Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Supporting and Developing 21st Century Learners (Online)

EDUC 5077-02

Course: EDUC 5077-02
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: TED
CRN: 13515

Course Description

This course is designed to explore the essential elements needed for the acquisition of knowledge and competencies to promote 21st century learning skills. Participants in this course will learn about the need for collaboration, communication, and critical and creative thinking. The effective use of technology and media literacy will be addressed. This course prepares K-16 educators by engaging them in thoughtful dialogue and activities that promote 21st century ideas and understanding of students’ diverse, digital, and global learning needs. (As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts

All materials necessary for the course are found within Canvas or are linked to outside sources from Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will be able to:

  1. Facilitate student usage of digital tools in a way that enables students to become responsible creators and critical consumers of digital content.
  2. Apply the principles of personalized learning to tailor the preferences and interests of various learners as well as instruction that is paced to a student’s unique needs.
  3. Foster a classroom climate of inquiry and a growth mindset.
  4. Provide opportunities for students to engage virtually with experts, teams, and students, locally and globally.
  5. Model and facilitate the responsible repurposing and remixing of digital resources by students.
  6. Plan and implement opportunities for students to work collaboratively with others.
  7. Provide opportunities for students to publish and present original content for various audiences.
  8. Encourage responsible evaluation of curated material
  9. Engage students in the curation of original works.
  10. Facilitate opportunities for students to positively affect his or her society as a result of their creative works.
  11. Encourage responsible evaluation and appropriate responses to others’ online communications.
  12. Demonstrate communicating complex ideas clearly and effectively through a variety of digital objects.
  13. Foster opportunities for students to demonstrate effective communication skills online.
  14. Provide examples of effective online student communication.
  15. Design and facilitate Project-Based Learning (PBL) experiences.
  16. Provide opportunities for learners to engage in Computational Thinking learning experiences.

Course Requirements

Discussion Posts
Each weekly module contains a minimum of one discussion. You are to respond to each discussion at least three (3) times: your initial post to the prompt as well as to provide meaningful responses to at least two of your peers.  Discussion posts are worth 6 points.

Competency Demonstration Assignment
Each module contains an assignment in which you will demonstrate competency of the learning target for that week. Specific details on what the weekly assignments are will be provided each week.

Course Outline

This course will enable you to facilitate student usage of digital tools in a way that enables students to become  responsible creators and critical consumers of digital content. Apply the principles of personalized learning to tailor the preferences and interests of various learners as well as instruction that is paced to a student’s unique needs. Foster a classroom climate of inquiry and a growth mindset.

Facilitating Learning Through Collaboratio
n
Provide opportunities for students to engage virtually with experts, teams and students, locally and globally.
Model and facilitate the responsible repurposing and remixing of digital resources by students.
Plan and implement opportunities for students to work collaboratively with others.

Facilitating Learning Through Creativity
Provide opportunities for students to publish and present original content for various audiences.
Encourage responsible evaluation of curated material
Engage students in the curation of original works.
Facilitate opportunities for students to positively affect his or her society as a result of their creative works.

Facilitating Learning Through Communication
Encourage responsible evaluation and appropriate responses to others’ online communications.
Demonstrate communicating complex ideas clearly and effectively through a variety of digital objects.
Foster opportunities for students to demonstrate effective communication skills online.
Provide examples of effective online student communication.

Facilitating Learning Through Critical Thinking
Design and facilitate Project-Based Learning (PBL) experiences.
Provide opportunities for learners to engage in Computational Thinking learning experiences.

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

No late work will be accepted beyond the last day of the course. 

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to read and engage in the text and resources provided and cite that information in their discussion posts and competency assignments. It is anticipated that you will spend at least 3 hours a week on course content and assignments

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.