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Tabu Search for Educational Team Formation: Measuring Gains in Satisfaction and Diversity

Spirov, Kristiyan (2025) Tabu Search for Educational Team Formation: Measuring Gains in Satisfaction and Diversity.

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Abstract:This thesis explores whether Tabu Search can effectively improve student team formation in educational settings. Team formation is a complex problem constrained by factors such as team size, program diversity, nationality, and project preferences. We design a two-stage system: a rule-based generator that creates valid teams, followed by a Tabu Search algorithm that optimizes team composition using a multi-objective scoring function. This function balances project satisfaction, Belbin role diversity, gender diversity, and soft penalties (e.g., all-Dutch teams). The system is tested on synthetic datasets reflecting real student data. Results show that Tabu Search consistently improves team configurations compared to the initial random assignment, achieving higher diversity and better alignment with student preferences. The framework is scalable, modular, and can be extended with additional objectives or constraints, making it adaptable to various educational contexts.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:EEMCS: Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
Subject:54 computer science, 81 education, teaching
Programme:Computer Science BSc (56964)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/107688
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