FAQ

Getting Started

How do I sign up?
Start here to create a free instructor account. Registration is easy and free. Watch a Screencast

How much does a subscription cost?
There is no charge to professors to set up a course. Students can subscribe to Comparing Governments by purchasing a 6-month subscription for $25 at www.comparinggovernments.com. We accept credit cards via our secure online store, or students can arrange to pay by check.

What do I tell my students to do first?
Students browse to www.comparinggovernments.com and click 'I'm a new student'. If you would like to print a handout for your first class meeting, download the PDF icon student quickstart guide.
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Customizing Comparing Governments

How much content is available?
Comparing Governments contains 80 assignments, including primary sources, audio interviews, licensed documentaries and original video. Every assignment has questions to guide students, with model answers provided in the instructor view.

Can I add my own assignments?
Yes, you can create custom assignments with text, links, pictures, video and your own questions in just minutes.

How do I edit the content in Comparing Governments?
From your home page, click the 'edit' button to begin. Each element may be renamed, reordered or deleted as you wish. Watch the Overview screencast for more information.

I teach with a specific textbook. Can you help me set up my table of contents to match my preferred text?
Absolutely. When you create your course you will be given the choice of which leading text you want your Table of Contents to match. If your text isn’t listed, let us know and we will build a Table of Contents correlated to your preferred text.
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Course Management

Can I teach more than one course with Comparing Governments?
Yes. Once you are logged in, click 'edit' and then click 'create another course' at the top of the page.

Can I teach multiple sections with Comparing Governments?
Yes, once you have an account, you may add sections to each of your courses via the 'edit' button.

Can I use this with my distance learning course?
Yes. Comparing Governments is a web resource, making it exceptionally easy to incorporate into any distance learning platform, such as Blackboard or WebCT. Please contact us with specific questions at support@soomopublishing.com.

How are assignments graded?
In the Notebook, you can see how the class is performing as a whole, and look at individual student answers.

How can I give access to a TA to help with assignment review?
If you have a teaching assistant(s), email us at support@soomopublishing.com and we will assist you in granting them course access. TA users may view the notebook and review student answers, but are not allowed to edit your course content in any way.

Will this work with Blackboard?
Yes. You can link to Comparing Governments assignment pages as you would any other web resource from Blackboard, or any other course management system. Additional integration is available through our Building Block, permitting single sign on and gradebook reporting.
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Reference

Getting Started
For a brief overview of features, watch the Getting Started screencast.

Helpful Documents
PDF icon Index of Assignments
Instructor Quickstart Guide
Student Quickstart Guide

Support
Need help? Just email us.