Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

Online Teaching for Educators (Online)

INDS 6050-70i

Course: INDS 6050-70i
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: INDS
CRN: 13634

Course Description

This course teaches the fundamentals of online teaching, learning, and design. Learners study theory and build knowledge upon practical experiences by studying in, and fulfilling assignments within, a learning management system (LMS). By course end, learners will have developed the shell of an online course, including most basic elements. (As Needed) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Administrative License, Master of Education with Licensure, and Master of Education majors may not enroll

Required Texts

Darby, Flower and Lang, James. Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes
Links to an external site..  Jossey-Bass, 2019. ISBN: 978-1119619093

Learning Outcomes


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

  1. Identify the profile of the online learner and characteristics of online/hybrid learning
  2. Compare and contrast cognitive strategies to support learners in an online course
  3. Differentiate between cognitive, social, and teaching presence in an online course
  4. Develop strategies for creating student-to-student, student-to-instructor and student-to-content interactions
  5. Identify and analyze methods for evaluating online course structure, in particular to the three types of interactions
  6. Develop a plan for managing and maintaining an online course
  7. Explore the functions of a Learning Management System (LMS) such as Canvas
  8. Develop an online teaching philosophy

Course Requirements

Readings


Each week you will have between 1 - 2 chapters to read from the course's book, Small Teaching Online: Applying Learning Science in Online Classes. There will be additional Module Lectures and articles you may need to read, as well as tools you may need to review.

Discussions


Each week you will have a discussion prompt covering a topic or aspect of the course. Many of these discussions will be more reflective as I ask you to think about some aspects we covered in the readings, lectures, or articles. As part of the discussions, you will need to respond to two classmates' posts. 


You can view the rubric that will be used for the discussions in the Discussion prompt.

Reflections


Each module also includes a reflection. These reflections are very open-ended with regard to how you present your reflection. You may submit a video, type in or create a document with a couple of paragraphs, create a chart or mindmap, etc. It is completely up to you how you want to present your reflection. I do encourage you to try different things so you have experience with different tools. The key is to show a full reflection on the material covered in the module.

Quizzes


Each module will have a quiz consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions. As stated in the disclaimer above, please pay attention to the settings. These will change through the course so you experience common methods some online instructors use to administer quizzes and exams. Take into consideration these settings so you can reflect on them in later modules.


One quiz will include Proctorio. Proctorio is a proctoring software used by many online instructors to monitor exams. We will discuss this further in the course.


Note:
The Module Summaries will have 3 - 5 knowledge checks that you can use to check your understanding before taking the quiz.


Course Outline


Sun Sep 1, 2024 | Discussion Topic Discussion 1: Introductions | due by 11:59pm
Tue Sep 3, 2024 | Quiz Commenced Attendance Quiz | due by 11:59pm
Sat Sep 7, 2024 | Discussion Topic Discussion 2: Online Hits and Misses | due by 11:59pm
Assignment Reflection 1: Online Education Groups, Resources, and Definitions | due by 11:59pm
Sat Sep 14, 2024 | Discussion Topic Discussion 3: Motivating You and Your Learners | due by 11:59pm
Sat Sep 21, 2024 | Discussion Topic Discussion 4: Scaffolding in an Online Course | due by 11:59pm
Discussion Topic Discussion 5: Ideas for Student-to-Student Interactions and Social Presence | due by 11:59pm
Assignment Online Teaching Philosophy: Part 1 | due by 11:59pm
Assignment Reflection 2: Scaffolding in Online Courses | due by 11:59pm
Assignment Reflection 3: Student-to-Student Interactions | due by 11:59pm
Sat Sep 28, 2024 | Discussion Topic Discussion 6: How Would Your Respond? | due by 11:59pm
Assignment Reflection 3: Student-to-Teacher Interactions | due by 11:59pm
Sat Oct 5, 2024 | Discussion Topic Discussion 7: Cognitive Presence in the Online Course | due by 11:59pm
Assignment Online Teaching Philosophy: Part 2 | due by 11:59pm
Assignment Reflection 4: Media, Technology Tools, Autonomy, and Making Connections | due by 11:59pm
Sat Oct 12, 2024 | Discussion Topic Discussion 8: How Will You Manage These Issues? | due by 11:59pm
Tue Oct 15, 2024 | Assignment Online Teaching Philosophy Reflection

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

If an assignment is going to be late, it is your responsibility to let the me know prior to the due date. Any notification after the due date is up to the instructor's discretion if it will be accepted. 


The only assignments that cannot be submitted late are the discussions. Discussions, by their nature, must be completed within the required timeframe so there can be meaningful back-and-forth.

Attendance Policy


This is an online, asynchronous course, so attendance at any specific time or place is not required to do the work.  



Course Fees

None

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.