There are three ways Class Scheduler can be used. Class Scheduler can be used for student-based scheduling, block scheduling and requirements-based scheduling. Student-based scheduling is used in most high schools, colleges and universities. In student-based scheduling, scheduling is done on a student by student basis where each student has their own unique class schedule. Block scheduling is often used in elementary and middle schools where scheduling is done with groups of students at a time. Requirements-based scheduling is used to setup class times and the assignment of rooms and instructors before student scheduling actually takes place.
When you first run Class scheduler you will see the Tip Of The Day screen. Click OK to show the main screen.
The main screen will look something like this:
The first step in using Class Scheduler is to enter your data. Your data will include information about your
students, classes and instructors. Data is erased and added in the Data Manager screen. Open the Data Manager by
choosing Tools | Data Manager from the main screen menu.
The Data Manager will look something like this:
When you first use the program there should be some sample data. Once you have finished experimenting with this
data you should erase it and enter your own data. To delete all the records in the current table choose File |
Delete All Records from the menu.
An important first step is to enter data for all your classes. First, you need to enter all the different class types.
Class types are your core courses. Classes are the different representations of your core courses. For example,
if you teach History 101 this would be the Class type but you would have potentially several different History
101 classes, each at a different time, in a different room or with a different instructor. Enter all your Class
Type data in the Class Types table using the Data Manager. To add a new class type first click on the Class Types
tab.
If the fields are not blank as in the above picture. Press the add button to add a new record. The add button is
the red circular button at the top with the + sign in it. Then type in the class type data into the fields. In
the example below, we added the Math30 class type.
The Class Type field is a unique identifier for the class type. Every different class type must have it's own ID.
The description can be anything you like. It is used to assign a name to the ID. The Grade field is optional. Grades
can be assigned to students, groups of students and class types. When grades are assigned in this way students
in a particular grade can only be assigned courses that have been assigned the same grade. If a class has not been
assigned a grade it can be assigned to any student regardless of what grade that student is in. The Pre Reqs field
is also optional. It identifies any prerequisite class types that must be completed before a student can be enrolled
in the current class type. In this case, before a student can enroll in Math30 they must have successfully completed
Math10 and Math20. The best way to add prerequisites is to click the ellipsis button to the right of the Pre Reqs
field. A selector box will pop up.
Hold down the Ctrl key and click the class types that are prerequisites for the current class type. Then click
the OK button. The Color field indicates the color a class with this class type will have when viewed in the main
screen. To change the color click the ellipsis button to the right of the Color field. A color selector box will
pop up. Click the color you want and press OK. The Cost field indicates how much it costs to take this class.
Instructor data is entered in the Instructors tab using the Data Manager.
The InstructorID field links to the LoginID field of the Security
table. The InstructorID field is a unique identifier for the
instructor. Each different instructor must have their own ID. The
Classifications field indicates any special classifications the
instructor might have. For example, this field might be used to
identify instructors that have knowledge of CPR. The
ClassQualifications indicates which ClassTypes the instructor is able
to teach. Multiple class types are separated by commas. The Priority
field is used when using the Assign Instructors to Classes feature. The
lower the number the greater the priority the instructor will be
assigned to classes first. The MaxClassSize field indicates the maximum number of
students the instructor is willing to teach. The MaxClasses field
indicates the maximum number of classes the instructor is willing to
teach in a given term.
The Manage Availability screen enables you to enter and manage
availability of instructors rooms and students. To view the student
Manage Availability screen choose View | Manage Availability from the
main menu. The following screen should appear:
The Instructor, Room and Student pull-down lists at the top are
filters that allow you to limit the availability records seen to a
specific instructor, room or student. Only one filter can be used at
one time. When an instructor, room or student is selected all the
associated availability records will be seen in the grid below. To edit
information on the currently listed availability record press the Edit
button. The fields will now allow changes to them and the Save button
will become enabled. After making your changes press the Save button.
To add a new availability record, press the New button. All the fields
will become blank allowing you to enter new information. When you are
finished entering information press the Save button to add the new
availability record. To delete the current availability record click
the Delete button.
Optional room data is entered in the Rooms tab using the Data Manager.
The Room field is a unique identifier for the room. Every different room must have it's own ID. The capacity field
indicates the maximum number of students can occupy each classroom. The optional Room Type field indicates the
special kind of room the class requires. For example, a chemistry class would require a special chemistry lab.
Class data is entered in the Classes tab using the Data Manager. If you plan on using the requirements-based
scheduling feature you do not need to enter Classes data as it will be automatically created for you.
The Class field is a unique identifier for the class. Every different class must have it's own ID. The Class Type
field identifies which class type type the class belongs to. The description can be anything you like. It is used
to assign a name to the class ID. The Term field is optional. It indicates which term the class fall in. Terms
are setup in the Terms tab. The optional Room field indicates which room the class takes place in. Rooms are added
in the Rooms tab. The optional Building field indicates which building the class takes place in. Buildings are
added in the Buildings tab. The optional E-mail field is for placing an email address of the person responsible
for this class. When the class is dropped and the Notify On Class Drop configuration setting has been set, a drop
notice will be sent to this address. The Capacity field indicates the maximum number of students that can take
this class. The Security field can be set to either A (Administrator) or U (user). When the security is set to
A only administrators can assign this class to a student. The Start and End Time fields indicate at what time the
class will start and when it will end. The optional Start and End date fields indicate on what days the class starts
and when it ends.
The Days field indicates on which days of the week the class will occur. The Days field can contain
any combination of days in the format [Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su]. The days must be separated by commas. The best way
to add days is to click the ellipsis button to the right of the Days field. A selector box will pop up. Hold down
the Ctrl key and click the days the class will occur. Then click the OK button.
The Instructor field indicates
who will be teaching the class. Instructors are entered in the Instructors tab. The optional Room Type field indicates
the special kind of room the class requires. For example, a chemistry class would require a special chemistry lab.
The Color field indicates the color a class will have when viewed in the main screen. To change the color click
the ellipsis button to the right of the Color field. A color selector box will pop up. Click the color you want
and press OK. If both a class and it's class type have different colors associated with them the class color will
take precedence. The CreditHours field indicates how many credit hours this course counts towards on completion.
Group data needs to be entered only if you wish to schedule by groups instead of individual students. Group
data is entered in the Groups tab using the Data Manager.
The Group field is a unique identifier for the group. Every different group must have it's own ID. The Grade field
is optional. Grades can be assigned to students, groups of students and class types. When grades are assigned in
this way students in a particular grade can only be assigned courses that have been assigned the same grade. If
a class has not been assigned a grade it can be assigned to any student regardless of what grade that student is
in. The Capacity field indicates the maximum number of students that can be in this group.
Student data is entered in the Students tab using the Data Manager. Student data does not need to be entered
if you are using Class Scheduler only for requirements-based scheduling.
The StudentID field is a unique identifier for the student. Every different student must have their own ID. The Grade
field is optional. Grades can be assigned to students, groups of students and class types. When grades are assigned
in this way students in a particular grade can only be assigned courses that have been assigned the same grade.
If a class has not been assigned a grade it can be assigned to any student regardless of what grade that student
is in. The Group field indicates which group the student belongs to. This field is only needed if you plan to schedule
using groups of students instead of individual students. The Classifications field indicates any special classifications
the student might have. For example, this field might be used to identify students that have knowledge of CPR.
If you plan on using the requirements-based scheduling feature you will need to populate the Requirements table.
The Class Type field identifies which class type type the class belongs to. The Number Of Classes field indicates
the number of number of classes of this type you want scheduled. The optional Room Type field indicates the special
kind of room the class requires. For example, a chemistry class would require a special chemistry lab. The Days
field can contain any combination of days in the format [Mo,Tu,We,Th,Fr,Sa,Su]. The days must be separated by commas.
The StartTime and EndTime fields indicate within which times of day the class can be taught. The ClassDuration
field indicates how long in minutes the class will last.
The Buildings and Terms data are fairly straight forward. The remaining data tabs are used by the software itself and normally will not need to be edited. See the Class Scheduler Tables section of the help file for detailed information on these and other tables.