E10 - Classes: Period allocations

Modified on Thu, 14 Aug at 12:37 AM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preamble

Preamble

The Period allocations screen displays a breakdown of the year level's classes, grouped by structure, eg lines, letter groups and number groups, and gives the overall total of periods that need to be timetabled onto the grid. It is used for checking, prior to constructing a timetable, that each line and/or class group has the required number of periods for each subject, and that the total number of periods defined for the year level matches the total number of online (white) teaching periods on the Grid structure.

Key concept: Total periods to be timetabled must match Periods per cycle.

This screen is particularly good at picking up errors - much better to find any errors prior to staffing and timetabling!

Classes > Period allocations

View options

Use the Filter menu to select the Year level and the Rotation from the dropdown.
Use View> Fields to show menu to select a preferred view, choosing between Course codes, Subject codes or Subject names.

Up to four tables may display:

Period allocation for whole year level
Period allocations per group (letter group)
Period allocation per group (number group)
Mixing table rule

The tables display the number of periods the class runs in a cycle for the selected rotation.
When 'All rotations' are selected, the group tables display the average number of periods per cycle across the whole year, where the average equals p (periods per cycle) divided by r (rotations per year).

Year 12 example

In this Yr 12 example, all classes exist on lines. Therefore, only the first table is needed. It lists each line, and the number of periods on each line, totalling them up at the bottom.
Note that Line 3 shows 4..6(*). This means that there are some classes on Line 3 that have 4 periods only, and some that have 6 periods. This is acceptable.

Total = 40

Periods per cycle = 40

These numbers match, so the data looks correct and the user can proceed to check the Year structure.

Year 9 example

In this Yr 9 example, classes are made up of a mixture of lined classes and letter group classes, so two tables display.

The second table, Period allocation per group, shows each letter grouped subject and the number of periods each group has for each subject. In this case, letter group classes total 26 periods.

This number is also displayed in the first table, so as to be included in the total period count.

The first table shows the total letter group classes (26), in addition to the lined classes.

Total = 40

Periods per cycle = 40

These numbers match, so the data looks correct and the user can proceed to check the Year structure.

Year 8 example

In this Yr 8 example, classes are made up of a mixture of lined classes, letter group classes and number group classes, so three tables display.

The third table, Period allocation per group, shows each number group subject and the number of periods each group has for each subject. In this case, number group classes total 4 periods.

This number is also displayed in the first table, so as to be included in the total period count.

The first table shows the total letter group classes (18), the lined classes, and the number group classes (4).

Total = 40

Periods per cycle = 40

These numbers match, so the data looks correct and the user can proceed to check the Year structure.

Year 7 example

In this Yr 7 example, classes are made up of a mixture of lined classes, letter group classes and number group classes. There is also a Mix groups rule in place, so four tables display.

The fourth table, Mixing table rule, shows how the letter group cohorts are divided up into number group cohorts.

Total = 40

Periods per cycle = 40

These numbers match, so the data looks correct and the user can proceed to check the Year structure.

Rotations

Year 7 have Rotation 1 and 2 classes: Art, Drama, Food Technology and Technology. Each of these classes runs for 4 periods per cycle per rotation.

Filtering to Rot 1 shows the breakdown for Rotation 1:

Filtering to Rot 2 shows the breakdown for Rotation 2:

Filtering to All rotations shows the average periods per cycle across all rotations.

Common Errors

The types of common errors from the class data screen include:

the Total periods is less than the Periods per cycle
the Total periods is more than the Periods per cycle
incorrect data entry for number of periods for a subject or group
rotations are unbalanced

Common error 1: the Total periods is less than the Periods per cycle

All periods per cycle must be accounted for. Sometimes this means creating 'filler' classes. For example, there are 4 periods not accounted for on the Yr 11 timetable in the image below.

Total = 36

Periods per cycle = 40

These numbers do not match, so the data must be corrected before the user can proceed to check the Year structure.

It could be that students have 4 periods of study, or they are not required at school. A filler class should be created to fill the gap.

The totals will then add up. Instead of seeing blank periods on the Year 11 timetable, we will see the Study filler classes.

Common error 2: the Total periods is more than the Periods per cycle

In this error, the number of classes we are asking Edval to timetable is more than exists on the grid. This is an impossibility that must be corrected. It is often a data entry issue (eg, Line A should have 2 periods, not 3), or it could be an error in planning in that the school has not allocated the number of periods per line/subject properly.

Total = 41

Periods per cycle = 40

These numbers do not match, so the data must be corrected before the user can proceed to check the Year structure.

Common error 3: incorrect data entry for number of periods for a subject or group

This type of error is more subtle. Technically, it will be possible to timetable these classes, so Edval will not warn of an error that requires fixing, and proceeding to the Year structure will allow the user to 'Sign off' and achieve 'Champagne stage'. But it is crucial that the user checks the Period allocations screen to discover the error and correct it.

The below Yr 9 Period allocations screen shows an orange warning for the Humanities subject for 9H. All other group classes have 4 periods for Humanities, but 9H only has 3. 9H would ultimately have a timetable that has one blank period with no class to be placed in it.

It is likely a data entry error that definitely needs to be picked up before the Year structure is signed off (Edval will allow this data to Sign off, as it not structurally impossible to timetable). If the timetabler was to proceed with this error in place, and go ahead and allocate staffing and construct a timetable, and only then realise the mistake, the class would have to be increased to 4 periods, the extra period added to the timetable, and a teacher with availability in their load would have to be assigned the lesson.

Common error 4: rotations are unbalanced

In the case below, the total of the group tables (both letters and numbers) display in the first table as '7-characters'. This total is showing as 30.

Total = 44

Periods per cycle = 40

These numbers do not match, so the data must be corrected before the user can proceed to check the Year structure.

It is not easy to see where the error is when 'All rotations' is selected. Therefore, each rotation must be checked to find the error.

Filtering to Rot 1 shows that 7A has too many letter group class periods in Rotation 1.

Filtering to Rot 2 shows that 7A do not have enough letter group class periods in Rotation 2.

The data in the Rot column in Class data must be corrected to give 7A the correct number of periods each rotation.

Offline periods

Class data may contain classes that are 'offline' or 'off-grid', such as Homegroup or form classes.

As shown below, 9A will have 10 periods for Home Group, and these classes are offline (#Per = 0+10).

The Period allocations screen will display these offline classes in the second or third group tables, so that the data can be easily checked, but they will not be included in the total that displays in the first table. Only the 'online' periods will be totalled in the first table, as they are the classes that Edval will need to timetable in the Master grid.