James C Lester
Biographic Data
| ID | 2825211 |
|---|---|
| NAME | James C Lester |
| GIVEN NAMES | James C |
| FAMILY NAME | Lester |
| SIGNATURE | LESTER J C |
| AFFILIATIONS | North Carolina State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1481-6601 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 13 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
Enhancing stealth assessment in game-based learning through goal recognition
Stealth assessment in game-based learning analyzes gameplay behaviors to measure student competencies unobtrusively. Grounded in the theoretical premise that in-game objectives shape learning outcomes, this article investigates how goal recognition can enhance stealth assessment by using predictions about immediate gameplay objectives as evidence for modeling learning. We evaluated this approach with 119 middle school students using an educationa…
Leveraging student planning in game-based learning environments for self-regulated learning analytics
Engagement of adolescents with ADHD in a narrative-centered game-based behavior change environment to reduce alcohol use
Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about 13% of adolescents and is associated with substance use-related morbidity and mortality. While evidence on effective interventions to reduce alcohol use among adolescents with ADHD is limited, parent-teen communication about alcohol use has been found to be protective. Other approaches, such as educational interventions, hold promise to reduce alcohol-related harms in adole…
Integrating Youth Perspectives into the Design of AI-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments
This study highlights how middle schoolers discuss the benefits and drawbacks of AI-driven conversational agents in learning. Using thematic analysis of focus groups, we identified five themes in students’ views of AI applications in education. Students recognized the benefits of AI in making learning more engaging and providing personalized, adaptable scaffolding. They emphasized that AI use in education needs to be safe and equitable. Students …
Early prediction of student knowledge in game‐based learning with distributed representations of assessment questions
Game‐based learning environments hold significant promise for facilitating learning experiences that are both effective and engaging. To support individualised learning and support proactive scaffolding when students are struggling, game‐based learning environments should be able to accurately predict student knowledge at early points in students' gameplay. Student knowledge is traditionally assessed prior to and after each student interacts with…
Co-designing a Classroom Orchestration Assistant for Game-based PBL Environments
A learning analytics approach towards understanding collaborative inquiry in a problem‐based learning environment
This exploratory paper highlights how problem‐based learning (PBL) provided the pedagogical framework used to design and interpret learning analytics from C rystal Island: EcoJourneys , a collaborative game‐based learning environment centred on supporting science inquiry. In C rystal Island: EcoJourneys , students work in teams of four, investigate the problem individually and then utilize a brainstorming board, an in‐game PBL whiteboard that str…
Emotions and the Comprehension of Single versus Multiple Texts during Game-based Learning
This study examined 57 learners’ emotions (i.e., joy, anger, confusion, frustration) as they engaged with scientific content while learning about microbiology with Crystal Island, a game-based learning environment (GBLE). Measures of learners’ prior knowledge, in-game text comprehension, facial expressions of emotion, and posttest reading comprehension were collected to examine the relationship between emotions and single- and multiple-text compr…
Beyond cold technology
Coordinating scaffolds for collaborative inquiry in a game‐based learning environment
Collaborative inquiry learning affords educators a context within which to support understanding of scientific practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. One approach to supporting collaborative science inquiry is through problem‐based learning (PBL). However, there are two key challenges in scaffolding collaborative inquiry learning in technology rich environments. First, it is unclear how we might understand the impact of sc…
Game-based learning
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how the authors created a community of inquiry for game design with Crystal Island, report research results from a school pilot and analyze lessons learned. Using a community of inquiry approach, the authors created participatory structures for design and communication among the university team (i.e. computer science, literacy and science education, educational psychology and art design), elementar…
Modeling and evaluating empathy in embodied companion agents
The Case for Social Agency in Computer-Based Teaching
College students (in Experiment 1) and 7th-grade students (in Experiment 2) learned how to design the roots, stem, and leaves of plants to survive in 8 different environments through a computer-based multimedia lesson. They learned by interacting with an animated pedagogical agent who spoke to them (Group PA) or received identical graphics and explanations as on-screen text without a pedagogical agent (Group No PA). Group PA outperformed Group No…
Modeling and evaluating empathy in embodied companion agents
Emotions and the Comprehension of Single versus Multiple Texts during Game-based Learning
This study examined 57 learners’ emotions (i.e., joy, anger, confusion, frustration) as they engaged with scientific content while learning about microbiology with Crystal Island, a game-based learning environment (GBLE). Measures of learners’ prior knowledge, in-game text comprehension, facial expressions of emotion, and posttest reading comprehension were collected to examine the relationship between emotions and single- and multiple-text compr…
The Case for Social Agency in Computer-Based Teaching
College students (in Experiment 1) and 7th-grade students (in Experiment 2) learned how to design the roots, stem, and leaves of plants to survive in 8 different environments through a computer-based multimedia lesson. They learned by interacting with an animated pedagogical agent who spoke to them (Group PA) or received identical graphics and explanations as on-screen text without a pedagogical agent (Group No PA). Group PA outperformed Group No…
Modeling and evaluating empathy in embodied companion agents
Game-based learning
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe how the authors created a community of inquiry for game design with Crystal Island, report research results from a school pilot and analyze lessons learned. Using a community of inquiry approach, the authors created participatory structures for design and communication among the university team (i.e. computer science, literacy and science education, educational psychology and art design), elementar…
Beyond cold technology
Coordinating scaffolds for collaborative inquiry in a game‐based learning environment
Collaborative inquiry learning affords educators a context within which to support understanding of scientific practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts. One approach to supporting collaborative science inquiry is through problem‐based learning (PBL). However, there are two key challenges in scaffolding collaborative inquiry learning in technology rich environments. First, it is unclear how we might understand the impact of sc…
A learning analytics approach towards understanding collaborative inquiry in a problem‐based learning environment
This exploratory paper highlights how problem‐based learning (PBL) provided the pedagogical framework used to design and interpret learning analytics from C rystal Island: EcoJourneys , a collaborative game‐based learning environment centred on supporting science inquiry. In C rystal Island: EcoJourneys , students work in teams of four, investigate the problem individually and then utilize a brainstorming board, an in‐game PBL whiteboard that str…
Emotions and the Comprehension of Single versus Multiple Texts during Game-based Learning
This study examined 57 learners’ emotions (i.e., joy, anger, confusion, frustration) as they engaged with scientific content while learning about microbiology with Crystal Island, a game-based learning environment (GBLE). Measures of learners’ prior knowledge, in-game text comprehension, facial expressions of emotion, and posttest reading comprehension were collected to examine the relationship between emotions and single- and multiple-text compr…
Early prediction of student knowledge in game‐based learning with distributed representations of assessment questions
Game‐based learning environments hold significant promise for facilitating learning experiences that are both effective and engaging. To support individualised learning and support proactive scaffolding when students are struggling, game‐based learning environments should be able to accurately predict student knowledge at early points in students' gameplay. Student knowledge is traditionally assessed prior to and after each student interacts with…
Co-designing a Classroom Orchestration Assistant for Game-based PBL Environments
Engagement of adolescents with ADHD in a narrative-centered game-based behavior change environment to reduce alcohol use
Background: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects about 13% of adolescents and is associated with substance use-related morbidity and mortality. While evidence on effective interventions to reduce alcohol use among adolescents with ADHD is limited, parent-teen communication about alcohol use has been found to be protective. Other approaches, such as educational interventions, hold promise to reduce alcohol-related harms in adole…
Integrating Youth Perspectives into the Design of AI-Supported Collaborative Learning Environments
This study highlights how middle schoolers discuss the benefits and drawbacks of AI-driven conversational agents in learning. Using thematic analysis of focus groups, we identified five themes in students’ views of AI applications in education. Students recognized the benefits of AI in making learning more engaging and providing personalized, adaptable scaffolding. They emphasized that AI use in education needs to be safe and equitable. Students …
Leveraging student planning in game-based learning environments for self-regulated learning analytics
Enhancing stealth assessment in game-based learning through goal recognition
Stealth assessment in game-based learning analyzes gameplay behaviors to measure student competencies unobtrusively. Grounded in the theoretical premise that in-game objectives shape learning outcomes, this article investigates how goal recognition can enhance stealth assessment by using predictions about immediate gameplay objectives as evidence for modeling learning. We evaluated this approach with 119 middle school students using an educationa…
Psychology (11 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Educational Games and Gamification (8 works) · Mathematics education (8 works) · Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods (6 works) · Multimedia (5 works) · Educational technology (4 works) · Knowledge management (4 works) · Online Learning and Analytics (4 works) · Teaching and Learning Programming (4 works)