Activity Data Checks 2016/17

Activity Data Checks 2016/17
April 2016
Please find below some hints and tips that should assist with setting up your activities for scheduling.
Step 1 – ID Tab
FIELD
CHECK
Name
Ensure that the name is easily recognisable by students or other users of
Web Timetables and as consistent as possible across the School. [See
Working with Activities in 2016/17 Database, Step 1]
Duration
This should reflect the length of your activity. Please note that 1 (30
minutes) is the default length, so a one-hour session will have a
duration of ‘2’.
Type
This should reflect the type of teaching or other activity. In particular it
should identify as ‘Core Activity’ those classes which all students on the
module must attend. See document Syllabus Plus Activity Types for
details of the main Activity Types for teaching, and S+ Core Activities
2016_17 for further information on what constitutes a Core Activity.
Size
This is the size per activity. Please make as accurate an estimate as
possible in order to maximize the chances of being allocated an
appropriately-sized location. Updated planned numbers for Core
(whole-group) activities for Undergraduate modules have been
included in this field.
Module
Make sure that, where appropriate, the Activity is attached to the
correct module code (including the Semester). Where the module
code does not yet appear on the list, select ‘Mod Update Req’ tag on
the User Text and Tags page.
Suggested Day(s)
&
Suggested Time
Ensure that these are accurate for 2016/17. Ensure that the information
matches that given in the Course Catalogue for the module concerned.
http://portal.st-andrews.ac.uk/catalogue/
Joint
Module Activities
See guidelines for the procedure for setting these up to ensure that the
details are visible to students on all the relevant modules.
[S+ Scheduling Joint Module Activities]
Step 2 – User Text and Tags
FIELD
CHECK
User Text 1
This area will be checked by the Timetabling Team for any additional
requirements. Any comments from 2015/16 have been deleted.
User Tags
Use this field to indicate where an activity relates to a new module where
a module code is not yet available by selecting ‘Mod Update Req’ tag
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Step 3 – Resources Tab
FIELD
CHECK
Zone
This can be as specific as a building or an entire area, and
indicates where you would prefer the teaching to take place.
Choosing an area rather than a building will give more
allocation options and a better chance of getting a suitable
location. Do not leave it as ‘none’ unless for very large
modules.
Location
Ensure that:
(a) the drop-down box is set to ‘Wildcard’, unless a specific
venue has been selected (when it will default to ‘Preset’)
(b) a number of required locations has been selected
(normally 1). If this is left at 0, your activity will appear
to be scheduled, but not assigned a room. The only
instances where None/0 should be selected are where a
room is not required on SPlus, e.g. the Activity is taking
place in a staff office or other ‘non-S+’ room, or for Joint
Module Activities – see above.
Location –
‘Suitability’ 1
Ensure that either 1. Centrally Allocated Space or 1. Locally
Allocated Space has been selected. Selecting more than one
of these will rule out every location.
Location –
‘Suitability’ 2
Ensure that you select a Suitability 2 (e.g. General Teaching, PC
Classroom) for each activity. Make sure that only ONE
Suitability 2 is selected otherwise you will rule-out every
location as an option.
Location –
‘Suitabilities’ 3, 4, 5
These allow you to specify the facilities required for each
activity, e.g. particular IT equipment, Disabled Access or Tables.
Several can be selected, but the more that are, the narrower
the range of locations available.
Staff
Use the Staff section of the “Resource” tab to attach one or
more Staff members to an Activity. If you do not wish to assign
a Staff member, please ensure that the drop-down box for staff
is set to ‘None’, otherwise S+ will assign a member of staff at
random.
Step 4 – Availability Tab
FIELD
Week Span /
Named Availability
CHECK
Ensure that this is accurate for 2016/17 and includes all the
weeks required during the semester/year. Following the
introduction of an Independent Learning Week, no
teaching should take place in Week 6 of Semester 1.
Timetabling Team, Registry
T: 01334 463099
E: [email protected]
W: www.st-andrews.ac.uk/staff/teaching/timetabling/
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