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

John, Good point on the late assignment policy. You can get in to a lot of trouble at the end of the semester with students submitting all of their work in the last couple of days. Although I try to be as flexible as I can, I do find that I have to set a FIRM policy on work and late work as you indicate. Early on in my career I did not and it was a nightmare; I learned that lesson quickly. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Engaging Learners in Discussion

Jerrod, I like how you play devil's advocate to get them to engage the topics at a deeper level. This is a great strategy to get students to think outside the box or just agreeing with others. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Jerrod, Do you find that your students feel you are "present" in their class using these tools? I use similar tools and techniques and my students always comment that they love the videos and they do feel connected with the course. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Jerrod, That's great that you feel you are still able to connect with 25-35 on a personal basis. Many others report their ideal number around 15-20. Do you feel there are other factors that might influence that number, such as the type of content in the course, level of the content, nature of the content, design of the course? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Engaging Learners in Discussion

Absro, Good ideas. I appreciate that you contact the students that are participating minimally to try to get them to engage - I believe it is critical for instructors to make the extra effort in online courses like that to motivate our students. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Kyle, Do you include any expectations for you as the instructor? For example, what should students expect from you regarding the timeliness of grading, etc. If you do include those types of elements, what do you include? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Elizabeth, True, we are still seeing a strong growth in online courses. We are also seeing an increase in the use of online tools to build web hybrid or blended classrooms. Many students still prefer the traditional classes as well. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Sandra, Interesting range. 15-20 is what most people report, so your ratio is very similar. How did you come up with your ratio? What are some of the elements that helped you determine this ratio? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Michael, Very well put. You are correct it will and can vary greatly depending on MANY variables. Most people report that an ideal for them would be 15-20 students in most courses understanding that their is still a lot of variability. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

John, Should you also include expectations for yourself, the faculty member, so they know what you should be doing to make it an effective online classroom? Herbert Brown III

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