I work on embodied pedagogical agents, instructional gesture, and multimodal interaction: how speech, gesture, and gaze are coordinated in teaching, and how that evidence can inform the design of embodied AI teachers.
Embodied pedagogical agents
PhD research at PolyU School of Design (2019–2024) developed frameworks for designing and evaluating instructional gestures, with studies of word–gesture alignment, learning performance, student perception, and multimodal interaction in instructional settings.
Selected outputs: IJHCI 2026; CSCW 2023; IASDR 2023; IASDR 2021
Language and gesture (postdoc)
Since 2024 I have been a postdoctoral fellow in Language Science and Technology at PolyU (Chen Si Lab; previously BLC Lab), working on multimodal dialogue and co-speech gesture.
Current work
A multimodal corpus of dialogue, gesture, gaze, and fNIRS is in progress with South China Normal University. Related project notes: corpus.
Selected papers
Published, newest first:
- Grounding Pedagogical Intents in Embodied AI Teachers: A Human-Centered Framework for Designing and Evaluating Instructional Gestures. Lai Wei, Pangrui Xing, Kenny K. N. Chow, Stephen Jia Wang. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 2026 (SSCI, Q1; IF 4.9).
- CapSenseBand: Sustaining cross-disciplinary creativity when stitches must meet signals. Sark Pangrui Xing, Hongci Hu, Lai Wei, Le Fang, Ziqian Bai, Kinor Shou-xiang Jiang, Stephen Jia Wang. Proc. Creativity & Cognition (CC ‘26) (Rank A HCI).
- Motion tracking of daily living and physical activities in healthcare: A systematic review from designers’ perspective. Lai Wei, Stephen Jia Wang. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2024 (SCIE, Q1; IF 6.2).
- Developing cue-behavior association for habit formation: A qualitative study to explore the role of avatar in hypertension. Yujie Zhu, Yonghao Long, Lai Wei, Yaqi Zhang, Zhengtao Ma, Kun-Pyo Lee, Lin Zhang, Stephen Jia Wang. Digital Health, 2024 (SCIE, SSCI, Q1; IF 3.9).
- When Gestures and Words Synchronize: Exploring A Human Lecturer’s Multimodal Interaction for the Design of Embodied Pedagogical Agents. Lai Wei, Kenny K. N. Chow. Companion Proc. CSCW ‘23 (Rank A HCI; CCF-A).
- How Students Perceive Lecturers’ Gestures? An Exploration In Gesture-meaning Matching Toward Embodied Pedagogical Agent Design. Lai Wei, Kenny K. N. Chow. IASDR ‘23 (Rank A Design).
- Who Shapes the Network of a Pedagogical Space? Clues from the Movements in the Physical Places. Lai Wei, Kenny K. N. Chow. International Conference on Advances in Mobile Computing and Multimedia Intelligence. MoMM 2022.
- Interface, Pedagogical Agents and Chatbox in Virtual Learning Environments: An Eye Tracking Experiment. Lai Wei, Kenny K. N. Chow. The ninth Congress of the International Association of Societies of Design Research. IASDR 2021 (published 2022).
- Investigating the Use of Folk Art Elements in Domestic Animation Films. Lai Wei, 2019.
- Researching on ‘Five-Dimensional’ Assessment and Evaluation System of Illustration Design. Lai Wei, 2019.
- The Practicability of Dynamic Image Design to Visual Education in the Context of Contemporary Visual Culture. Lai Wei, 2018.
- Media-Friendly Medium Prospection -Discussing the Leading Future of Animation Typology. Lai Wei, 2018.
Under review:
- Delivering Personalized LLM-Generated Feedback Through Embodied Pedagogical Agents: The Roles of Visual Realism and Perceived Humanness. Mingjun Zhai, Lai Wei, Zhe Gao, Jiaxin Chen, Yongqing Li, Ping Li. Computers & Education.
- Beats and pointing with English not, n’t and no across grammatical class and medium. Lai Wei, Pangrui Xing, Kenny K. N. Chow. Gesture Studies.
- Culturally grounded but socially malleable: Cooperative dialogue recalibrates abstract concept representations. Mingjun Zhai, Lai Wei, Yingying Peng, Ping Li. Communications Psychology (Nature Portfolio).
Posters are on the Resume page. Animation and movement design work is under Projects.