Create component-based patterns

Component-based patterns are sets of patterns that shift independently of each other.

For example, a school might create a pattern in which a course must meet a total of six times during a cycle in the Days/Periods grid. Then, Add is clicked to move the pattern to the Components grid. When Preview Arrangements is clicked, the Days/Periods grid continually displays a sampling of pattern configurations that Aspen will consider for courses with these components.

Note: Component-based patterns can work in conjunction with the Course Pattern Exclusion rule. After creating a component-based pattern to fit a course, schools can define the patterns that would not fit that course, then match them to the course in a Course Pattern Exclusion rule. For example, a school might have courses that must meet five times within a cycle, but wants to exclude any pattern that schedules the course twice in the same day.

To create component-based patterns:

  1. Create a schedule pattern.
  2. At the Schedule pattern style field, select Component-based. The Days/Periods grid appears with the Components box.
  3. To define the shape of each component, click each box that represents a meeting time in the Days/Period grid. For example, a school might create a pattern in which a course must meet a total of six times during a cycle in the Days/Periods grid. Five of the periods must meet.

  1. Click Add to move the pattern to the Components box.
  2. Then, define the shape of the other component, and click Add to add it to the Components box.

  3. In this example, five of the periods must meet in the shape that schedules four periods in consecutive days, with one day holding two periods, for a total of five of the six periods per cycle. Then, the second component defines that a single period can float and be scheduled any period any day.

  1. After you define all components, click Preview Arrangements below the Days/Periods grid. The grid continually displays all of the options Aspen will consider for courses with these components. Click Stop Preview to stop the preview.
  2. Click Save to save the component-based pattern.
  3. Create a Course Pattern Exclusion rule to define any patterns the system cannot use to schedule courses that use this component-based pattern.