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

Ruben, I agree that we need to be very honest and upfront with students about the expected commitment to the course. I have also found that many students enter online programs thinking it will be an easy path to a degree, just to find out that it is as hard, or at times harder, than a traditional face-to-face course. The clearer we can be with our expectations, the less likely students will be to drop the course or fail the course because they had an unrealistic view of the course and commitment. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Ruben, I agree that online learning will continue to grow to meet the needs of our society, and recent reports sponsored by Sloan-C show that there is continued growth. But what about fields that require very specialized skills? How are the welders going to learn to weld virtually? Do you want a surgeon to work on you if they have only done virtual surgeries? Do you think all fields are conducive to online learning? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Engaging Learners in Discussion

Angela , It is very important for students to see you engaged in the discussions as well (as you note). Any real life examples and experiences you can share as the instructor also helps to make the course materials more relevant to the students. Guiding them in these discussions brings about learning by helping students connect their previous knowledge with their new knowledge. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

P., It is hard to communicate with students when the don't want to communicate. Online students can be that much more difficult. You can provide them with every communication means available and if they don't want to communicate they won't. E-mail can at least document that the communication was made. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Angela , Student feedback can be helpful, especially at the beginning. I find that expectations are not a finite element. Mine have changed every year I have taught in online environments. Each year new experiences cause me to revisit my expectations and tweak them. I also include communication specifics relatively to turn around time on messages, expected behavior and tone in messages, etc. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Angela , I agree. Writing can certainly have "tone" as well. The more you work online the more you will read in to the students' work and be able to gauge some of these mannerisms. If you do anything with video conferencing and even audio conferencing you can gauge more from students behaviors as well. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Engaging Learners in Discussion

P., Are you doing this in an online format? Do the students "read back" live through video conferencing or is this in a traditional course? Anytime instructors can make the course content real and relevant we are doing the right thing. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Managing Learner Behaviors

Angela , Sometimes it helps to contact students to get more details of the situation as well. Many times students can be commenting about one item, when their real issues lie somewhere else. Contacting them and expressing your concern and getting a little more input from them might open other avenues. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Managing Learner Behaviors - 2

Edwin, Connecting with the students and letting them know you care and are there to help is a great first step. That may be all they need to get refocused and back on track in the course. At the very least they know you are there and willing to help them. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Providing Feedback

Edwin, The positive reinforcement goes a long way with students and giving them the confidence they need. I have also found that students read the content just to get through it, not for understanding or comprehension. I find myself having to teach basic study skills to many students to help them be successful. Herbert Brown III

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