Populi LMS FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Populi Learning Management System

How do I access the Populi LMS?

To log in to your SKSM Populi site:

  • Go to SKSM Populi URL: https://sksm.populiweb.com/
  • Enter your username. If you are using your own computer, click Remember to have Populi remember your username whenever you log in.
  • Enter your password. This field hides what you are typing by showing your characters as black dots. If need be, click Show so you can see what you are typing.
  • Your screen should look like the following:

  • NOTE: As of July 1, 2021, Populi requires multi-factor authentication (MFA). When you login the first time after this date, you’ll be prompted to setup MFA through your mobile device. Google Authenticator and Authy are free, and there are other options available as well. If you do not have a smart phone, you can download Authy to your computer desktop (Authy.com).
  • Click Log In or press Enter on your keyboard.
Where will I find my course?

Our SKSM Registrar creates all courses and adds the faculty. After that, students can access the courses in two ways:

  • Via the Courses panel found on your Home page:

  • Use the Dashboard or All Courses list shown on your My Courses view:

After accessing your course instance in Populi, you can post and edit it by adding different resources and activity modules.

Why can't I see all the lessons in my course?

SKSM policy is that Faculty open a new lesson every week. The week before the beginning of the term, you will be able to access the first lesson. Faculty work on every lesson every week to ensure the class is receiving the highest standard of education. Therefore, only when a lesson is ready for the class to proceed does the Faculty open it. Please be patient and kind with the time, efforts, and dedication of the SKSM Faculty to offer you quality lessons!

How different from Moodle is this?

Actually not so different, except for the layout of the platform. Moodle coding constitutes the basis for Populi as a platform, so both systems are not entirely different. However, Populi was created exclusively for the University setting, while Moodle is an open-source platform for any educational setting. That implies that they work very closely even when they may look different. The following table highlights some of the similarities between both systems:

Moodle Populi
Asynchronous learning Asynchronous learning
Synchronous learning with third party apps Synchronous learning with third party apps
Mobile learning Mobile learning
Video conferencing Video conferencing
Documentation hosting Documentation hosting
Integrated gradebook Integrated gradebook
Communication with faculty via email Communication with faculty via email
Forums Forums
Linking of external sites Linking of external sites
Chat Chat
Integration with third party apps Integration with third party apps

In other words, you can do in Populi everything that you were used to in Moodle and much more! Before the beginning of the academic term, you will receive a complete guide to navigate Populi.

Glossary of terms

Although Populi is not that different from Moodle, it uses different terminology for functions used in Moodle. Following is a table with some of the new terminology from Populi that you may want to remember:

Moodle Populi
Course shell Instance
Units/weeks Lessons
Forums Discussions
Announcements Bulletin Board
Forum “Please introduce yourself” Discussion “Please introduce yourself”
Week 0 (where the syllabus and other information was located) “General” in Lessons
Syllabus in Week 0 Syllabus in the navigation menu (left side of the screen)
Activities Assignments
Participants Roster
Latest News The Feed
Upcoming Events Calendar
Recent Activity The Feed
How do I access the virtual digital library?

SKSM has a subscription to the DTL2 (Digital Theological Library) that you should already have access to.

You just need your barcode (found in your Populi URL) to access it (see below for reminder where to find your barcode). You can also email Registrar@sksm.edu if you are having trouble finding your barcode.

The use of the DTL2 is intuitive, and there are tutorials here: https://dtl2.libguides.com/howtouse. The tutorial videos will show DTL1, but the principles are the same (besides cosmetic differences) for DTL2.

To Log In:

  • Input your barcode
  • Click on the “Log In” button

Users log in upon clicking on a specific resource either in the A-Z list or the catalog. Users can browse without logging in. Once a user is logged in, the users will not have to log in again during that current browser session.

To log in, upon selecting a resource, you should select “Starr King School for the Ministry” from the institution dropdown menu and enter your Populi barcode.

Where do I find my barcode?

The number at the end of the URL is the eight digit barcode number that you see on the right end of the Populi address when you are logged in to your account:

Example: sksm.populiweb.com/router/contacts/people/12345678

Please contact Registrar@sksm.edu for any questions or issues regarding library access.

Where can I watch a preview of Populi LMS for SKSM?

On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, the LMS team provided a live demo session, followed by a question-and-answer period. That event was recorded and is available to view here.

Populi 101 Guide

You can download a PDF of Dr. Hugo Cordova Quero’s Populi 101 Guide for Students here. Send any additional questions not covered in the guide, or feedback on the guide, to LMSProject@sksm.edu.