Team Teaching Load using Linear Programming

Abstract

Assignment of teaching loads refers to the allocation of teaching hours among academic staff. It will be the ideal way to assign the right courses to the right staff based on their expertise, preference and experience. The common practice in this department to allocate the teaching load is done manually through trial-and-error using Microsoft Excel which is inefficient and time consuming. Moreover, the manual allocation may lead to bias judgement and get unfavourable courses among academic staff. Thus, this study aims to propose a teaching load allocation model which able to optimize the teaching quality. A primary data has been collected using google form among 25 lecturers with 13 courses considered. Then, a linear programming model was applied based on department policies as constraints in order to find an optimal solution. A feasible solution will be solved using LINGO optimization software and the model serves as a best tool to assist head of department to allocate teaching loads. It found that the model proposed is suitable to be employed for teaching load allocation in this department .