World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!

D-Index & Metrics

Computer Science

D-Index
65
Citations
18313
World Ranking
2443
National Ranking
1223

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2014 - Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) For significant and sustained contributions to artificial intelligence technologies for education.

Overview

James C. Lester is affiliated with North Carolina State University in the United States. Their research intersects multiple fields including Computer Science and Psychology, with a particular emphasis on Developmental and Educational Psychology, Artificial Intelligence, and Computer Science Applications.

The scientist's scholarly contributions include a focus on topics such as Educational Games and Gamification, Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods, Intelligent Tutoring Systems and Adaptive Learning, Online Learning and Analytics, and Teaching and Learning Programming. They also explore Topic Modeling and Educational Research and Pedagogy.

Frequent collaborators in their work include Bradford Mott, Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver, Krista Glazewski, Jonathan Rowe, and Eric Wiebe.

James C. Lester regularly publishes in venues such as:

  • Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning / The Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference
  • International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education
  • Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment
  • Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting
  • Journal of Adolescent Health

Recent papers authored by or involving Lester include:

  • K-12 Education in the Age of AI: A Call to Action for K-12 AI Literacy (2023), International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education
  • Lessons Learned for AI Education with Elementary Students and Teachers (2022), International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education
  • Artificial Intelligence for Personalized Preventive Adolescent Healthcare (2020), Journal of Adolescent Health
  • AI-Infused Collaborative Inquiry in Upper Elementary School: A Game-Based Learning Approach (2021), Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence
  • SceneCraft: Automating Interactive Narrative Scene Generation in Digital Games with Large Language Models (2023), Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment

Recognition of their work includes being named a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) in 2014, with the citation noting significant and sustained contributions to artificial intelligence technologies for education.

Best Publications

  • Animated Pedagogical Agents: Face-to-Face Interaction in Interactive Learning Environments

    W. Lewis Johnson;Jeff W. Rickel;James C. Lester

  • The Case for Social Agency in Computer-Based Teaching: Do Students Learn More Deeply When They Interact With Animated Pedagogical Agents?

    Roxana Moreno;Richard E. Mayer;Hiller A. Spires;James C. Lester

  • The persona effect: affective impact of animated pedagogical agents

    James C. Lester;Sharolyn A. Converse;Susan E. Kahler;S. Todd Barlow

  • Integrating learning, problem solving, and engagement in narrative-centered learning environments

    Jonathan P. Rowe;Lucy R. Shores;Bradford W. Mott;James C. Lester

  • Beyond cold technology: A systematic review and meta-analysis on emotions in technology-based learning environments

    Kristina Loderer;Reinhard Pekrun;Reinhard Pekrun;James C. Lester

  • Lifelike Pedagogical Agents for Mixed-initiative Problem Solving in Constructivist Learning Environments

    James C. Lester;Brian A. Stone;Gary D. Stelling

  • Enhancing 5th graders' science content knowledge and self-efficacy through game-based learning

    Angela Meluso;Meixun Zheng;Hiller A. Spires;James Lester

  • Deictic and emotive communication in animated pedagogical agents

    James C. Lester;Stuart G. Towns;Charles B. Callaway;Jennifer L. Voerman

  • Narrative prose generation

    Charles B. Callaway;James C. Lester

  • Increasing believability in animated pedagogical agents

    James C. Lester;Brian A. Stone

  • Affect and Engagement in Game-BasedLearning Environments

    Jennifer L. Sabourin;James C. Lester

  • Lifelike pedagogical agents and affective computing: an exploratory synthesis

    Clark Elliott;Jeff Rickel;James Lester

  • Automatically Recognizing Facial Expression: Predicting Engagement and Frustration

    Joseph F. Grafsgaard;Joseph B. Wiggins;Kristy Elizabeth Boyer;Eric N. Wiebe

  • Deictic believability: Coordinated gesture, locomotion, and speech in lifelike pedagogical agents

    James C. Lester;Jennifer L. Voerman;Stuart G. Towns;Charles B. Callaway

  • Modeling self-efficacy in intelligent tutoring systems: An inductive approach

    Scott W. Mcquiggan;Bradford W. Mott;James C. Lester

  • Face-to-Face Interaction with Pedagogical Agents, Twenty Years Later

    W. Lewis Johnson;James C. Lester

  • Story-Based Learning: The Impact of Narrative on Learning Experiences and Outcomes

    Scott W. Mcquiggan;Jonathan P. Rowe;Sunyoung Lee;James C. Lester

  • Designing game-based learning environments for elementary science education: A narrative-centered learning perspective

    James C. Lester;Hiller A. Spires;John L. Nietfeld;James Minogue

  • Problem Solving and Game-Based Learning: Effects of Middle Grade Students' Hypothesis Testing Strategies on Learning Outcomes:

    Hiller A. Spires;Jonathan P. Rowe;Bradford W. Mott;James C. Lester

  • Life-Like Pedagogical Agents in Constructivist Multimedia Environments: Cognitive Consequences of their Interaction

    Roxana Moreno;Richard Mayer;James Lester

  • Achieving Affective Impact: Visual Emotive Communication in Lifelike Pedagogical Agents

    James C. Lester;Stuart G. Towns;Patrick J. Fitzgerald

Frequent Co-Authors

Eric N. Wiebe
Eric N. Wiebe North Carolina State University
Roger Azevedo
Roger Azevedo University of Central Florida
Mladen A. Vouk
Mladen A. Vouk North Carolina State University
Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver
Cindy E. Hmelo-Silver Indiana University
Luke Zettlemoyer
Luke Zettlemoyer University of Washington
Ryan S. Baker
Ryan S. Baker University of Pennsylvania
W. Lewis Johnson
W. Lewis Johnson University of Southern California
Arthur C. Graesser
Arthur C. Graesser University of Memphis
Richard E. Mayer
Richard E. Mayer University of California, Santa Barbara
Roxana Moreno
Roxana Moreno University of New Mexico

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