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

Assisting the Online Student

Sabrina, All are great methods to connect with the students. It is all about communication and persistence. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Sabrina, I agree, it is certainly not the best learning solution for everyone. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Aida, It is true that the students might be more comfortable with the content and delivery platform. What about the depth and difficulty of the content, would not the higher level students need more interaction and assistance and therefore smaller class sizes for the upper level classes? Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Aida, I am glad you noted that you like to be the facilitator for BOTH online and face to face. Sometimes we forget that the facilitator role works just as effectively in the traditional classroom as online. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

Aida, That has been my experience as well. It is not always enough to just post the expectations, you need to consider ways to make sure the students engage that content. Discussing them and making sure everyone knows what they are is a good idea. Others sometimes will give an assignment or short quiz on the expectations to ensure the students read them and understand them. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Alison, It is certainly growing in leaps and bounds and may in some areas surpass traditional classroom learning depending on the measures examined. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Will Online Learning Replace the Traditional Classroom?

Joan, The current research continues to show just what you mention. Online is continuing to show strong growth and most analysis of the research in the field shows that online instruction is on par with traditional on ground instruction. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

The Optimal Online Student-Instructor Ratio

Diane, A ratio of 10:1 is great in my opinion; however, many others find they have to work in a 15:1 ratio or higher. I am aware of an institution that recently ignored much of the research and are requiring minimum ratios of 15:1 for graduate courses and 18:1 for undergraduate courses. They also expect attrition rates of only 3 students in each area, which is less than 20%. They will be surprised once they implement these policies. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Faculty Expectations

lindsey, All the things are mention are right on the mark. Being as clear as possible regarding all aspects of the course (communication, grading, assignments, behavior, etc.) is very important. Ensuring you are providing students timely feedback is paramount to your "presence" in the online classroom. Herbert Brown III

Herbert Brown III

Discussion Comment

Instructor Presence

Alicia, Do you have opportunities to connect with the students through a "live" medium (phone, video conf.) when the feedback is sensitive? Oftentimes it is a little easier and portrays a much clearer message through live medium. Herbert Brown III

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