A Digital Twin-Driven Recommendation System for Adaptive Campus Course Timetabling

Abstract: Efficient and adaptive course timetabling for large, dynamic university campuses remains a significant challenge due to the complex interplay of hard and soft constraints. Traditional static optimization methods often fail to accommodate real-time disruptions, evolving user preferences, and the nuanced spatial-temporal relationships inherent in campus environments. This paper reconceptualizes the timetabling problem as a recommendation-based task and leverages the Texas A&M Campus Digital Twin as a dynamic data platform. Our proposed framework integrates collaborative and content-based filtering techniques with iterative feedback mechanisms, thereby generating a ranked set of adaptive timetable recommendations. A composite scoring function, incorporating metrics for classroom occupancy, travel distance, travel time, and vertical transitions, enables the framework to systematically balance resource utilization with user-centric factors. Extensive experiments using real-world data from Texas A&M University demonstrate that our approach effectively reduces travel inefficiencies, optimizes classroom utilization, and enhances overall user satisfaction. By coupling a recommendation-oriented paradigm with a digital twin environment, this study offers a robust and scalable blueprint for intelligent campus planning and resource allocation, with potential applications in broader urban contexts.