Real World Instructional Design

Kathy Cennamo is a former elementary school teacher and is currently Professor of Instructional Design and Technology at Virginia Tech. She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from Virginia Tech, a master's degree in educational media from the University of Arizona, and a Ph.D. in instruction technology from the University of Texas at Austin. Throughout her career, Cennamo's work has focused on the application of learning theories to the design of technology-based instructional materials. Through numerous funded projects, publications, presentations, instructional materials, and teaching activities, she has disseminated knowledge of instructional strategies based on established theories of learning. She has also explored the nature of instructional design practice so that scholars and designers alike better understand their work, and she has applied this knowledge in helping to prepare future instructional design professionals. Her research and service activities have focused on developing and sustaining a classroom culture that fosters critical and creative thinking skills in K-12 and higher education environments. Debby Kalk is principal of Cortex Learning, an instructional design and e-learning consulting company. She has developed e-learning products for major educational publishers for use in secondary and higher education, as well as corporate training and customer education projects for companies such as Motorola, Delta Air Lines, and Lucent Technologies. Her projects have garnered recognition from ID magazine, NY Festivals, Cindys, ITVA, TIM, and other awards. Kalk holds a M.A. in Instructional Technology from University of Texas at Austin.