Leaders in the Loop – Episode 04 – Nikolas McGehee

Join hosts Dan Jenkins and Gaurav Khanna as they dive into AI, data literacy, and change management in education with Dr. Nicholas McGehee, Senior Data Scientist at Michigan Virtual, adjunct faculty at Trevecca Nazarene University, and founder of Capstone Solutions Consulting. This episode is a practical guide to helping educators and leaders embrace AI, featuring insights from Dr. McGehee’s influential research and real-world teaching experience.

---

Key Topics Covered

• Meet Dr. Nicholas McGehee

  • Background: Data scientist, educator, consultant, MMA lightweight champion, and parent.

  • Current roles at Michigan Virtual, Trevecca Nazarene University, and Capstone Solutions Consulting.

• Designing and Teaching AI-Infused Leadership Courses

  • Collaborative work building Trevecca Nazarene’s doctoral program: “Leadership in the Age of AI.”

  • Emphasis on practical data literacy and analytics for leaders.

  • Course projects: Students review and curate a shared library of AI tools for real-world applications.

• Breakthrough Research: Educator Acceptance of AI

  • Discussion of Dr. McGehee’s meta-analysis paper: “Breaking Barriers: A Meta Analysis of Educator Acceptance of AI Technology in Education.”

    • Key finding: Self-efficacy (belief in one’s ability to use AI) is the strongest predictor of adoption.

    • Historical connection to Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy (1977).

    • Reference to the Technology Adoption Model (TAM) and its variables—perceived ease of use and usefulness.

    • How these lessons apply beyond education, including corporate and organizational change.

• Turning Skepticism Into Openness

  • Change management frameworks referenced: John Kotter’s 8-step model, Kurt Lewin’s unfreeze/change/refreeze, Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations, Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point.

  • Tips for creating urgency and demonstrating AI’s usefulness and ease of use—"show, then do."

  • The role of peer-reviewed AI tools and hands-on workshops in unfreezing resistance.

• Workplace and Personal Adoption of AI

  • How adopting AI tools at home translates into comfort and innovation at work.

  • Importance of familiarity (“mat time”) in building expertise and positive perception.

• The Policy and Regulatory Landscape

  • State and federal guidance is lagging, which can both enable and hinder widespread adoption.

  • Contrast between U.S. and EU approaches.

  • The grassroots nature of current AI adoption and its implications.

• AI Tools for Teaching and Learning

  • Latest updates on “study mode” from ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others—how they facilitate learning vs. just giving answers.

  • Discussion of AI as a tutor (cf. Khan Academy), the “multiple sigma” effect, and the still-present achievement gap.

• Training That Sticks: Building a Culture of Experimentation

  • The ineffectiveness of one-off workshops—real-time, ongoing communities of practice make a difference.

  • Michigan Virtual’s internal AI champion group as a case study.

  • Importance of safe spaces for play, experimentation, and sharing practical use cases.

• Iron Man vs. Terminator: Framing AI’s Potential

  • Using pop culture to frame AI adoption: AI as an “exosuit” that enhances human capability, not a threat to jobs.

  • The historical pattern of educators resisting new tech—and why embracing tools is essential to avoid being left behind.

• Lightning Round & Personal Picks

  • Nick’s biggest AI fear: Falling behind.

  • Dream capability: Supercharged automation/auto-GPT for workflows.

  • Recommended reading: Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick. 

  • Favorite AI tool: Gamma Presentation Builder. 

  • Dungeons & Dragons prompts, Spotify playlist shout-out (“Pink Pony Club”), and more.

  • Top AI influencer: Ethan Mollick (again).

• Capstone Solutions Consulting

  • Nick’s company offers hands-on training and consulting for academic and business AI adoption.

---

Resources and Mentions

• [Ethan Mollick’s newsletter]

• [Trevecca Nazarene University Ed.D. in Leadership]

• [Michigan Virtual] 

• [Gamma Presentation AI Tool] 

• [Co-Intelligence book]

• [Khan Academy AI Tutor] 

• [Bandura’s self-efficacy paper] 

• [Technology Adoption Model (TAM) - Wikipedia/summary] 

• [Diffusion of Innovations - Wikipedia/summary] 

• [John Kotter’s Change Model] 

• [Kurt Lewin’s Change Model] 

• [Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point] 

---

Thanks for tuning in to Leaders in the Loop—where leadership, learning, and AI meet.

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate us five stars, follow the show, and share with your network. Have questions or want to suggest a guest? Reach out via LinkedIn or at leadersintheloop.ai@gmail.com.