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

Brian, I agree with you. I believe we need to give clear examples of high quality work that clearly demonstrates our expectations for that level of work. How do students know what you are expecting and what will result in the highest grades possible without some clear blueprint to get there. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Engaging Learners in Discussion

Nicole, I like how you give your students very clear and detailed feedback to help them understand what a good post is and how to maximize their grade in discussions. If we give our students that level of detail we can easily expect them to adjust accordingly. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Matthew, It is interesting to hear your students with learning disabilities do not do well. Do you think that is due to the nature of the delivery of the content and it could be remedied if you changed the course design? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Matthew, What do you feel needs to be in them specifically? There should of course be some expectations for students, but what about expectations for you the instructor? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Nicole, I would agree that the skills courses can be the hardest. However, I have seen successful blended environments that allow the students to complete all of the core content through online classes and provide lab, or OJT types of experiences for the hands on components. You could also do internships, field rotations (like the medical field and teaching) and others. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Angela, It is growing, however, and will continue to grow. Another area of growth is hybrid, blended and flipped classrooms that try to combine the best of the online learning environment with traditional classrooms. We will continue to see these types of classrooms in the very near future. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Nicole, I like the Q&A idea. I assume that you update it each semester to include new questions that students have brought up that semester or previous ones. It is like building a knowledgebase. You could continue to add new questions and answers that arise in each course. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Fonzette, I like how you included the instructor expectations as well to ensure that students know what to expect from their instructor. Online students can get very confused, especially if they don't have much experience with online. The more details we can provide to establish the course norms and expectations the more likely we will head off a lot of issues in the future. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Angela, Your description is exactly why we have to provide students in online classes with a lot more detail about the expectations for the course. We need to provide them with detailed outlines of assignments and due dates, detailed grading practices, where to go for help, when and how to communicate with the professor and more as well as what they should expect from the instructor in the course (such as when and how grading will be done). The more detail you can provide them up front the more you can alleviate some of their nervousness. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

George, What you describe here is pretty common. I find that I communicate with students MORE online than I normally would in a traditional classroom maybe to make up for potential struggles in communication with instructors. I want my students to feel comfortable talking with me online about whatever they need. There are also many ways to ensure everyone is understanding the topics including quick quizzes, discussions, Q&A, much of what you would use in a traditional class. Herbert Brown III

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