Tri-C Computer Science Professor Prepares AI-Savvy Students

Carelicha Duckworth's curriculum integrates responsible AI use to meet evolving employer expectations

CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®) Computer Science professor Carelicha Duckworth, Ph.D., believes that innovation and technology go hand in hand in higher education. Otherwise, students are at a disadvantage in their college and career journeys.

The emergence of AI tools in recent years has changed how students in higher education use them in their classes. Faculty are at different ends of the AI spectrum, and with employers seeking talent familiar with the technology, Duckworth has incorporated it into her curriculum.

"In order for these students to understand and appreciate technology, I think we have to remain innovative, right? So, for me, it was a no-brainer. We are going to use AI responsibly," she said in an interview with Ideastream Public Media.

Duckworth created her intro-level Computer Science class curriculum from scratch last year to teach students how to use a mix of AI tools. For a project during the Fall 2025 semester, her students acted as technology consultants to create a plan for a fictional small business transitioning from paper to digital records. The project tested students' understanding of IT fundamentals without requiring physical hardware or programming skills.

Duckworth said the assignment mimics what many students could be doing post-college.

The class was a mix of college-age and high school students taking the class for college credit. Tri-C student Andre Donerson, a junior at Cleveland Central Catholic High School, said his exposure to AI in the classroom is informing his future career.

"I've now migrated to maybe trying to find a major specifically focused on AI," he said.

Read the story at ideastream.org.

February 24, 2026

MEDIA CONTACT: Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu