How to switch off Consecutive if same day=yes

[Edelbert]

I have Mathematics 7 lectures in 5 days. Thus Mathematics is split 7. The timetable generated puts two activities consecutive which is not desireable.
I cannot seem to find a way of switching it to NO in order to NOT have Mathematics as consecutive.
Has it to do with min days between?

[Liviu Lalescu]

When you add 7 activities in 5 days, there is a warning/instructions there, telling you how to proceed. It is wrong how you added. Add an activity split into 5 and another split into 2, and constraint min gaps between activities.

[Liviu Lalescu]

If you want to see all seven activities in the same component, add an activity split into 7 and remove the min days constraint for them and add another two min days constraints, one with 5 components and the other with 2 components, 100%.

100% also for my previous post, for both split activities, into 5 and into 2.

[Edelbert]

Thanks for your prompt reply. Firstly i missed the checkbox for CONSECUTIVE. I removed all Mathematics and re-inserted them split 5 and two and unchecked CONSECUTIVE. It almost worked but there was still the odd double-activity.
I then removed the 5/2 splits and re-inserted them split 7 but i also made the Min gap (hrs) between them to 2.
This gave a satisfactory result. You certainly gave me something to work with and to investigate. I need to further persue the split 5/2
Thanks so much - I am new to this.

[Liviu Lalescu]

Thanks for your prompt reply. Firstly i missed the checkbox for CONSECUTIVE. I removed all Mathematics and re-inserted them split 5 and two and unchecked CONSECUTIVE. It almost worked but there was still the odd double-activity.

You needed 100% weight.

I then removed the 5/2 splits and re-inserted them split 7 but i also made the Min gap (hrs) between them to 2.
This gave a satisfactory result. You certainly gave me something to work with and to investigate. I need to further persue the split 5/2

This is not perfect with respect to algorithm.

[Volker Dirr]

Hi Edelbert,

you are sure you don't want to have it consecutive?
i place such activities with higher duration then you have days always consecutive (truth be told as activity with split duration 2+2+1+1+1), because it has some advantages:
- students and/or teachers don't need to change the room. So teachers/students with long distanced rooms don't get late to the next lesson any more.
- students and teachers don't need to pack items and unpack them later again. So you have got more time to work at your exercises.
- students and teachers don't need to interrupt unfinished work. So they don't need to rethink later once again.
- students and teachers can write longer tests. So they won't need to change the activity with other teachers anymore.
i place that double lessons never over the big lunch break. Only over the short "change room" break. So if a teacher has got a double lesson, he can always do his small "break" like he want. so sometimes a bit earlier if he just finished his work. sometimes a bit later if he need a few minutes more. or even skip the break at all.
so overall you save a lot of time and can use this time effective if it is consecutive. It will reduce the number of teachers/students running through the school and it will also reduce the number of not supervised students (during changing the room).

[Edelbert]

Thanks for the discussion. All so true. I agree completely that double periods is not a bad thing, however, for a subject like Mathematics it is a different story. The concentration span for a primary student is just too long and you lose them in the second period. We generally make use of double periods for subjects like language lectures but tend to stay away from doubles for mathematics. Art is also a subject which could have such benefits with a double session.
I have learnt from all this and is now able to use 'same day = yes or no' whenever i need/want to.
Thanks for all the hours you spend on this.
Best regards

[Volker Dirr]

Hallo Engelbert,

for primary it is of course different. I didn't thought that you are at a primary school, because at german primary schools one teacher nearly teach all subjects in his class. So the teacher can switch the subjects like he want. So the timetablemaker can simply give that teacher 20 or more hours his class and only need to tell him "do 7 hours math, 7 hours language, ...". So in fact he doesn't need to add that information into the timetabling software (but most guys do it anyway).

Let us now if you are missing other constraints for your school, i am not very familiar with primary timetables.