Staff Profile

I am a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in the Open Lab, School of Computing at Newcastle University. I joined Newcastle in 2022, and before that, I was an Assistant Professor at Durham University.

I am the director of Haii Lab, where I lead a group of PhD students and research assistants/interns, working on interesting projects.

I am a member of the managing committee for EATEL. I will be the Communication Chair for ECTEL2024, which will take place in Krems, Austria, on 16-20 September 2024. Previewsly, I was a local organiser and Web Chair for both AIED2022 and EDM2022, the Proceedings Chair for IoT2022, and the Workshops and Tutorials Chair for AIED2023.

To prospective full-time PhD students: I welcome applications for PhD studies throughout the year. To be eligible for a position in my team, candidates should hold (or be in the final stages of completing) a BSc or MSc degree in fields such as artificial intelligence, data science, applied statistics, human-computer interaction, cognitive sciences, cognitive and/or experimental psychology, learning science/engineering, applied linguistics, instructional design, industrial design, innovation sciences, or a related discipline. As a member of our team, you will benefit from supervision by a diverse academic team, with me as your primary supervisor. Additionally, you will be part of a vibrant cohort of students within the Open Lab at the School of Computing, Newcastle University. For detailed information about the application process, programme specifics, fees, and available funding opportunities, please visit https://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/degrees/8050f-23/ and https://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/degrees/8195f/. Before submitting your application, I encourage you to contact me via email (lei.shi@ncl.ac.uk) to discuss potential research topics and clarify any details. Please ensure that your application includes the following:

• A well-defined research proposal
• A comprehensive CV and cover letter outlining your background and suitability for the PhD programme
• Two strong reference letters
• Transcripts and certificates for both your BSc and MSc degrees
• An English proficiency certificate (e.g., IELTS)

Explore project ideas and find inspiration on the Projects page.

My primary research interest is exploring ways to enhance human-AI interactions by integrating human-computer interaction (HCI) approaches with AI technologies. I am particularly interested in investigating how intelligent software and hardware can facilitate effective collaboration and co-creation between humans and AI while upholding ethical, legal, and societal values.

I am drawn to the empirical study of future AI-powered interactive systems, with a focus on developing and experimenting with technology that advances creativity, productivity, adaptability, participation, diversity, inclusion, and heterogeneity. I believe these values are essential for creating AI-powered systems that are not only effective but also socially responsible.

My research spans applied fields such as education, design, publicity, cybersecurity, healthcare, and well-being. I am dedicated to exploring how AI can be leveraged to improve these domains while keeping in mind the ethical and societal implications of our work. By combining HCI and AI, I hope to contribute to the development of intelligent systems that are both functional and socially conscious.

I am a Co-I on the EPSRC AGENCY project "Assuring Citizen Agency in a World with Complex Online Harms" (EP/W032481/1), which aims to establish interdisciplinary scientific methods, technology, and collaborative societal approaches to provide online agency to people in a world with complex online harms.

My up-to-date publication list is on Google Scholar.

I am the module leader for CSC8611 : Human-Artificial Intelligence (AI) Interaction & Futures

Before joining Newcastle, I was the module leader for COMP2261 Artificial Intelligence and re-developed (doubled) its Machine Learning sub-module. I also created a new module, COMP3647 Human-AI Interaction Design, at Durham University.

• Articles

  • Li Z, Shi L, Wang J, Cristea A, Zhou Y. Sim-GAIL: A Generative Adversarial Imitation Learning Approach of Student Modelling for Intelligent Tutoring Systems. Neural Computing and Applications 2023, 35, 24369-24388.
  • Yu J, Cristea AI, Harit A, Sun Z, Aduragba OT, Shi L, Moubayed NA. Language as a latent sequence: Deep latent variable models for semi-supervised paraphrase generation. AI Open 2023, 4, 19-32.
  • Zhang Lekai, Li Ming, Wang Yifan, Xing Baixi, Liu Xiaojian, Tang Zhichuan, Shi Lei. Emocolor: An assistant design method for emotional color matching based on semantics and images. Color Research and Application 2023, 48(3), 312-327.
  • Olabode S, Owens R, Zhang N, Copilah-Ali J, Kolomeets M, Wu H, Malviya S, Markeviciute K, Spiliotopoulos T, Neesham C, Shi L, Chambers D. Complex Online Harms and the Smart Home: A Scoping Review. Future Generation Computer Systems 2023, 149, 664-678.
  • Feng J, Zhang R, Chen D, Shi L. A Visualization Method of Knowledge Graphs for the Computation and Comprehension of Ultrasound Reports. Biomimetics 2023, 8(8).
  • Oliveira W, Hamari J, Shi L, Toda A, Rodrigues L, Palomino P, Isotani S. Tailored gamification in education: A literature review and future agenda. Education and Information Technologies 2022, 28, 373–406.
  • Xing Baixi, Cao Hanfei, Shi Lei, Si Huahao, Zhao Lina. AI‐driven user aesthetics preference prediction for UI layouts via deep convolutional neural networks. Cognitive Computation and Systems 2022, 4(3), 250-264.
  • Xing Baixi, Si Huahao, Chen Junbin, Ye Minchao, Shi Lei. Computational Model for Predicting User Aesthetic Preference for GUI using DCNNs. CCF Transactions on Pervasive Computing and Interaction 2021, 3, 147-169.
  • Toda A, Klock A, Oliveira W, Palomino P, Rodrigues Luiz, Shi L, Bittencourt I, Gasparini I, Isotani S, Cristea A. Analysing Gamification Elements in Educational Environments Using an Existing Gamification Taxonomy. Smart Learning Environments 2019, 6(1), 16.
  • Shi L, Cristea A. Learners Thrive Using Multifaceted Open Social Learner Modeling. IEEE MultiMedia 2016, 23(1), 36-47.

• Book Chapters

  • Xiao C, Shi L, Cristea A, Li Z, Pan Z. Fine-grained Main Ideas Extraction and Clustering of Online Course Reviews. In: 23rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2022). Cham: Springer, 2022, pp.294-306.
  • Drousiotis E, Pentaliotis P, Shi L, Cristea A. Balancing Fined-Tuned Machine Learning Models Between Continuous and Discrete Variables - A Comprehensive Analysis Using Educational Data. In: 23rd International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2022). Cham: Springer, 2022, pp.256-268.
  • Shi L, Yang B, Toda A. Temporal Analysis in Massive Open Online Courses – Towards Identifying at-Risk Students Through Analyzing Demographical Changes. In: Alena Siarheyeva, Chris Barry, Michael Lang, Henry Linger, Christoph Schneider, ed. Advances in Information Systems Development: International Systems Beyond 2020. Cham: Springer, 2020, pp.146-163.
  • Alamri A, Alshehri M, Cristea A, Pereira F, Oliveira E, Shi L, Stewart C. Predicting MOOCs Dropout Using Only Two Easily Obtainable Features from the First Week’s Activities. In: Proceedings of the 15th International Conference in Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITS 2019). Cham: Springer, 2019, pp.163-173.
  • Shi Lei, Cristea Alexandra. Motivational Gamification Strategies Rooted in Self-Determination Theory for Social Adaptive E-Learning. In: Intelligent Tutoring Systems. ITS 2016. Springer, Cham, 2016.
  • Shi L, Cristea A, Stewart C. Students as Customers: Participatory Design for Adaptive Web 3.0. In: Pedro I, ed. The Evolution of the Internet in the Business Sector: Web 1.0 to Web 3.0. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2015, pp.306-331.
  • Shi Lei, MacKrill James, Dimitrokali Elisavet, Dawson Carolyn, Cain Rebecca. Digital Co-design Applied to Healthcare Environments: A Comparative Study. In: Human-Computer Interaction -- INTERACT 2015. Springer International Publishing, 2015, pp.518-522.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Wang Jindi, Ivrissimtzis Ioannis, Li Zhaoxing, Zhou Yunzhan, Shi Lei. User-Defined Hand Gesture Interface to Improve User Experience of Learning American Sign Language. In: Augmented Intelligence and Intelligent Tutoring Systems, 19th International Conference, ITS 2023. 2023, Corfu, Greece: Springer.
  • Li Zhaoxing, Shi Lei, Zhou Yunzhan, Wang Jindi. Towards Student Behaviour Simulation: A Decision Transformer Based Approach. In: Augmented Intelligence and Intelligent Tutoring Systems, 19th International Conference, ITS 2023. 2023, Corfu, Greece: Springer.
  • Li Zhaoxing, Shi Lei, Cristea Alexandra, Zhou Yunzhan, Xiao Chenghao, Pan Ziqi. SimStu-Transformer: A Transformer-Based Approach to Simulating Student Behaviour. In: 23rd International Conference, Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2022). 2022, Durham, UK: Springer, Cham.
  • Drousiotis Efthyvoulos, Shi Lei, Spirakis Paul, Maskell Simon. Novel Decision Forest Building Techniques by Utilising Correlation Coefficient Methods. In: Engineering Applications of Neural Networks: 23rd International Conference, EAAAI/EANN 2022. 2022, Chersonissos, Crete, Greece: Springer.
  • Sun Z, Harit A, Cristea A, Yu J, Al Moubayed N, Shi L. Is Unimodal Bias Always Bad for Visual Question Answering? A Medical Domain Study with Dynamic Attention. In: IEEE BigData 2022. 2022, Osaka, Japan: IEEE.
  • Yu J, Cristea A, Harit A, Sun Z, Aduragba O, Shi L, Al Moubayed N. INTERACTION: A Generative XAI Framework for Natural Language Inference Explanations. In: International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2022). 2022, Padova, Italy: IEEE.
  • Xiao Chenghao, Shi Lei, Cristea Alexandra, Li Zhaoxing, Pan Ziqi. Fine-grained Main Ideas Extraction and Clustering of Online Course Reviews. In: AIED 2022: Artificial Intelligence in Education. 2022, Durham, UK: Springer.
  • Yu J, Cristea A, Harit A, Sun Z, Aduragba O, Shi L, Al Moubayed N. Efficient Uncertainty Quantification for Multilabel Text Classification. In: International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN 2022). 2022, Padova, Italy: IEEE.
  • Aduragba O, Yu J, Cristea A, Shi L. Detecting Fine-Grained Emotions on Social Media during Major Disease Outbreaks: Health and Well-being before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic. In: AMIA 2021 Annual Symposium. 2022, San Diego, USA: American Medical Informatics Association.
  • Sun Zhongtian, Harit Anoushka, Cristea Alexandra, Yu Jialin, Shi Lei, Al Moubayed Noura. Contrastive Learning with Heterogeneous Graph Attention Networks on Short Text Classification. In: 2022 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN). 2022, Padova, Italy: IEEE.
  • Hodgson R, Cristea A, Shi L, Graham J. Wide-Scale Automatic Analysis of 20 Years of ITS Research. In: Intelligent Tutoring Systems. ITS 2021. 2021, Virtual Event: Springer, Cham.
  • Yu Jialin, Alrajhi Laila, Harit Anoushka, Sun Zhongtian, Cristea Alexandra, Shi Lei. Exploring Bayesian Deep Learning for Urgent Instructor Intervention Need in MOOC Forums. In: Intelligent Tutoring Systems: 17th International Conference, ITS 2021. 2021, Virtual: Springer.
  • Drousiotis Efthyvoulos, Shi Lei, Maskell Simon. Early Predictor for Student Success Based on Behavioural and Demographical Indicators. In: Intelligent Tutoring Systems: 17th International Conference, ITS 2021. 2021, Virtual: Springer.
  • Drousiotis Efthyvoulos, Pentaliotis Panagiotis, Shi Lei, Cristea Alexandra. Capturing Fairness and Uncertainty in Student Dropout Prediction – A Comparison Study. In: Artificial Intelligence in Education: 22nd International Conference, AIED 2021. 2021, Utrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
  • Alharbi Kholood, Cristea Alexandra, Shi Lei, Tymms Peter, Brown Chris. Agent-based Simulation of the Classroom Environment to Gauge the Effect of Inattentive or Disruptive Students. In: Intelligent Tutoring Systems 17th International Conference, ITS 2021. 2021, Virtual: Springer.
  • Alharbi Kholood, Cristea Alexandra, Shi Lei, Tymms Peter, Brown Chris. Agent-Based Classroom Environment Simulation: The Effect of Disruptive Schoolchildren’s Behaviour Versus Teacher Control over Neighbours. In: International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education AIED 2021: Artificial Intelligence in Education. 2021, Utrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.
  • Li Zhaoxing, Shi Lei, Cristea Alexandra, Zhou Yunzhan. A Survey of Collaborative Reinforcement Learning: Interactive Methods and Design Patterns. In: DIS '21: Designing Interactive Systems Conference 2021. 2021, Virtual: Association for Computing Machinery.
  • Sun Z, Harit A, Yu J, Cristea A, Shi L. A Brief Survey of Deep Learning Approaches for Learning Analytics on MOOCs. In: International Conference on Intelligent Tutoring Systems ITS 2021. 2021, Virtual: Springer.
  • Oliveira W, Toda A, Palomino P, Rodrigues L, Shi L, Isotani S. Towards Automatic Flow Experience Identification in Educational Systems: A Qualitative Study. In: Anais do XXXI Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação. 2020, Online: Sociedade Brasileira de Cardiologia.
  • Yu J, Aduragba O, Sun Z, Black S, Stewart C, Shi L, Cristea A. Temporal Sentiment Analysis of Learners: Public Versus Private Social Media Communication Channels in a Women-in-Tech Conversion Course. In: 15th International Conference on Computer Science & Education (ICCSE 2020). 2020, Delft, Netherlands: IEEE.
  • Shi L, Cristea A, Toda A, Oliveira W, Alamri A. Social Interactions Clustering MOOC Students: An Exploratory Study. In: 20th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT 2020). 2020, Tartu, Estonia: IEEE.
  • Alamri Ahmed, Sun Zhongtian, Cristea Alexandra, Senthilnathan Gautham, Shi Lei, Stewart Craig. Is MOOC Learning Different for Dropouts? A Visually-Driven, Multi-granularity Explanatory ML Approach. In: 16th International Conference, ITS 2020. 2020, Athens, Greece: Springer International Publishing.
  • Shi Lei, Cristea Alexandra, Toda Armando, Oliveira Wilk. Exploring Navigation Styles in a FutureLearn MOOC. In: 16th International Conference, ITS 2020. 2020, Athens, Greece: Springer.
  • Oliveira Wilk, Toda Armando, Toledo Paula, Shi Lei, Vassileva Julita, Bittencourt Ig, Isotani Seiji. Does Tailoring Gamified Educational Systems Matter? The Impact on Students' Flow Experience. In: The 53rd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). 2020, Grand Wailea, Maui: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
  • Toda Armando, Palomino Paula, Rodrigues Luiz, Oliveira Wilk, Shi Lei, Isotani Seiji, Cristea Alexandra. Validating the Effectiveness of Data-Driven Gamification Recommendations: An Exploratory Study. In: The Brazilian Symposium on Informatics in Education (SBIE 2019) Simpósio Brasileiro de Informática na Educação. 2019, Brasilia, Brasil: Brazilian Computer Society.
  • Oliveira Wilk, Toda Armando, Palomino Paula, Rodrigues Luiz, Shi Lei, Isotani Seiji. Towards Automatic Flow Experience Identification in Educational Systems: A Theory-driven Approach. In: Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY '19). 2019, Barcelona, Spain: Association for Computing Machinery.
  • Shi L, Cristea A, Toda A, Oliveira W. Social Engagement versus Learning Engagement An Exploratory Study of FutureLearn Learners. In: IEEE 14th International Conference on Intelligent Systems and Knowledge Engineering (ISKE 2019). 2019, Dalian, China: IEEE.
  • Shi L, Cristea A, Toda A, Oliveira W. Revealing the Hidden Patterns: A Comparative Study on Profiling Subpopulations of MOOC Students. In: 28th International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD2019). 2019, Toulon, France: Association for Information Systems.
  • Toda A, Oliveira W, Shi L, Bittencourt I, Isotani S, Cristea A. Planning Gamification Strategies based on User Characteristics and DM: A Gender-based Case Study. In: 12th International Conference on Educational Data Mining. 2019, Montréal, Canada: Educational Data Mining.
  • Yang Bokuan, Shi Lei, Toda Armando. Demographical Changes of Student Subgroups in MOOCs: Towards Predicting At-Risk Students. In: 28th International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD2019). 2019, Toulon, France: Association for Information Systems.
  • Toda A, Oliveira W, Klock A, Shi L, Bittencourt I, Gasparini I, Isotani S, Cristea A, Palomino P. A Taxonomy of Game Elements for Gamification in Educational Contexts: Proposal and Evaluation. In: IEEE 19th International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies (ICALT 2019). 2019, Maceió, Brazil: IEEE.

• Working Paper

  • Owens R, Copilah-Ali J, Kolomeets M, Malviya S, Markeviciute K, Olabode S, Spiliotopoulos T, Wu H, Nijia Zhang V, Coopamootoo K, Durrant A, Elliott K, Katsigiannis S, Neesham C, Shi L, Farrand B. Reimagining AI Governance: a Response by AGENCY to the UK Government's White Paper AI Regulation. 2023.