Meri Nasilyan

Meri’s academic and professional work centres on curriculum design, educational innovation and the development of inclusive, accessible and digitally effective approaches to education. Her work explores how curriculum and pedagogical design can respond to the changing nature of learning, technology and student experience, with a particular interest in digital education, inclusion, belonging and the ways in which educational environments shape learners’ identities and engagement.

As part of her postgraduate degree at the University of Oxford, Meri conducted research examining postgraduate students’ perceptions of virtual communities within social media, including Twitter and Facebook, and explored how participation in these spaces contributed to transformations in students’ identities. This early research informed her continuing interest in the relationship between digital environments, learner identity, community and educational experience.

Meri is also the founder of an Environmental Education School Curriculum (2012) in the Adjara region of Georgia, where she led the introduction of environmental education across four local schools, supporting the development of school-level policies and curriculum provision. Her commitment to innovative and context-responsive curriculum development has continued throughout her academic career.

She was awarded the Aster Excellence Award for her Dissertation by the University of Manchester in recognition of her research into international students’ experiences of academic writing. Across her work, Meri brings together research, curriculum innovation and educational practice, with a particular focus on designing learning experiences that are inclusive, digitally effective and responsive to the evolving needs of contemporary learners.

Recent Research Projects:

Erasmus+: RAPIDE (Reimagining a Positive Direction for Education)

Steering Committee for P>Tech IBM – Leader Researcher for Feedback and Impact Evaluation

Doctoral Research: 

As part of her doctoral research, Meri is exploring how digital wellbeing can be intentionally embedded within the design and delivery of online and distance education. The research considers how digital pedagogies, learning technologies, online interactions, communication practices and the design of virtual learning environments shape learners’ wellbeing, sense of belonging, connection and participation. It seeks to move beyond viewing wellbeing as an additional support provision, instead positioning it as an integral part of the digital educational experience and its hidden curriculum. The research aims to inform the design and implementation of a practical, evidence-informed framework for creating more connected, inclusive and wellbeing-oriented digital learning environments.

Other Research:

Meri is also leading a research project investigating young people’s perspectives and lived experiences of social media. The study explores how their use of social media is influenced by peers, family, and society, and how young people perceive its impact on their wellbeing. Insights from this research aim to provide a young person-centric understanding of social media and wellbeing, serving as a baseline for future research on mental health and digital engagement.