Earlier in 2020, we talked with lots of timetablers worldwide about the type of training support the timetabling community wants and needs. Each conversation helped us to evolve ideas and mould our service into the training course we offer today - Timetabling Basecamp.
Over recent months we have continued to reach out to as many people as we can. Our aim now, to find out if they had any questions or concerns about whether this type of service now created, would be beneficial for their team. (If you'd be happy to give us your thoughts please do get in contact!)
Through these conversations we have found that there are concerns and questions, therefore we thought why not tackle these head on? So for this article we provide our response to the timetabling community's top 6 concerns and questions, when considering signing up to our Timetabling Basecamp training course.
So, to start with - This course is not about telling anyone how to timetable.
Timetabling is a complex beast that takes a different form for each institution. The size of HE organisations and the number of different influences, means there isn't one perfect solution.
Our Timetabling Basecamp training course focuses on the idea of facilitating active learning and not lecturing. During this course each person will learn the key timetabling principles and skills needed to be a successful timetabler no matter the institution.
The workshop activities and homework tasks then require each learner to use this knowledge to investigate and map out their own institution's ways of working. For example, "The Timetabling Cycle" homework task offers each learner guidance for mapping out their own institution's timetabling cycle, including tasks, deadlines and responsibilities. Each learner will then present their timetabling cycle back to the group and also field questions, in doing so helping them to gain experience in communicating timetabling information.
All our workshops our collaboration focused and therefore learners have the opportunity to ask each other questions, and find why others work in different ways. This again helps to promote active learning and help them to build their own ideas for finding the best solutions at their own institution.
Ultimately this Timetabling Basecamp training course focuses on improving each learners knowledge of timetabling, both at their institution and others, as well building upon the the skills they need to be a awesome timetabler.
Are you confident that you can provide the training your teams needs to reach their full potential? Do you believe you have the time to do so?
For practically every other profession the answer to these questions is no. Accountants, IT professionals, surveyors, engineers, architects and many other professions all carry out continual professional development using training services, improving their subject skills and knowledge over time. So why shouldn't timetablers be able to do so too?
Our timetabling focused course is built with your team's training needs solely in mind. Why not take advantage of this training service, investing in your team's development so that they can help you to improve your institution's timetabling performance.
All our workshops are built on the principle of active learning. Our facilitators guide the learners through each live workshop, using a whole range of different activities. They do so using MS Teams and collaborative tools such as Mural, enabling every learner to interact and collaborate live.
All learners are supported by our learning platform that will have have lifetime access to. This includes all recorded live workshops, homework tasks, fun quizzes and supporting course information. This means that unlike a in-person event, each learner can revist and continue their learning when and where they want.
This and all our courses are supported by our Escentral community platform. This enables the learners to ask questions as well also directly message any of the facilitators, outside of the live workshops. This community service is available to learners as soon as the sign-up, with access to the course channel before, during and forever after!
We firmly believe that our dedicated focus on delivering this course live and online only, means this course will in fact offer a better experience not worse.
Timetabling is so much more than just timetabling software. This course is dedicated to exploring the knowledge and skills needed to become an awesome timetabler, not software techniques. We have made efforts to ensure all content is software jargon free and relevant to all timetabling teams, no matter the software package they use.
All workshops are built on active learning, therefore as long as your team member is keen to be involved then this is the course for them. During each workshop the facilitators guide the discussions, ensuring that each learner is involved irrespective of their experience.
For new starters as each workshop is live there are plenty of opportunities to ask questions and improve understanding. Additionally, all content is recorded, so any tricky concepts can be re-watched.

Our Escentral community provides each learner with the option of asking follow-up questions either to their peers or a specific facilitator. The homework sessions will each be explained during the workshops, with templates and supported guidance helping new and experienced timetablers to complete each task to the required standard.
The interactive learning style of the workshops and homework tasks will help experienced timetablers to brush up their knowledge on key concepts, and explore both how their own and other institutions work. Many of the workshops focus on developing skills key to timetabling such as communication, understanding and negotiating. These are skills we must all nurture and build upon over time, irrespective of our experience.
We are confident that every student who attend all our courses will leave with new found knowledge and skill set. This is because we are leaders in our field. Not only do we create excellent course content, we listen to feedback and constantly improve content and delivery. We work with facilitators who are leaders in their field too!