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Southern Utah University

Spring Semester 2026

Critical Thinking & Message Analysis (Online)

COMM 1270-30I

Course:	COMM 1270-30I
Credits:	3
Term:	Spring Semester 2026
Department:	COMM
CRN:	11420

Introduction

Welcome to COMM 1270: Critical Thinking & Message Analysis, the class where your brain finally learns it cannot live forever on memes, TikToks, and Uncle Larry’s Facebook rants about chemtrails. If you thought “critical” meant “complaining about cafeteria food” or “judging your roommate’s Spotify playlist,” I regret to inform you that you are in the wrong class. Here, critical means the dangerous business of thinking carefully—the intellectual equivalent of eating vegetables.
This course will teach you how to tell the difference between facts, opinions, and the sort of “truths” your cousin insists he discovered in a YouTube video filmed in his basement. You will learn that evidence is more than just “I saw it once on Instagram,” that arguments do not mean screaming louder than the other person, and that logic is not just a Vulcan hobby.
Think of it this way: The world is a giant marketplace of ideas. Some stalls sell fresh, carefully sourced arguments. Others sell expired nonsense wrapped in shiny packaging that smells suspiciously like Axe body spray. Your job, after this class, is to stop buying the expired nonsense.
So buckle up. By the end of this course, you will annoy friends at parties by pointing out logical fallacies, irritate strangers online by asking for credible sources, and most importantly, sharpen the only weapon that never goes out of style: Your brain.

Course Description

This course teaches students to understand the content and structure of messages in public, social, and private contexts. It is designed to enhance students’ thinking skills to help them confront decisions in everyday life. It focuses on recognizing, evaluating, and making logic-based arguments. The emphasis on the logical structure of a sound argument and the evidence required to support it should naturally help students to identify and refute weak arguments. The course also covers some of the common errors people often make in everyday reasoning, including faulty judgments about probability. The ultimate aim is to narrow the gap between what passes for “thinking” in everyday life and true critical thought. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] General Education Category: Humanities

Required Texts

No textbook is required for this course. The course curriculum in the lessons of each module serves as the text; the lessons, videos, and links to articles are designed to prompt critical thought on your part. All information in the lessons is fair game for quizzes. In addition, you may find it helpful to refer to the lessons as you complete assignments.

Learning Outcomes

If you successfully complete this course, you will be able to:

LO 1. Analyze the foundational elements of critical thinking by examining its relationship to skepticism, objectivity, and creativity; evaluating how personal beliefs, socialization, and worldviews shape information processing; and applying key terms to describe cognitive processes, philosophical perspectives, and methods of inquiry.
LO 2. Evaluate barriers to effective critical reasoning by examining cognitive biases, heuristics, and behavioral patterns that impede analytical thinking; analyzing the tension between individual judgment and collective influences; and developing strategies to navigate between intuitive and systematic approaches to problem-solving across various contexts.
LO 3. Demonstrate advanced information literacy by systematically evaluating diverse forms of evidence and argumentation — including written, visual, and digital content — through the application of structured analytical frameworks that assess source credibility, distinguish between objective evidence and subjective claims, recognize logical fallacies, and maintain reasoned skepticism while developing well-supported conclusions.
LO 4. Analyze the complex relationship between information, persuasion, and society by examining how misinformation, advertising, and digital media shape public discourse and decision-making, resulting in the ability to critically evaluate claims across contexts, recognize manipulative techniques, understand technological impacts on information dissemination, and apply ethical principles as engaged citizens in a free-market democracy.
LO 5. Master the fundamental elements of argumentation by defining and applying key terminology, analyzing and constructing logical arguments in standard form, evaluating the role of assumptions and indicator words, and demonstrating advanced skills in charitable argument reconstruction and analysis of premise relationships.
LO 6. Develop expertise in distinguishing and evaluating various forms of non-argumentative expression by analyzing explanations, descriptions, narratives, summaries, opinions, beliefs, clarifications, and illustrations, while understanding how these forms can interact with or be misrepresented as arguments.
LO 7. Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of logical reasoning by mastering fundamental terminology, distinguishing between deductive and inductive argumentation, analyzing validity and cogency in various argument forms, identifying and evaluating common fallacies (including relevance, linguistic, and formal fallacies), and applying probability theory and philosophical foundations to assess argument strength, ultimately developing the ability to construct and critique complex arguments while avoiding faulty reasoning.
LO 8. Analyze and apply classical and contemporary principles of rhetoric by evaluating the five canons, three branches of oratory, and essential elements of persuasion; implementing various rhetorical devices and strategies; examining the relationship between form, content, and emotional appeals; and demonstrating how these elements function both individually and collectively to create effective communication, while maintaining awareness of ethical considerations in persuasive discourse.
LO 9. Develop a comprehensive understanding of fundamental ethical concepts and moral reasoning by defining key terminology, distinguishing between ethics and morality, analyzing the structure and validity of moral arguments, and applying theoretical frameworks to classical ethics dilemmas, such as the Ring of Gyges.
LO 10. Evaluate complex moral theories and their practical applications by examining diverse ethical frameworks, analyzing the tension between moral absolutism and relativism, and developing reasoned responses to philosophical challenges in both personal and cultural contexts.

Contacting the Instructor

I am your instructor this semester; my name is Dr. Paul Husselbee. I began teaching at SUU in August 2000. I am in my 31st year of university teaching. I try to be friendly, and I am always willing to help students. To maintain appropriate boundaries between us, I ask that you do not call me "Paul." Instead, I prefer "Dr. H."
Here are several ways you can contact me:

Virtual Office Hours are conducted via Zoom on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. If these times are inconvenient for you, please contact me via Canvas message and provide at least three (3) days and times when you are available. I will choose one that works for me, or suggest an alternative.
My Zoom Personal Meeting ID is 809 375 6892; the passcode is DRH2026.
For day-to-day inquiries about class, the best and most effective way to contact me is Canvas message rather than email. Canvas messages are appropriate for questions about assignments, requests for Zoom conferences, and the occasional heads-up when you know an assignment will be submitted late.
The Comment feature at the end of an assignment is not an appropriate venue for asking questions. If you have specific questions or observations about an assignment, please go to your Canvas Inbox and compose a new message there.
You may contact me via email at husselbee@suu.edu if the nature of your message to me is formal or personal. If you send an email, please follow up with a Canvas message requesting that I check my email for your message.
Telephone conferences are available as needed. To request a phone call, please send me a Canvas message that includes your phone number and several good times to call. I will return your call as soon as possible. Please expect a call from a restricted number.
I do my best to respond to students' questions in timely fashion. However, if you attempt to contact me too late in the day (usually after 5 p.m.), you should not expect a response until the next day.

On-Going Communication

When you first log in to Canvas, please make a habit of checking the course Home page right away. I will post announcements, reminders, or other important information on the Home page as needed. Sometimes, I will post links to helpful resources or links to interesting articles that have to do with what we're learning in class. Often, I will deliver pertinent information about the course or give you a heads-up or reminder about what's coming up in the near future.
That's one avenue of on-going communication between us, but communication is a two-way street, or so we've been told. I cannot help you or answer your questions if you don't ask. I encourage you to contact me via Canvas message when you have questions or desire help with assignments. As I noted above, please do not try to ask important questions using the Comment section when you view graded assignments. After I have graded an assignment, I am unlikely to see those messages.

Attendance Policy

This is an asynchronous online course. It is found at https://suu.instructure.com/courses/1153503, which serves as the Home page. Because this is an online course, there are no designated days, times, or places for lectures or class meetings.
In recognition of the fact that some students in distance-education courses—especially students with full-time jobs—prefer to complete assignments on the weekends, our weekly schedule begins on Monday and ends on the following Sunday. Our Learning Activities will be due at 11:59 p.m. each Saturday; our Embedded Principles Exercises will be due at 11:59 p.m. on four Sundays during the semester.
The course is set up so that you may work at your own pace — as long as you complete required activities and exercises in order and by the scheduled deadlines, which are set based on the Mountain Time (USA) zone.

Course Requirements

This course is designed to meet federal and institutional expectations for student workload, while supporting meaningful engagement with intercultural communication theory and practice. Students should expect to devote approximately 8–10 hours per week to course activities, including assigned readings and media, learning activities, application assignments, and exam preparation. The course is organized into 13 instructional units, each aligned with a single week of instruction.
All but one unit includes one low-stakes Learning Activity, alternating between instructor-guided discussions and individual reflections. These activities are designed to promote sustained engagement, critical thinking, and application of intercultural communication concepts without overburdening students. To support your success and flexibility, the lowest discussion score and the lowest reflection score are dropped.
In addition, you will complete four Embedded Principles Exercises, which require deeper application of course concepts to real-world intercultural contexts. These assignments are distributed evenly across the semester and are scaffolded to reinforce cumulative learning.
Two exams—a Midterm and a Final—provide structured opportunities for you to demonstrate conceptual understanding and applied knowledge. Exams are balanced with coursework so that no single assessment disproportionately determines the final grade.

The course avoids excessive weekly assignments, limits high-stakes testing, and maintains a predictable instructional rhythm. This design ensures academic rigor while remaining appropriate for freshman-level students in an online learning environment.

Grading Distribution
Learning Activities, 33%

Six discussions @ 10 points each; drop lowest score; 50 points total
Six reflections @ 10 points each; drop lowest score; 50 points total

Embedded Principles, 33%

Four exercises @ 25 points each; 100 points total

Exams, 34%

Midterm @ 50 points; Final @ 50 points; 100 points total

Grading Policies

Where grades are concerned, these policies apply:

Grading Philosophy. Assessment is based on performance rather than effort. If you're unhappy with the grade, please improve the performance. You may request individual help in tutorials, and I am always happy to oblige, but your performance depends on you and the extent to which you demonstrate a mastery of the curriculum. Please keep in mind that I do not give you grades; you earn them. As I am fond of saying, "This is your ball game; I just keep the score."
The Only Failure is the Failure to Try. In my world, no student who makes an honest effort is a failure, even if the quality of his or her work does not reach the level of average or better. If you try, you cannot fail. The only failure is the student who does not try..
Assessment Rubrics. In the interest of fairness, consistency, and transparency, each assignment is evaluated using a rubric that provides the assessment criteria. These criteria are tied to our Learning Outcomes. You earn points based on the extent to which you achieve the objectives defined in the assessment criteria of the rubric. Students who are concerned about their grades should study the grading rubric for each assignment and allow it to guide their work.
Blind, Random Assessment. No, that does not mean that I blindly and random grade student papers. It means (1) that I assess assignments in random order, which is generated by a computer app, and (2) that I try not to put a student's name to the paper I am grading. The process is my best effort to ensure fairness and transparency in the assessment process. You can help in two (2) ways:
1. First, please do not put your name at the top of your paper. Canvas allows me to download all papers and grade them randomly and anonymously. I will match your paper with your submission through the Canvas portal after I have graded all the papers.
2. Second, please do not add superfluous details at the top of the page. Since you already submit all assignments through the Canvas portal, so I already know the name/title of the assignment. It is also unnecessary to include the date, the course title, my name, or a URL where I might obtain a couple of toe-nail clippings to verify your DNA. (I already know the first three on that list, and I don't want or need to know the last one.) All I need is your assignment.
Assessment Feedback. In general, I provide feedback in two places:
1. Rubric Criteria. Each criterion in the assessment rubric allows the instructor to provide specific feedback about the student's performance on that criterion. I will provide sustained feedback for each criterion of Embedded Principles assignments.
2. Comments. In addition to the feedback corresponding to the grading rubric criteria, I use the Comment function to provide feedback about overall performance. In some cases, feedback in the Comment section will include praise for a job well-done. In other instances, it may include a "Come to Jesus" admonition to improve the overall performance on our assignments.
Instructor Response Time. I prefer to grade assignments within three (3) days of the due date. That is not always possible, but I do my best to ensure a quick turn-around. All assignments submitted on time will be graded (and feedback provided, as needed) within seven (7) days of the due date.
Discussion of Grades. I will discuss grades on individual assignments up to three (3) days after the grade is given. If you can make a cogent argument in favor of increasing a grade, I will consider it. After that point, I will not alter grades. Unless you honestly believe I erred in computing your final grade, please do not email me after semester grades have been posted and beg for a higher grade. Any such request will be ignored.
Rounding Up. When computing semester grades, Dr. H does not round up. If you're looking for an A, you must have more than your toenails on the line.
Time Zone. Southern Utah University operates in the Mountain Time zone in the United States. The deadlines for assignments are relative to the Mountain Time zone. If you live in another time zone, it is up to you to make the necessary adjustment so that your work is submitted on time.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

With respect to assignments, these policies apply:

Learning Activities—Discussions. In Discussion weeks, the initial post must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. Friday, and a substantive response to a classmate must be posted by 11:59 p.m. Saturday. Late work is not accepted for Discussions.
Learning Activities—Reflections. In Reflection weeks, the assignment must be submitted before 11:59 p.m. Saturday. Reflection assignments may be submitted a day late with a 10% grade reduction.
Embedded Principles Exercises are due before 11:59 p.m. on four selected Sundays during the semester. An EPE may be submitted late up to three days after the due date. Late assignments incur an automatic, non-negotiable grade penalty of 10% for the first late day and an additional 10% for each subsequent day. After three (3) days, your carriage turns into a pumpkin.
Exams. The deadlines for the Midterm and Final Exams are absolute. Late exams are not available without prior arrangement with the instructor or a bona fide emergency (see below).

The only exceptions to the sensible, plain-spoken rules outlined here are serious illness, family emergency, or university-related travel (see below). Such situations must be documented to my satisfaction. I am the sole and final arbiter of what constitutes an "emergency."

University-Related Travel
Students required to travel for university-related activities, such as athletics, are expected to complete quizzes and homework assignments before traveling.

However, they may make arrangements to submit assignments late, as long as they do so before leaving campus.
If arrangements are not made before the trip, missed quizzes and late assignments will not be excused, and the late-work policies above apply.

LLMs and Use of Generative AI

It is unfortunate that so many students use AI models as a crutch. They copy the entire assignment, paste it in the prompt window, and hit the Enter key. Then they copy the output, paste it on a page, put their names on the top, and submit it as their own original work. Of course, that constitutes academic dishonesty, and Dr. H doesn't have much patience for that.
Let's be clear about the use of generative AI models in this course: You are to do your own work. Period. What you learn about critical thinking cannot be effectively reflected in discussion posts, reflections, or other assignments generated if you are not the one doing the thinking.
This is how Dr. H will deal with unauthorized use of AI models in this class:
If I suspect you have used an AI model, I will send you a Canvas message asking you to respond to that suspicion. That gives you an opportunity to tell the truth or to defend your work, both of which are required by fairness and due process.

Meanwhile, I will run your assignment through my AI-Detection GPT, which is extremely accurate and will generate a detailed report of its findings. If the GPT provides overwhelming evidence of unauthorized AI use (50% likelihood or greater), I will likely assess a grade of zero (0) on the first offense.
If there is a second offense, you will receive a formal Notice of Alleged Violation of Academic Integrity Policy, and we will proceed through the academic misconduct process overseen by the university's Academic Integrity specialist.

That may seem a little "over the top" to some students, but violation of the academic integrity policy is a serious matter. Also, please remember that your place as a student at this university is a privilege, not a right. When SUU accepted you, it rejected two other students who applied for admission. That alone suggests a moral duty to abide by the academic integrity policy.
On top of that, the ability to engage in sustained critical thought goes hand-in-hand with the notion of being a university student. Obviously, the goal is to learn to think for yourself. You cannot do that by taking shortcuts using AI models.

Communication Department AI Guideline
AI cannot substitute for foundational learning. Students must acquire disciplinary knowledge and critical thinking skills in order to evaluate AI outputs appropriately. In cases where assignment instructions allow for AI use, students must certify that they have reviewed, verified, and edited all AI outputs, which may include AI prompts used. Students should treat AI as a partner in thought and creation, not as a shortcut or a substitute for human expertise, ethics, and judgment. Students should not input sensitive, personal, confidential, copyrighted or proprietary information into public AI tools as it is illegal and violates expectations of privacy and academic/creative work.
AI is allowed for certain assignments (see assignment instructions for details). Presenting AI-generated work as entirely one's own in a course that does not permit such use, or using AI in ways explicitly prohibited in assignment instructions, constitutes a violation of SUU Policy 6.33: Academic Misconduct and opens the violator up to a series of potential sanctions.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a form of cheating that violates the SUU Academic Integrity policy. Plagiarism may take several forms, including:

Direct Copying. Using text from other sources without quotation marks or attribution.
Paraphrasing Without Citation. Rewording ideas from other sources without citing them in the paper and providing an adequate reference.
Inadequate Paraphrasing. Making minimal changes to original text while claiming it as original work.
Self-Plagiarism. Submitting work from a previous course without permission from both instructors.
Mosaic or Patchwork Plagiarism. Mixing copied phrases or passages with original text and failing to credit external source material.
Ghost Writing. Having someone else write your work, or writing a paper for another student.
Contract Cheating. Purchasing a paper from an "essay mill" or other online source and submitting it as original work.
Fabricated Citations. Creating fake sources or misrepresenting real ones.

In this course, submitting plagiarized work is not tolerated. The process is similar to unauthorized AI use:

If I suspect you have engaged in plagiarism, I will send you a Canvas message asking you to respond to that suspicion. That gives you an opportunity to tell the truth or to defend your work, both of which are required by fairness and due process.
Meanwhile, I will run your assignment through CopyLeaks, the university's powerful plagiarism-detection app. CopyLeaks is extremely accurate and generates a detailed report of its findings. If CopyLeaks provides overwhelming evidence of plagiarism (60% likelihood or greater), I will likely assess a grade of zero (0) on the first offense.
If there is a second offense, you will receive a formal Notice of Alleged Violation of Academic Integrity Policy and we will proceed through the academic misconduct process overseen by the university's Academic Integrity specialist.

Ignorance and negligence do not excuse plagiarism. Please cite your sources when required to do so and do your own writing. If you're unsure about the nature of plagiarism or what constitutes plagiarism, please consult Plagiarism.org, which provides in-depth guidance on how to avoid plagiarism in your course work.

A Word to the Wise: Dr. H leads the league in catching plagiarists and AI cheaters. He takes no pleasure in punishing them, but he will do what is necessary to protect the academic integrity of the class, the other students, and the university as a whole. Please do not test him. Please! Thank you. 😉

Course Outline

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

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