Bee colony algorithm for assigning proctors to exams. (c2013)

Abstract

Proctor assignment refers to assigning proctors to exams with the objective of having the appropriate number of proctors assigned to exams, subject to conditions such as minimizing the load of proctoring and preventing any conflicting assignments. This problem is intractable and, hence, heuristics algorithms are needed to provide good solutions. In this thesis, we propose a new solution for the proctor assignment to exams problem based on the Bee Colony meta-heuristic algorithm. The Bee Colony algorithm is a recent population-based search algorithm which imitates the behavior of the swarms of honey bees during the process of collecting food. The algorithm performs a neighborhood search combined with random search. We apply the Bee Colony algorithm to previously published data. Experimental results show good solutions that maximize the preferences of the proctors while preserving the fairness of the workload given to proctors.