Dr. Michele Estes: Professor

Professor
Learning, Technology and Leadership Education

Academic Degrees: 
Ph. D. Instructional Technology, Learning and Cognition Cognate: University of Georgia
M. Ed. Instructional Technology, Business Applications Track: Valdosta State University
B. F. A. Theatre, Telecommunications Emphasis: Valdosta State University

Dr. Estes is a Professor in the James Madison University College of Education. She has prior work experience in learning, design, and technology at IBM, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, and The University of Georgia where she managed personnel, grant-funded projects, and small budgets. For 6 years, Dr. Estes directed the JMU Educational Technology M. Ed. and graduate Certificate programs with attention to learners, enrollments, partners, and fiscal viability. She chaired student research projects and comprehensive reviews. For 3 years she coordinated the undergraduate Educational Media Minor program with primary focus on enrollment growth and curriculum design. She has taught more than 25 different courses on-site and/or online in these academic programs, and contributes regularly to curriculum and program advancement. She has successfully completed QMAPPQMR training for online course review; and has earned the JMU COE Distinguished Teacher Award, COE Service Award, and COE Essie Glass Award for faculty accomplishments.

Dr. Estes is actively engaged in scholarly activities including grant work, research, and publications; and is a reviewer and/or external reviewer for peer-reviewed journal articles, conference proposals, grant proposals, faculty promotion and tenure applications, online courses, and book chapters. Her interests include the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, for example, in the areas of collaborative online international learning (COIL). Dr. Estes is certified to administer the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory to study participant change through COIL experiences. She is the 2021-2022 Global Virtual Exchange Fellow in the JMU Center for Global Engagement; and has been an invited, international keynote speaker for Malmo University in Sweden, in the past. Another professional interest is meaningful access. She was an invited lead author for the Handbook of Research in Educational Communications and Technology on a related topic:

• Estes, M. D., Beverly, C., Castillo, M. (2020). Designing for accessibility: The intersection of design and disability. In M. J. Bishop, J. Elen, E. Boling, and V. Svihla, (Eds.), Handbook of research in educational communications and technology, 5th Edition (pp. 205-228). Springer.

Dr. Estes is Past President of the Georgia Association for Instructional Technology (GAIT), and has served on the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) Division of Distance Learning Board, Burmeister Award Selection Committee, Standards Committee, Strategic Planning Taskforce, and National Nominating Committee. At JMU, she has Chaired and served on the department Personnel Advisory Committee, and served as department representative to the Dean's Faculty Advisory Council, curriculum committees, and Faculty Senate. She has attended AECT Summer Leadership Institutes in the past, and during the 2020-2021 academic year, participated in the COE-LEAD Institute for leadership development in the JMU College of Education.