About Me
I am an educator and researcher specializing in the intersection of instructional design, digital literacy, and cultural narrative. With a background in technical writing and creative composition, I build learning experiences that are both functionally precise and human-centered.
My Approach
My work lives at the crossroads of the ancient and the emerging — I believe that the oldest tools we have as humans, storytelling, myth, and narrative, are precisely what make new technologies make sense to learners.
By integrating emerging AI technologies with foundational storytelling techniques, I help learners navigate complex digital landscapes with confidence and critical agency. I don't just design modules — I design experiences that respect the full humanity of the person learning.
Background
My background in technical writing and creative composition gives me an unusual lens for instructional design: I think deeply about how language shapes understanding, and how a well-chosen word can open a door that a diagram cannot.
As a graduate student at Utah State University, I've had the opportunity to apply these principles in real instructional contexts — from designing Canvas onboarding experiences for incoming students to presenting on the future of folklore in digital spaces.
Areas of Focus
Evidence-based, learner-centered design using needs analysis, task analysis, and performance-based evaluation to create meaningful learning experiences.
Helping learners navigate complex digital environments with confidence — from learning management systems to the broader landscape of AI and emerging technology.
Exploring artificial intelligence through the lens of myth, history, and the humanities — asking what these systems reveal about creativity, authorship, and the human condition.
My Substack explores AI as a cultural force — through myth, history, and the humanities. What do these systems reveal about creativity, authorship, and who we are? Published since early 2026.
Academic Work
My other scholarly work includes a recently completed thesis and presentations on the intersection of folklore and AI in digital spaces — including a piece on Monster Mindscapes published with the WACC Clearinghouse.
These projects reflect a consistent thread: a curiosity about how humans make meaning, and what that means when the tools of meaning-making are changing beneath our feet.
Get In Touch
Whether you're interested in my instructional design work, curious about The AI Bestiary, or want to collaborate on something at the edges of technology and the humanities — I'd love to hear from you.
nikki.christensen17@gmail.com