Hi! I’m Melanie Narish.

I am a Learning Designer with the Center for Education Through Exploration (ETX). I’ve taught 4th-12th grade in sciences, math, studio arts, and college Biology. I supported my educator colleagues by organizing and leading professional development training events. Now at ETX, I create interactive and immersive digital learning activities, so students of all ages learn concepts, develop skills, and open their minds to the world's (and universe's) wonders.

Melanie's CV

Exploring the Universe Digitally

  • A screenshot of a virtual tour showing a bridge coming out of a cave

    Immersive Virtual Tours

    I’ve created lesson tours for teachers and have trained teachers and students how to use the Tour It tool for place-based learning. Tour It helps students practice their creativity, cultural awareness, and technical proficiency through digital storytelling.

    Example Tour: Exploring Nāhuku Lava Tubes
  • The beginning steps of making a marine nitrogen cycle where learners drag and drop organisms to the connections

    Adaptive Learning Experiences

    I’ve created NGSS-aligned adaptive digital lessons that spark curiosity in the world around them. In these experiences, learners have hiked up glaciers, used social media to identify rhetoric, and examined real-time burn data to understand the impact of climate change both locally and nationally.

    Example Lesson: Nitrogen Tales!
  • A cute floating orb talking to Perseverance on Mars

    Engaging Storytelling Media

    Digital lessons should tell stories, and we can creatively use online media to tell them. I use both traditional media and digital platforms to create assets that create a unique human feel in a digital space. (The example introductory illustration sequence below was co-created with Chris Andert and Leon Manfredi.)

    Example Story Intro: Orby Flies to Earth
A screenshot of a PD training introducing Robin, a friend who will help the learner along

As part of the Learning Design and Technology Master’s program at Arizona State University, I co-developed a high-quality, engaging instructional design course in Articulate Rise. Our training sequence earned first place in a national competition for instructional design resources based on competencies from the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction.

Contact me.

Got a question? Looking for an elegant learning design solution? Have a quirky request? Reach out!

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