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

Managing Learner Behaviors

Juliet, Would you at least "consider" changing things in later semesters (if you had the control) if the student had a valid point. Sometimes we can learn from our students and realize we might be teaching something that is out of date. Content changes quickly in many fields. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Joseph, Very well put. The ratio of 15-20 students is the experience of most people that respond to this post. This has been my personal experience as well. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Chris, What about expectations for instructors? Should you include expectations for the instructor so the students know what to expect from their instructor? Maybe factors such as timeliness of grading, communications expectations, etc. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Linda, That is true and it helps if we make this very clear in our course expectations up front and then help the students manage and organize their time and workload so they can meet these deadlines. What about other student expectations in the course, such as elements around professional behavior, communications, grading standards, etc. Should you also have expectations listed for the instructor of the course...what should the students expect from their instructor (around such things like timeliness in grading, communication expectations, etc.). Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Patricia, I agree that we will continue to see both platforms and a strong growth in hybrid classroom environments. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Gary, Technology is certainly developing rapidly. I would still suggest that at some point we have to have some hands on elements even with the online instruction. I do not want a surgeon working on me that has only done virtual surgeries and has not worked on physical humans. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Carolyn, You describe the hybrid classroom that has become VERY popular in the last few years. I teach hybrid and completely online and I love the power of the tools available to enhance my traditional classrooms. Hybrid will continue to see strong growth in the future. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Janette, I tell my students this same thing. I tell them to write down any statements they want to make in the "heat of the moment" and then revisit them hours or a day later. Oftentimes you will find you are very happy you did not sent it the previous day. At the very least, you usually rewrite it in a more professional tone after that cool off period. I certainly have learned my lessons along this line and try to do this myself. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Bob, Is this the same for all course content and all levels? I have found that many variables influence the ideal ratio for a course. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Carolyn, So as I read your statement the ratio is dependent on the type of content in the course. I would agree as the writing intensive courses I teach take much more time as well. The level of the content can also influence the ratio. For example, graduate coursework may require smaller ratios due to the research and discussion elements usually present in these courses. Herbert Brown III

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