POLIS Demo

This demo will start at 2:00 PM, at Phoenix College in the Encanto Room computer Lab, in the lower level of the Library.

For more information, please contact Sandra Wells (285-7670).

POLIS demo
10.08.98 @ Phoenix College [A1 invitation]

Tentative Agenda

  • 2:00 - 2:10 Welcome (Sandra Wells, Jim Walters, PC)
  • 2:10 - 3:00 Demonstrations of POLIS as used at PC and at PVCC
  • 3:00 - 4:00 more disucssion, hands on access, Q & A

Relevant Links

demos and
discussion
  • Debby Kurtz-Weidinger (Phoenix College) showed her use of POLIS for two course in the PC Dental Hygiene Program, DHE 130 "Prevention of Dental Disease" and DHE 222 "Periodontics I". Debby uses these sites as support activities for her classes and likes POLIS's ability to ombine with the pages that she creates with other web tools.

  • Mickie Bond (Phoenix College), self-described as a newbie at this, created a POLIS web site for the BIO 108 "Plants and Society" a biology course that typically enrolls a wide range of students in terms of science and computer abilities. She provides students a selection of web sites that they must investigate and then report back via POLIS.

  • Jeanne Franco (Paradise Valley Community College) presented two Accounting Courses that she teaches fully online via POLIS, ACC111 - Accounting Principles I and ACC230 - Uses of Accounting Information I. Both were created over the summer with support from PVCC. The POLIS site contains all fo the assignments and Jeanne uses the discussion and workbench features for many of the lessons. Other lessons require students to submit their work either as email attachments, faxes, or other means. She plans to create another two courses this summer. Jeanne showed us many of the tool screen available to the instructor.
In followup discussion, Jim Walters talked about a few differences between POLIS as run under Windows NT server vs unix, and PC has recently switched to the latter. POLIS is not quuite the same as courseware packages such as webCT, but one of the unique features is that is does have more pedagogy designed into it, especially in the discussion areas where topics are generated built around the objectives that the instructors compose. It does not offer the full detailed tracking features of packages like webCT, but is also cheaper (a one time purchase) and much easier for faculty new to technology to strat using. As an acadmice project, POLIS may provide less in terms of customer support.

From the University of Arizona site, anyone can try POLIS as an instructor and set up a demo course.