected row in the Group Permutations section

  

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The Load-balanced Groups section displays one of the following:

• The groups used by the currently selected course in the Courses panel
• The groups used by the currently selected Group Permutation in the Learner Details panel

Further information about a course group can be displayed by clicking the relevant down arrow.

These fields are described in the following table.

This field	Holds this information...
Disabled	Whether the course group is currently disabled.
Group code	The group code.
Block	The block to which the course group is allocated. Note: Editing this field impacts existing clashes and load balancing. Ensure to re-run these processes.
Periods	The periods of the chosen block that the course group uses. Note: Editing this field impacts existing clashes and load balancing. Ensure to re-run these processes.

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