Hi! I’m Melanie Narish, Learning Designer.

Melanie Narish Digital Learning Designer

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.

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: Explore 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
Screenshot of the introduction for instructional design course in Articulate Rise

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!

workspace for digital learning designer with a tabby cat looking out the window

Home base for creative solutions! (And the cat’s TV.)