James Paul Skon
- Professor of Computing, Kenyon College
- Affiliated Scholar, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Laboratory Medicine
I am a computer scientist whose work sits where computing meets learning and community. My current research asks how AI can support collaborative learning without replacing the reasoning that learning depends on. That question builds on decades of work bringing students into real projects: computing and solar power in rural schools, and low-cost networks for communities that lack them.
I completed my Ph.D. at The Ohio State University with a dissertation on natural language parsing. I teach at Kenyon College, and through Karolinska Institutet I collaborate on applying AI-supported collaborative learning in health professions education.
Areas of work
coLearn-AI and AI-mediated learning
coLearn-AI is a platform for small-group guided inquiry in which AI feedback is constrained by the activity's teaching goals. It records an epistemic trace of questions, responses and revisions so instructors can see how students reason, not just what they submit.
Research and papersCommunity-engaged learning
For more than 25 years I have led service-learning projects that send computing students to work alongside communities, from Kudjip in Papua New Guinea to Succotz in Belize. Closer to home, my students build social technology systems for local nonprofits and organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, the Gund Gallery, the Kenyon Farm and the Kokosing Arts Alliance. These projects show students how technical work is shaped by the people it serves.
Research and papersSolar power and computing labs in Belize
Students travel with me to rural Belize to build solar power systems and computing labs in schools, working alongside teachers and local partners.
Research and papersWi-Fi and networking systems
An open-source, cloud-managed Wi-Fi system built on cellular links and very low-cost hardware, designed for schools, rural communities and displaced populations. Much of the controller and portal software has been built with student researchers.
Research and papersRecent publications
- Skon, J. P. (2026). AI-Mediated Collaborative Cognition: Designing Systems That Preserve Reasoning in the Age of LLMs. Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, 42(2), 17–25.
- Kim, B., & Skon, J. (2026). AI-Enhanced Guided-Inquiry Platform for Collaborative Learning in Introductory Programming. Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, 41(8), 206–219.
- Kim, B., & Skon, J. (2026). Automated Assessment using AI-Enhanced Guided-Inquiry Learning Platform. Proceedings of the 2026 ASEE Northeast Section Conference. doi:10.18260/1-2--58573