E10 - Balance class sizes

Modified on Thu, 14 Aug at 12:59 AM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preamble
Balancing class sizes

Preamble

This feature identifies lined classes that are most imbalanced, and analyses opportunities for re-balancing them with minimal disruption. Balance class sizes would be accessed post line generation when students begin to swap their granted subjects around, possibly leading to unbalanced class sizes.

This feature is intended to be used post line generation. When generating lines, the algorithms already attempts to balance class sizes.

Note that this feature only displays 'Line' classes, not 'Group ...' classes as set up in Class data.

Balancing class sizes

Navigate to Students > Balance class sizes
Select a year level from the Filter

A score is given to each course with imbalanced class sizes, followed by the number of students in each class of the course. Only courses with two or more classes are shown.

Identify a course with a particularly imbalanced set of classes.

This feature looks at moving students out of a class into an alternate class.

Double-click on any class with a larger than average number of students, i.e. the class from which to remove students. This slide out window will display all the possible moves to re-balance that class.

Each component of a move is colour-coded:

Green: a good move; class sizes will become more balanced by the move
Red: a bad move; class sizes will become more imbalanced by the move
White: neutral move; class numbers stay about the same

In the below example, E10 has found that there are two options for Allan Varnava to swap some classes around, while maintaining enrolment in those subjects. The first option involves three class swaps; the second option involves four class swaps.
In the first option, he could move OUT of 11ENG.A (taking the class size from 24 to 23) and INTO 11ENG.C (taking the class size from 13 to 14). This would be a positive move, and so is coloured green.
However, he would also have to swap his 11GMA and 11PED classes, which are highlighted in red suggesting it would not be a good move. 11GMA would become more imbalanced, as the class he would need to move into (11GMA.B) has many more students than the class he is moving out of 11GMA.C).
11PED is coloured red, as the move would create a bigger imbablance of 11PED class sizes.

A second juggle of classes for Allan has been found, but the use of red quickly identifies that the swaps would not be optimal overall.

If positive swaps have been identified, simply click on the option and E10 will make all the necessary swaps.