Xiaokang Lei | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Co-Designing Digital Humans for Online Learning: A Framework for Human-AI Pedagogical Integration

Artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) are reshaping education, with virtual avatars emerging as digital teachers capable of enhancing engagement, sustaining attention, and addressing instructor shortages. Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for equitable quality education, these technologies hold promise yet lack clear guidelines for effective design and implementation in online learning. To fill this gap, we introduce a framework specifying when, what, and how digital teachers should be integrated. Our study combines (1) a design space analysis of 87 works across AI, educational technology, design, and HCI, (2) a survey of 132 learners' practices and preferences, and (3) three co-design workshops with 18 experts from pedagogy, design, and AI. It provides actionable guidance for educators, designers, and HCI researchers, advancing opportunities to build more engaging, equitable, and effective online learning environments powered by digital teachers.

cs.HC↗

arXiv2025

Generative Multi-Sensory Meditation: Exploring Immersive Depth and Activation in Virtual Reality

Mindfulness meditation has seen increasing applications in diverse domains as an effective practice to improve mental health. However, the standardized frameworks adopted by most applications often fail to cater to users with various psychological states and health conditions. This limitation arises primarily from the lack of personalization and adaptive content design. To address this, we propose MindfulVerse, an AI-Generated Content (AIGC)-driven application to create personalized and immersive mindfulness experiences. By developing a novel agent, the system can dynamically adjust the meditation content based on the ideas of individual users. Furthermore, we conducted exploratory user studies and comparative evaluations to assess the application scenarios and performance of our novel generative meditation tool in VR environments. The results of this user study indicate that generative meditation improves neural activation in self-regulation and shows a positive impact on emotional regulation and participation. Our approach offers a generative meditation procedure that provides users with an application that better suits their preferences and states.

cs.HC↗