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Help Menu
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| The Help pages are designed to address the major areas of data entry and interpretation of Syllabus conventions. They are organised in the order of: |
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Entry into SDICS |
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Main areas of data entry
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Related Information to assist in data entry
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| On all help pages on the left hand side are quick links to introductions to main topics. These in turn will link to more detailed information. General questions are addressed in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. |
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| Below are links to the Help Topics |
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| Outline Detail |
| Logging into SDICS |
| SDICS allows Timetable Representatives to check and enter data for their Faculty. It also has the added feature of allowing Academics to view and check the entered data and run reports. Only those units that are assigned to the Faculty will be available for editing by the Timetable Representative. |
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| If an account needs to be set up contact the Timetable Office via this link. |
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| When first logging on to SDCIS, the screen will display fields to enter a User ID and Password. These will have been issued by the Timetable Office. |
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| Below that is the user type. It is important to select the correct user type otherwise entry will be barred. Remember both user ID and your password are case sensitive. |
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| Access Syllabus+ Data Input Collection System now |
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| Moving around Screens |
| SDICS is designed to be user friendly. Navigating around the screens is typical of any web based application. To go forward or backwards use the appropriate arrow keys on your browser. Any text that is underlined and a different colour means that it will link to further information, by clicking on it. |
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| On the left hand side of the screen a list of the current modules (Unit of Study) that are assigned to the Faculty will be displayed. Most of the data that is in SDICS has been transferred from the previous year's timetable, so in the majority of cases the tasks is only to check the accuracy of the data. |
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| Navigation can be easily achieved by clicking on the appropriate link on the top menu bar of screen. At each major screen there is a quick link to a Help Introduction on the topic. Help is also available from the menu bar. For more information about moving around screens go to Shortcuts on the Frequently Asked Questions page. |
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| Same Time Activities |
| As the name suggests same time activities are two or more activities being taught at the same day and time. However they do not normally have the same location. Some same time activities can cut across activity types. Eg labs that are offered on alternating weeks to tutorials, but scheduled at the same time. The number of same time activities will be limited to the number of resources available. |
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| By using Same Time activities, multiple activities can be placed on exactly the same time as each other. These activities are normally assigned different rooms, which is their main difference between them and combined modules. |
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| It is important that virtual rooms should only be used when really necessary as they are hard to maintain due to the matching up of the real room and virtual room being done manually |
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| Teaching Periods |
| Teaching Periods offer the choice of fixing the period range when scheduling an activity or group of activities through an Activity Template or activity. |
| It is foreshadowed as resources decrease and enrolments increase the span of teaching periods will widen over the week and weekend. |
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| Teaching Period can range from anwhere between 08:30 - 21:30. |
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| For more information about teaching periods see Teaching Week Delivery. |
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| Activity Types |
| Activity Types describe the format of a teaching delivery. They can range from tutorials, lectures labs etc. Those activity types that are used in Syllabus for teaching activities within the activity template (HAA111_S2-TU1) are listed below: |
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Classes (CL) |
Classes are more informal than lectures and larger than tutorials. They range in size of 25 upwards |
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Fieldwork (FW) |
Usually a day long event that is sited off campus eg at an airfield |
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Labs (LA) |
Requires the use of computers where students will do practical exercises |
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Lectures (LE) |
Formal presentation by teaching staff of material, usually large groups |
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Practicals (PR) |
Students are required to participate in a hands-on activity rather than be formally presented with teaching material |
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Seminars (SE) |
More formal than tutorials or classes, in smaller groups than lectures, but allows some interaction during between teaching staff and students during the time. |
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Studios (ST) |
Involving a more creative presentation and participation of students in small groups. |
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Tutorials (TU) |
Small groups of students which allows maximum interaction with each other and teaching staff. Size is normally set at 24 or below |
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Workshops (WK) |
Similar to practicals but in heavy equipment built space. |
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Student Access (SA) |
Locations where students are allowed access to rooms to continue on with their work or informal help from their tutor eg open access labs. |
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| Multipart and Streamed Activities |
| These are activities that must match each activity template interaction ie LA1/03 must have the same student sets attached to it as TU1/03. Requests of this nature place massive constraints on the timetable. All requests to place activities under this condition are weighed up on their merit before being processed. Streamed activities overall cannot be processed once the timetable is scheduled. |
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| If successful streamed activities become multipart activities in Allocate+. |
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| Multipart Activities, although similar to streamed activities relate to Allocate+ group activities of units that are requested in a particular way that is part of the teaching delivery of the unit. To ensure that a student goes to LE1/01, LE2/01 and LE3/01 the activity lectures are grouped into a new Activity Group Name eg 'Lecture' and the streams are identified as parts of the new Activity Group in Allocate+. There is no guarantee of same student sets with Multiparts and it is up to the Faculty to maintain any enrolment issues. |
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| Combined Modules |
| Combined modules have one thing in common with same time activities and that is they are on at the same time. However their main differences is that the activities of the Combined modules are in the same room |
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| Combined modules have all their activity types under the combined code eg lectures, tutorials, labs etc will have the same coding (HHH111-HHA122_S1) |
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| Combined modules are used when instances of post grad and undergraduates are taught together or when courses or units are changing and students must finish under the older titles. |
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| The only time that same time activities are used in conjunction with one real location for multiple activities is when one activity type only of the unit is combined. Eg under graduate and post graduate lectures may be combined while all labs and tutorial are run separately. In this example one lecture would have a location while the other would be set to 'none' or to a virtual room eg BA613(v). Virtual rooms are only used as pointers and do not in reality exist! |
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| Weekend Delivery |
| Weekend Delivery may encompass a normal named availability week pattern or be in intensive block mode. |
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| It is important when entering the timetable data that the correct weeks are used for the named availability together with correct resources. As the University's courses spread to times over the weekend there is now very little opportunity to change incorrect weeks or resources once the Timetable has been scheduled. |
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| Evening Delivery |
| Units that are scheduled from 17:30 onwards are now quite numerous and it is becoming harder to place them and find adequate resources. |
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| Students, who choose a night lecture, are normally encouraged by their Faculty to also do a night tutorial etc., although this is not always the case. |
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| Instances where students are required to take consecutive Evening activities can be set up in both Syllabus and Allocate to ensure there is no swapping of day and evening activities. This is known as a Multipart Activity in Allocate+. |
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| When to use Requested Delivery |
| Requested Delivery covers areas that will assist with the delivery of classes. Eg To reduce the time span that classes are available, labs follow tutorials etc. |
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| Up to three general selections can be made, plus one indicating the need to contact the timetable office. The onus will be on the Timetable Representative to contact the Timetable Office, however the office will endeavor to verify contact has been made if this choice is selected. |
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| When to use Location Requests and Specialised Teaching Areas |
| Suggested times and locations are exactly that. You can nominate the room for specialised teaching areas only eg EN301 |
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| However, Syllabus+ will use suitabilities, programs of study and availability to work out where an activity should be placed which best suits the delivery and student attendance. Requested locations and times wil be weighed up in balance of the whole timetable. |
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| When to Contact the Timetable Office |
| Staff from the Timetable Office are available to come and guide users in the steps of entering data in to SDICS. Other occasions when the office can be of assistance is when: |
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New Modules need to be created |
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Combined Modules need to be created or altered. |
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A module changes semester. |
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A suitability may need to be created. |
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A new staff member is to be added. |
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An SDICS account needs to be set up |
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Sepcial Delivery requested |
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| To contact the Timetable Office click here |
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