Southern Utah University

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Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Spring Semester 2026

INFO 3050 SW2 Sp26 Syllabus

INFO 3050-SW2

Course: INFO 3050-SW2
Credits: 3
Term: Spring Semester 2026
Department: LIB
CRN: 12892

Course Description

INFO 3050 - Living an Informed Life through Information Literacy

3 Credits

We continually engage with the information ecosystem for work, school, and in our free time. We post information on social media, read articles and newspapers, listen to podcasts, watch documentaries, and write blog posts and letters to our politicians. This course introduces students to the various literacies needed to navigate this information ecosystem, such as media literacy, visual literacy, and data literacy, among others. The course also helps students understand some of the behavioral, affective, cognitive, and metacognitive aspects of our information interactions.

Required Texts

There is no textbook for this course. All course materials are provided online as part of the course modules and are listed below.

Learning Outcomes

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

  1. Classify the ways in which we build, create, and share knowledge
  2. Examine and apply evaluative criteria for determining trustworthy information
  3. Participate as an informed citizen in a complex, global information society
  4. Identify common tactics of misleading and biased viral information
  5. Define the different literacies that impact the ways we engage with our information ecosystem

Course Requirements

Course Assessments and Outcomes
Course AssessmentsCourse Outcomes
DiscussionsCO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
ActivitiesCO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Online Connections NotebookCO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Final DiscussionCO 3
Final Reflection PaperCO 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Grade Weights
Assignment CategoryPointsPercent
Module Readings Quizzes/ Short Discussions (6)18018%
Connections Notebook Entries (6)12012%
Module Assignment (2/week, 12 total)54054%
Final Discussion (1)606%
Final Reflection Paper (1)10010%
Total Points Possible1000100%
Assignment Outline: The Work We Will Do

Module Readings Quizzes/ Short Discussions: For Modules one you will participate in a short introductory discussion. For modules 2 through 6, you will complete a weekly Module Readings Quiz that test you on the key concepts in the readings (and sometimes videos). Quizzes will consist of 15 questions that are worth 2 points each, for a total of 30 points (180 points total or 18% of the total points).

Connections Notebook Entries: For Modules one through six, will complete a weekly Connections Notebook entry of 300 to 400 words. These entries will help you keep track of your most important take-aways from each module, and connect what you are learning to other contexts. These entries will also be useful for your Final Reflection Paper. These are worth 20 points each (120 points total or 12% of the total points).

Module Assignments: Modules one through six of this course will each cover two separate, but related topics. You will complete one Module Assignment for each topic. These assignment allow you to apply what you learn about each topic, and make up a little over half of your grade. These are worth 45 points each, 90 points per module (540 points total or 54% of the total points).

Final Discussion: In Module 7 you will create a final discussion post on a topic of your choice. This is worth 60 points (6% of the total points).

Final Reflection Paper: The Final Reflection Paper (1,400-1,700 words) you will reflect on the main concepts and skills you learned throughout the course and how they connect to your life (the Connections Notebook should help). Specifically, you will write an introduction followed by short reflections about what you learned in Modules 2 through 6 (5 total) and a conclusion. You might think of this as five mini-essays with an intro and conclusion. This is worth 100 points (10% of the total points).

Grading Standards

The following grading standards will be used in this class:

GradeRange
A100 % 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

Course Summary
Sun Mar 1, 2026
  • Assignment Assignment 1.1: Course Completion Plan
  • Assignment Assignment 1.2: Information Literacy and You
  • Assignment Connections Notebook Entry 1
  • Assignment Module 1 Readings Quiz
  • Discussion Topic Module Assignment 1.1: Introduction Discussion
Sun Mar 8, 2026
  • Assignment Assignment 2.1: Think About Your Thinking
Sun Mar 22, 2026
  • Assignment Assignment 2.2: Emotion and Reason
  • Assignment Connections Notebook Entry 2
  • Assignment Module 2 Readings Quiz
  • Discussion Topic Assignment 3.1: Mis- and Disinformation Documentary Discussion
  • Assignment Assignment 3.2: Fact Checking
  • Assignment Connections Notebook Entry 3
  • Assignment Module 3 Readings Quiz
  • Discussion Topic Assigment 4.1: "Relax. It's only a meme, right?" Discussion
  • Assignment Assignment 4.2: Reverse Image Search
Sun Mar 29, 2026
  • Assignment Connections Notebook Entry 4
  • Assignment Module 4 Readings Quiz
  • Discussion Topic Assignment 5.1: Commercial News Discussion
Sun Apr 5, 2026
  • Assignment Assignment 5.2: Media Bias Assignment
Sun Apr 12, 2026
  • Assignment Connections Notebook Entry 5
  • Assignment Module 5 Readings Quiz
  • Assignment Assignment 6.1: Science Fact-Checking
  • Discussion Topic Assignment 6.2: Think about it Discussion
  • Assignment Connections Notebook Entry 6
  • Assignment Module 6 Readings Quiz
  • Assignment Final Reflection Paper
Sun Apr 19, 2026
  • Discussion Topic Module Assignment 7.1: Final Discussion

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

Instructor's Response Time & Feedback

Online classes provide unique challenges for interaction. For messages sent to me, I will respond in the specified amount of time. Feedback is an important part of learning. Please look for feedback on your assignments that I will provide in the specified amount of time, to find feedback look at this tutorial How do I view assignment comments from my Instructor Links to an external site.or watch the video "SUU Canvas: How to View Feedback.Links to an external site." (Links to an external site.)

  • Respond to student messages within 2-3 business days
  • Provide grades and feedback within 1 week from the due date
Late Work

This is a seven-week, three-credit, which means you will do a semester's worth of work in half the time. These weeks will go by quickly. We expect you to get all of your work finished on time. Late work will NOT be accepted for full credit unless an arrangement is made between you and the instructor for that week. It is your responsibility to contact that instructor if you anticipate having difficulty turning an assignment in on time. Late work which has been approved by the instructor is subject to a point deduction.

Student Responsibilities and Academic Integrity

Students are expected to fully engage with the course content, complete work on time, and to maintain a professional respectful demeanor in all interactions with instructors and other students.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications (including, but not limited to, ChatGPT, DALL-E, and others) for course assignments does not support the learning objectives of this course and is prohibited. Any assignment that is found to have used generative AI tools in unauthorized ways violates the academic integrity policy and will be handled accordingly. When in doubt about permitted usage, please ask for clarification.

Attendance Policy

Online participation required.

Course Fees

None.

Delivery Method

Online and asynchronous

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.