Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Critical Pedagogy (Online)

EDUC 6620-70I

Course: EDUC 6620-70I
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: TED
CRN: 10722

Course Description

This course examines key concepts and principles of critical theory, critical pedagogy, and social justice education. Different pedagogical models will be studied in order to examine and evaluate socialized ideas of what teachers are and how teaching should be conducted. (As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)]

Required Texts

None. All readings will be posted on Canvas. 

Learning Outcomes

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

  1. Define and apply concepts from the social foundations of education
  2. Analyze interpretive, normative, and critical studies for professional educators
  3. Identify social foundations of education commitments for P-12 students
  4. Identify and apply concepts from the profession of education and Democratic Educational Practice
  5. Identify and apply research, policy, and advocacy

Course Requirements

Course Assessment Table

Course AssessmentsCourse OutcomesDiscussions | 1, 2, 3, 4 ,5
Reflections | 1, 3, 4, 5
Research Analyses | 5
Final Pedagogy Paper | 1, 3, 4, 5
Presentation | 1, 3, 4, 5
You can view a full EDUC 6620 Course Alignment Map if desired.

Assignment Outline

Discussions (25% of total grade)

You will have to participate in the discussion boards each week. You are required to post one initial response to one of the posted questions and formulate two meaningful responses to peers. 
Class discussions count for a substantial portion of your total course grade. The requirements for the discussion board posts are as follows: 
  • post one main response to one of the discussion leaders' questions. These posts should be at least 300 words and cite the readings/videos assigned for the week.
  • post two responses to your classmates’ initial responses. These responses should be approximately 100 words and aim to contribute to the conversation on the discussion board. 
  • check the boards frequently to make sure any classmate/instructor question to your responses does not go unanswered. Many times a great conversation is left hanging because of an unanswered question.
  • Use of artificial intelligence in these discussions may be a violation of the SUU academic integrity policy. See note on artificial intelligence below.
Be sure to check the Discussion Board Assignment rubric for more information on how the discussion boards will be graded. Going above and beyond the posting requirements will aid in your participation grade. Make sure to check the board after posting your responses in case your classmates have questions specific to your posts. 
Grading for the discussion board posts will be based on six criteria, which are in the rubric: 
  • Responsiveness to the discussion prompt: You address all components of the discussion prompt in your initial posting.
  • Application of assigned readings: You discussed the readings and cited them in your posts, especially in your initial posts.
  • Responsiveness to group discussion: Build upon the points other participants make on the discussion board. 
  • Timeliness of discussion contributions: Posts are distributed throughout the week, and are not all posted in one or two days. Ideally, you should be posting over at least 3 days, preferably more. 
  • Quantity of contributions: Exceeded the minimum number of postings, or met the highest criteria.
  • Adherence to discussion protocols: Proper grammar, spelling, and APA format.
While I value your contributions to the discussions, I will not take an active part in them. This is a process that is student-driven. You have a great deal to offer and to learn from one another. You may surprise yourself with your insights, creativity, and wisdom about teaching and learning through these discussions.
Discussion questions begin Tuesday morning and conclude Monday night. All responses to Discussion Questions and comments to classmates are to be on the Discussion Board in Canvas.

Analyses (30% of total grade)

Each analysis paper focuses on various course concepts. Each paper is a little different, so please read the instructions on each assignment. 

Final Pedagogy Paper (35% of total grade)

Final Paper (Key Assessment): Students will be expected to write a comprehensive paper that focuses on a specific branch of critical pedagogy. More information on this assignment can be found on the assignment sheet.

Zoom Meeting Dates

These are 10% of your total grade. We will be using Zoom to have live discussions throughout the semester. If you are unable to make the sessions, you will be required to watch the recording of the session and write a response. The dates of each Zoom session are listed on the Canvas syllabus. 

Grade Scheme

The following grading standards will be used in this class:
GradeRangeA | 100 % to 94.0%
A- | < 94.0 % to 90.0%
B+ | < 90.0 % to 87.0%
B | < 87.0 % to 84.0%
B- | < 84.0 % to 80.0%
C+ | < 80.0 % to 77.0%
C | < 77.0 % to 74.0%
C- | < 74.0 % to 70.0%
D+ | < 70.0 % to 67.0%
D | < 67.0 % to 64.0%
D- | < 64.0 % to 61.0%
F | < 61.0 % to 0.0%

Course Outline

Module 1: Foundations of Critical Pedagogy
Module 2: Becoming a Critical Educator
Module 3: Critical Literacy and Critical Race Theory
Module 4: Education, Democracy, and Capitalist Society
Module 5: Race and Resistance
Module 6: Critical Pedagogy of Social Class, Gender and Sexual Identity
Module 7: Protecting Education as a Public Good

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

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

Feedback is an important part of learning please look for feedback on your assignments that I provided in the specified amount of time, to find feedback look at this tutorial How do I view assignment comments from my Instructor.
It is my goal to:
  • Respond to student messages within 24 hours unless otherwise stated
  • Provide grades and feedback within 1 week from the due date

Late Policy

Late assignments have an automatic 20% deduction after the module has closed up to one week from the close of the module. If you submit an assignment after this one-week deadline, it will not be graded, and you will receive a zero on that assignment. 
Note: Module 7 cannot be submitted late because the semester ends. 

Discussion boards cannot be submitted late and have specific early posting requirements and discussion leader requirements. Please see the discussion assignment and rubrics for more information on this.

Extension requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any requests for an extension should be put into writing for me to consider prior to the due date. If requesting an extension, you must indicate the assignment you are requesting an extension for, the reason for the request, and the date that you will have the assignment completed, which I will need to approve. If an extension request is granted, you will be held to the date agreed upon from the written request and additional extensions WILL NOT be granted.


Attendance Policy

Attendance

You are expected to put as much time and attention into an online course as they would a seated course. You should be spending a minimum of three hours a week in the Canvas course completing the readings, watching videos, participating on the discussion boards, and completing other coursework.

Course Fees

You can view all of SUU's Program and Course Fees.

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.