Episode 47: Ronald Lethcoe

“We would be doing a disservice to the students if we didn’t at least include AI in the conversation as an institution.”

“Digital adaptability — being able to navigate this digital space that’s always changing — is the skill that’s going to be beneficial for anybody in the future.”

In this 47th episode of The Opposite of Cheating Podcast, Ronald Lethcoe reflects on what it means to build AI literacy ethically, intentionally, and institutionally. As an instructional design specialist at Clover Park Technical College, Ronald has been at the forefront of helping faculty navigate generative AI—not by jumping on the hype train, but by designing scalable resources, policies, and conversations that meet educators where they are.

He shares his team’s approach to scaffolding faculty development through their “AI Essentials” course, discusses their AI usage “stoplight” framework for assignment design, and emphasizes the importance of digital adaptability as a core skill for both students and teachers.

Ronald also opens up about parenting in the age of AI—recounting a conversation with his 9-year-old son about when getting help from ChatGPT crosses the line into cheating. The episode closes with a discussion on the limits of graphic infographics, the importance of nuance in course policies, and how infusing values like accessibility and openness into AI strategy can help institutions move forward responsibly.

You can follow Ronald on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/rlethcoe/ and listen to his Simon Says: Educate! Podcast at https://open.spotify.com/show/6qwx9B3oNookrZJT8GwHb8

Episode Resources:

Generative AI in Higher Education Canvas Course https://lor.instructure.com/resources/b385d16a3e36434ebfede2315f585362?shared

Applied AI in College Classroom Canvas Course Crosswalk https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eIRoeKrWqMD4m9dpgeoeulr8a48ku9EoyAuYLxCqu9g/edit?gid=2027822702#gid=2027822702

AI Usage Tags for Syllabi (CPTC TLC LibGuide) https://cptc.libguides.com/TLC/Syllabus

Gutierrez and Lethcoe’s AI Essentials in Education (AI-Ed) overview https://jonigutierrez.com/2025/11/02/gutierrez-lethcoes-ai-essentials-in-education-ai-ed-responsible-ai-literacy-course-for-a-human-centered-future/

AEIOU Ethos Framework for Responsible AI Use https://jonigutierrez.com/2025/08/02/aeiou-ethos-a-framework-for-responsible-ai/

(Disclaimer: episode quotes and summary were created using Youtube's Transcript and ChatGPT and edited by a human. Any errors are the responsibility of the human).e the responsibility of the human).