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

Faculty Expectations

Joel, I would agree that whatever your expectation, they should be clearly articulated to the students. I have found through many years of teaching online that if there is any ambiguity in my expectations that a student will find it. However, when it is found, I can reflect on it and make changes as needed to better myself and my course each semester. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Jaclyn , These are all true student-focused elements. Are there expectations for the instructor in the course as well? What might instructor expectations look like? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Gracie, This is where the design of the course and the assessments have to be created in such a way that you can be sure that students are or are not getting the content. It can be little assessments that demonstrate progress and larger, comprehensive ones that show depth of knowledge. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Diane, There are students that start online classes that might not be self-starters or well organized which are critical for success; however, that gives us an opportunity to help them with these issues and guide them to success. Providing clear schedules of coursework and deadlines and helping students manage their time. Breaking large projects in to smaller steps each of which you check to make sure the students are on track for a successful larger project. Providing extensive encouragement for the students and flexible help times and sessions. All of these things can help your students succeed. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Managing Learner Behaviors

John, I appreciate that you recognize that the student may have a point regarding the content and you are not just listening to their suggestion but you are turning it in to a better learning experience for the student. I might just encourage us to revisit the content in future semesters and tweak it based on this or other experiences. That helps us be better instructors. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Assisting the Online Student

John, I certainly try to provide every opportunity to reach the students as often as possible. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Eileen, You are probably right, I just had to take the chance to play devil's advocate :-) Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Gloria, I agree that it makes it really easy for the instructor, but what about the students? Can you really have engaging discussions between students when there are only 6 or 8? What would be your max.? I am not aware of many institutions that can make any return on investment for only 6 or 8 students in a course. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Blog

Limiting ourselves to the CMS

Are we limiting ourselves and our instrucitonal delivery to a single Content Management System platform? Ask yourself this question. CMS tools are wonderful for the organization and delivery of course content; however, they can be very limiting with respect to more dynamic environments. Breaking the CMS chains oftentimes does not even cost anything.

Explore the many free and inexpensive Web 2.0 tools that exist that can support your normal learning platform. Incorporate new presentation tools such as Prezi. Consider web storage solutions to manage files (especially ones too large for your CMS) with tools such as Dropbox and others. Have… >>>

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Engaging Learners in Discussion

John, I also will assign students an initial zero on an assignment as times to get their attention. For some students grades are the primary motivator. A zero on an assignment gets their attention quickly. Then when I have their attention we work through the specifics and I typically let them work it correctly. It is certainly an eye-opener. Herbert Brown III

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