Course Outline

Offered by Networked Information Services

Instructor: (Contact: www.bu.edu/webcentral/help/)
Prerequisites: HTML: Introduction and HTML: Intermediate or equivalent knowledge
2 hours (55 minutes lecture, 45 minutes hands-on exercises, 10-minute break)

Getting Started (15 minutes)

1. Introduction
2. Signing up for QuickPolls space
3. Introduction to the QuickPolls CMS
4. Navigating and logging out
5. Getting help

Hands-on exercise: Getting Started (10 minutes)

1. Access the CMS using the administrator login information on your handout.
2. Navigate through the QuickPolls system using the CMS menu.
3. Identify and use a link for QuickPolls Help.

Working with Polls (15 minutes)

1. Creating a new poll
2. Editing upcoming polls
3. Editing the current poll
4. Reviewing current and past polls

Hands-on exercise: Working with Polls (15 minutes)

1. Review the results of the past poll on your practice site to prior to making a new pole (use the URL on your handout).
2. Review the results of the same past poll in the CMS by selecting Past.
3. Use the QuickPolls CMS to make a new poll that begins tomorrow by selecting New. Choose any poll options that you want.
4. Edit the poll you created by selecting Upcoming. Change your poll's start date to today.
5. View your poll as an active poll in the QuickPolls CMS by selecting Current.

Break (10 minutes)

Displaying Polls on Your Site (15 minutes)

1. Displaying your polls
2. Minimal customization
3. Further customization
4. Example
5. Displaying your past polls
6. Customizing past polls

Hands-on exercise: Displaying Polls on Your Site (15 minutes)

1. Download the file practice.html from your practice site to the My Documents folder on your computer's hard drive.
2. Open practice.html and add the code for displaying a QuickPolls poll to the page.
3. Add the .css code to complete the minimal customization.
4. Save your changes and view the practice page using a Web browser.
5. Remove the .css code for minimal customization and add the following link to use the example .css file:
   
   <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://www.bu.edu/webcentral/learning/quickpolls/qp-example.css">
   
   
6. Save your changes and view the practice page in a Web browser again.
7. Submit your poll.
8. Change your practice page from being a poll page to a results page by replacing the poll code with past polls code.
9. Save and view your past polls page.

Administrative Tasks (10 minutes)

1. Managing users

Hands-on exercise: Administrative Tasks (5 minutes)

1. Add your login name as a reviewer for your practice polls.
2. Review your past polls page in your practice site as a visitor would see it.
3. Log in to the CMS using your BU username and view your poll results as a reviewer.