Herbert Brown III

Location: appalachian state university - boone, nc - usa

About me

Herb Brown is a professor and program director in the business and information technology education program at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. He directs the Graduate program in New Media/Global Education and Online Teaching and Learning at Appstate. He has taught information technology, instructional technology, and business education courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels for 20 years and served 10 years in the role of Director of Technology for several universities. He has held teaching and administrative positions at James Madison University, The University of Virginia's College at Wise, the University of South Carolina and Appalachian State University. He holds a Ph.D. in Vocational Education with a cognate in Computer Information Systems from Virginia Tech. His articles have appeared in Information Technology, Learning, and Performance Journal, EDUCAUSE Quarterly, and the NABTE Journal.

Interests

online teaching and learning, career and technical education, business & information technology education

Skills

online teaching and learning, teaching methodology, information technology education, web development/design

Website

http://edtech.appstate.edu

Activity

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Rakisha, You can still use synchronous learning tools to have live sessions with your students if you feel that is needed for the students' learning. I use them very regularly and I record the entire interaction in case students can't attend live. Then at least they can go back and be a part of the discussion asynchronously. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Rakisha, Well articulated. There are and should be expectations for both the students and the instructor so everyone knows what is expected of him or her. Clear expectations tend to reduce the number of confused students during the semester regarding the course and the its policies and procedures. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Engaging Learners in Discussion

Eyad, Well put, it is in the design of the questions and the course overall. Just short questions with simple answers do not engage the students in the content and also won't give you any variance in the answers provided. Asking them to reflect on the content with specific examples from their life provides more diversity in their answers because they are personal responses. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Eyad, You can work to establish a presence as an instructor by using regular communications with the students and very quick feedback. If you are interacting with the students regularly and providing prompt feedback they will feel connected with you and feel like you are present in the course. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Eyad, My personal experience is that online does take a bit more time and I like to have a few less students than I have in a traditional class because of the extra time required to provide the same level of feedback to each individual student. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Katessa, I have also found that the more you can relate the course content to your students and allow them to engage the course content relative to their goals and life experiences the more motivated they will be throughout the course including discussion forums. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Katessa, You mention specifying the faculty member's qualifications and general information as well as general student information. What about more specifics about the course such as grading, timing, schedules, communication processes for both students and the instructor? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Assisting the Online Student

Neer, Very well articulated! I have contacted students that were dropping off and found out they were going through major life issues just as you suggest. Even if they can't get caught up to be successful in the course, I can at least help them get dropped and get the help they need to continue in the program. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Neer, I appreciate how you view blended instruction. Not many people are tracking the growth in blended instruction, but from my personal observations it might be growing faster and stronger than fully online instruction. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Angela, What about learning that requires a heavy skills/hands on component? Can welders learn to weld by watching videos on YouTube? Do you want a surgeon working on you that only did "virtual" surgeries? Online continues to grow and we also see the blossoming of hybrid learning environments, but can ALL education go online? Herbert Brown III

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