Gamification and Educational Innovation: Ronald Lethcoe’s Teaching Journey
| by Alex Skov
Ronald Lethcoe never imagined that his adolescent love of video games would eventually shape his approach to teaching students, but his unique career path from aspiring game designer to professional educator is a perfect example of how innovative teachers draw inspiration from a variety of sources to make lasting impacts in their communities.
Currently serving as a curriculum and instructional design specialist in Washington state, Lethcoe works at Clover Park Technical College — the same school where he studied 3D arts and animation as a student hoping to build a career in video game design. His interest in education didn’t emerge until a stop in California, however.
“I studied studio art in Sacramento. I thought that would help me out, [but] it didn’t,” Lethcoe remembered. “I ended up working at Disneyland for a year right after I graduated. They have a college program that I did and I was hoping to work for them [long-term]. That didn’t pan out, but I found out about teaching in [South] Korea. All you really need to teach in Korea is a bachelor’s degree in anything and you just need to be a native-speaking English person to teach English.”
Diving into Korean Classrooms
What started as a practical way to live abroad as a young adult quickly led Lethcoe to discover a genuine passion for teaching.
“Once I got out there and started teaching, I was like, ‘Oh, this is cool,’” he reflected. “I relied heavily on lesson plans at the time — I was very diligently following the provided lesson plans. But then somewhere around year 2 or 3, I started to get into the groove and I started to [understand] the experience with the kids and how to run the class.”
From 2011 to 2023, Lethcoe immersed himself in the Korean education system, gaining experience as a teacher at a private academy and a private elementary school as well in after-school programs. Eventually, Lethcoe earned a role as a professor at a digital university.
While this international teaching experience provided him with cross-cultural perspectives and hands-on classroom expertise that would later inform his approach to curriculum design, Lethcoe wanted to continue growing and expanding his skills as an educator.
Academic Growth and Skill Development
Recognizing the need to formalize his teaching knowledge, Lethcoe pursued a master’s degree in learning design and technology, familiarizing himself with sophisticated pedagogical concepts and learning psychology that transformed his teaching philosophy en route to completing the online program in 2018.
“My biggest anchor in my teaching philosophy is motivating learners,” Lethcoe said. “If you can motivate them to listen to what you’re talking about, then they’re going to learn it. Everybody has their own teaching style, but if the students aren’t motivated, then they’re not going to connect and you’re just talking to nobody.”
His background in game design provided a natural bridge to using gamification strategies in the classroom, as Lethcoe developed elaborate point systems and learning experiences based off classic video games like Kingdom Hearts to engage students and inspire their eagerness to learn.
More Credentials with the Support of Moreland University
In 2020, as the world grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, Lethcoe enrolled in Moreland University’s TEACH-NOW Teacher Preparation Certificate Program to earn his teaching credential, knowing that it would open doors to new teaching opportunities at international schools abroad or in the U.S. The timing proved to be lucky, as the program’s 100% online format aligned perfectly with the global shift to remote learning.
“I really like the way that Moreland does [teacher preparation],” Lethcoe explained. “They would do a month-long focus on specific things. One month, it’s kind of an intro to teaching, then [the next] is focusing on digital tools.”
This structured approach allowed Lethcoe and other members of his global cohort to dive deep into specialized areas while building a comprehensive foundation in educational theory and practice. The modules on differentiation and diversity, equity, and inclusion were particularly eye-opening for Lethcoe.
“They don’t really do [DEI] in Korea, and I only knew how schools were run in Korea, [but] it’s a huge thing in the U.S. and all companies have to have some sort of plan, so learning about that was great,” Lethcoe said.
The timing of that module in Lethcoe’s life proved to be lucky, too, as he would soon find himself back at Clover Park Technical College.
Career Advancement and Community Involvement
Lethcoe’s unique combination of international experience, a specialized master’s degree, and a teaching credential positioned him perfectly for a curriculum and instructional design specialist role that empowers him to make a difference at a systemic level, developing resources that benefit instructors, staff, and students alike.
His transition away from being a classroom teacher represented a natural evolution of his interests in learning design and educational technology, too. When AI tools like ChatGPT gained prominence, Lethcoe was on the forefront of understanding how educators could use them effectively.
“Right when I came on [at Clover Park] was kind of when AI was hitting, so I was in there getting experience,” Lethcoe remembered, “then they wanted to make trainings for the faculty, and so [in] maybe month 2 or 3, I’m setting up how to use ChatGPT and different things to consider.”
Having established himself as a forward-thinking educator and having developed faculty training programs for the new technology, Lethcoe has now delivered presentations on using AI ethically and responsibly at numerous conferences while continuing to take professional development courses to deepen his expertise on relevant subjects.
Lethcoe’s reach extends beyond faculty development and lecture halls, too. Outside of his role at Clover Park, Lethcoe still teaches classes through the digital university in South Korea. He also leads weekly basic technology literacy sessions for adult learners on Fridays and spends part of his Saturdays providing English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction to Ukrainian and Afghan refugees.
Looking Ahead
Lethcoe hopes to continue focusing on how technology affects education “as long as I can stay on top of the trends and focus on pedagogy and how that gets affected by what’s happening in the world.”
There’s no shortage of technology, so there should be no shortage of opportunity for Lethcoe to evaluate how educators can use it most effectively to help students learn, grow, and succeed.
And for aspiring teachers or career changers wondering if education might be the right profession for them, Lethcoe’s advice is simple and direct: “Get the teaching credential because you have so many more opportunities [with it].”
Based on Lethcoe’s experience, investing in your own education and professional development can certainly lead to career growth.
Complete your free application to Moreland University’s 100% online 9-month TEACH-NOW Teacher Certificate Preparation Program or one of our 12-month master’s degree programs today. It takes less than 15 minutes to take this important step toward making your teaching dreams come true — and Moreland is ready to support you wherever that dream might take you.
