Southern Utah University

Course Syllabus

Southern Utah University
Southern Utah University
Summer Semester 2026

Exploring Education in Society (Online)

EDUC 1010-30I

Course: EDUC 1010-30I
Credits: 3
Term: Summer Semester 2026
Department: TED
CRN: 20262

Course Description

Students will explore the public school system of the United States and its development. This exploration includes analysis of the cultural, historical, philosophical, sociological, political, and economic foundations of education in the United States. Topics include multiple perspectives, current events, and school or education trends and issues. (Fall, Spring, Summer) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Registration Restriction(s): Intensive English Program majors may not enroll General Education Category: Humanities

Required Texts

There are no required textbooks for this class. All readings are digital and will be posted on Canvas. Students will not be required to purchase or locate any materials.

Learning Outcomes

As the description above says, EDUC 1010 is intended to provide an introduction to the public school system, above and beyond what one might typically learn about public schooling from experiences in the system. We seek to understand how “human experience is shaped by social, cultural, linguistic, and/or historical circumstances (Humanities learning outcomes no. 2). The course is designed around six overarching issues or characteristics of the public school system in the United States:
 
1.      Multiple, disparate entities “influence” schools, how they are organized, and what they do.
2.      Perhaps consequently, schooling has multiple, complex, and at times conflicting purposes.
3.      There are different theories, perspectives, or views found in/around the public school system about how people learn and/or what teaching should look like.
4.      Schools are always embedded in particular contexts, each with their own social, cultural, racial, and economic milieu.
5.      Debates about the characteristics and conduct of public schooling often take the form of intense “flashpoint” issues in/across communities.
6.      In developing their curriculum and instruction, teachers must integrate a range of requirements, directives, and personal priorities to teach their students.
 
Readings and assignments will, for the most part parallel the six issues/characteristics above. Throughout the semester, we will spend approximately two weeks focused on each broad issue/characteristic. However, as you will quickly see, these issues are not mutually exclusive, and often tie together or help shape (or constrain) one another.

Course Requirements

The grading breakdown in this course is as follows:
§  ~25% Reflections on readings, videos, and other resources (to prepare you for in-class or online discussions)
§  ~75% Major course assignments (outlined below)
 
Lecture Reflections (online students only). Online students will watch a weekly video lecture.  These lectures are typically posted on Wednesday after the course preparation reflections have been read and considered by the instructor.  Once students have watched the lecture they will complete a weekly “Lecture Reflection” that details what they learned from the lecture and how the new information might impact their future practice.  The reflections are due by midnight on Sunday. Grading: ~25% of final grade
 
Major Course Assignments. There are assignments due each week. These assignments will help you explore weekly topics in greater depth.  A summary of each is listed below and more complete, step-by-step instructions can be found in the “assignments” tab in Canvas.
Grading: ~75% of final grade

Course Outline

Primary Assignments in this Course
Note: The course instructor reserves the right to change this outline.

Becoming a Teacher: What about teaching interests you? What concerns or questions do you have about teaching. In an academic paper, answer the prompts.

Classroom Community: After sharing an artifact that represents you in a brief video introduction, watch your peers videos and respond to the prompts to better understand your peers and recognize the importance of getting to know people, and the funds of knowledge they bring, to being able to effectively teach and work with in a school setting.

Annotated Stakeholder Visual: Create an annotated visual of the students' choice to show a better understanding the various roles schools serve in society so that we can be better students and teachers in those schools.

Educator Interview: Students will interview two educators—ideally public school-based educators—to learn more about their work and lives as teachers. Interviews can be conducted in-person, by phone, or online. Students will present what they have learned by answering specific prompts/questions.

Utah District Case Study: In this assignment, students will identify many of the contextual factors that impact a single school district, and what impact those factors have on teaching and learning.

Community Demographics: Explain what you have learned about the district and community you researched and share with your peers.

Standards and Objectives: Introduce where educators in Utah get the standards they design their lessons off of.

Teachers and Students in Film: To learn about a story of teachers and students in a context that might be different from one you are used to or grew up in.

Teach Anything to Anyone: Explore what it takes to teach a concept or skill to someone. This will be updated and added to multiple times.

The Purpose Paper: To better understand the various roles schools serve in society so that we can be better students and teachers in those schools, students will research to push their thinking on this topic so that they have an informed opinion rather than one based solely on lived experience.

Current Issues in Education: What are the current issues in education? Become informed and explain what concerns schools and educational stakeholders are facing.

Teach Anything to Anyone Reflection: Reflect on how your Teach Anything to Anyone lesson went. Did you enjoy teaching someone else.?

Future in Education: This final assignment is to reflect on what you have learned from exploring education in society and if pursuing a career in the field of education is for you.  
 

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


Late Policy: All assignments are due on the due date. Ten percent will be deducted for each day the assignment, quiz or discussion post is turned in late.  The final is expected on the due date and NO credit will be given for finals turned in after the due date.

Make-up Work/Extra_Credit: There are no extra credit opportunities at this time for this course.

Attendance Policy

This is an online course. While students are not required to attend, there is a video, or videos, that go over the content each week. To be successful in this course, students will need to keep up on assignments, videos, resources, and quizzes each week.

Course Fees

The fee for this course is $7.50.

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.