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In China, Some Teachers Are Using AI To Grade Homework (scmp.com)

A Beijing-based online education start-up has developed an artificial intelligence-powered maths app that can check children's arithmetic problems through the simple snap of a photo. Based on the image and its internal database, the app automatically checks whether the answers are right or wrong. From a report: Known as Xiaoyuan Kousuan, the free app launched by the Tencent Holdings-backed online education firm Yuanfudao, has gained increasing popularity in China since its launch a year ago and claims to have checked an average of 70 million arithmetic problems per day, saving users around 40,000 hours of time in total. Yuanfudao is also trying to build the country's biggest education-related database generated from the everyday experiences of real students. Using this, the six-year-old company -- which has a long line of big-name investors including Warburg Pincus, IDG Capital and Matrix Partners China -- aims to reinvent how children are taught in China. "By checking nearly 100 million problems every day, we have developed a deep understanding of the kind of mistakes students make when facing certain problems," said Li Xin, co-founder of Yuanfudao -- which means "ape tutor" in Chinese -- in a recent interview. "The data gathered through the app can serve as a pillar for us to provide better online education courses."

58 comments

  1. Good idea by XXongo · · Score: 1

    Makes sense. Grading homework is boring repetitive work.

    1. Re:Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      ...so is living in China. Why not just have China be virtual?

    2. Re:Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      It depends on the homework. For rote learning subjects (which I suspect there are a few in China) it may work, but for anything creative (like essays) it's not a good idea. I'm sure AI models can be trained to take things like vocabulary sophistication and fluidity of storytelling into consideration, but then we're back to learning by numbers.

      Same in math, lots of problems allow for multiple solutions. Training the AI model to recognize all of them as viable creates a finite library of problems. Sometimes teachers like to stray from the beaten path, for creativity reasons.

    3. Re:Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      "in math, lots of problems allow for multiple solutions"
      you are doing math wrong

    4. Re:Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

      We already use AI to grade essays in America. Ever heard of the "ASVAB" standardized test? Some schools use it as the graduation requirement exam, and it includes an essay portion that is graded by an algorithm. It's actually pretty decent. Never saw a kid fail you didn't deserve it. Plus, it gives the grade almost instantly, so students don't have to spend a week being nervous about finally graduating high school while some union slug slowly works through a stack of 50 essays.

    5. Re:Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, you're just stuck on your multiplication tables. Math gets a lot more complex than AI could possibly grade, because if it weren't so, AI would already be capable of debunking/verifying all mathematical proofs and postulates.

      At best this is pattern matching, not "AI" by any real measure.

    6. Re:Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just wait until your 4th grade teacher tells you about "imaginary numbers" kiddo. You've got a lifetime of learning ahead, enjoy.

    7. Re:Good idea by KixWooder · · Score: 1

      It has multiple paths to get to the correct answer.

      --
      I hate fat people.
    8. Re:Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      did you learn to math using a chinese AI?

    9. Re:Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      this is true, however the article doesn't go into this detail but rather seems to mention the "right" way of doing things to get the "right" answer.
      just like other chinese "education" centers teach the right values.

    10. Re:Good idea by ceoyoyo · · Score: 3, Informative

      They specifically state "arithmetic."

      Most modern mathematicians use proof checkers though. Proofs take creativity to write, but the biggest obstacle to a computer checking if they're correct is usually typing them in.

    11. Re:Good idea by Tablizer · · Score: 2

      Makes sense. Grading homework is boring repetitive work.

      That's why Scantron and the like was invented a generation ago. It didn't need AI.

      The problem often happens when writing exams are mixed with fact exams such that both the writing and the facts in the writing have to be checked.

      The mixed approach should be used only occasionally to reduce education costs. However, for mixing to be effective, humans will be needed to not just mark problems, but show how to fix the writing. AI is not good enough for that (yet), other than making suggested guesses based on mass pattern matching of writing samples.

    12. Re: Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks, that is what I actually meant by âoemultiple solutionsâ.

    13. Re:Good idea by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Grading homework is boring repetitive work.

      The teacher throws all the class's mathematics homework down a staircase. Papers at the top of the staircase get the highest grades; papers at the bottom of the staircase get the lowest grades.

      Repeat with English, History, etc. homework.

      Yes, very repetitive.

      An AI robot arm can toss the papers down the stairs. An AI camera can record which ones are at the top or bottom. An AI iRobot Roomba can collect the papers.

      Yes, a great use of AI automation.

      The latest Roombas can climb stairs, right . . . ?

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    14. Re:Good idea by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Did the math make the AI seek truth from facts?

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    15. Re: Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's not what rote means.

      Also, this isn't gradschool. Nothing being done in primary or secondary schools should be anything like that.

    16. Re: Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you don't know whether or not you're going to graduate at that point, there's something horribly wrong going on at that school.

      These standardized tests are a large part of why students are getting dumber by the year. Instead of teaching them things of value, schools teach whatever they need to pass the test even if doing so ensures they won't know what they really need to know

      Then there's the actual test time that's not usable for anything else.

      Also, you're a moron if you think the non-union graders are any better.

    17. Re: Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Math can have a set of correct solutions

      but Even then

      There is only one correct solution and that is the set of all correct solutions

      You can not randomly select one solution and then ignore the rest of the solution set

    18. Re: Good idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In communist China, you do not solve math, math solves YOU

    19. Re:Good idea by vyvepe · · Score: 1

      How could it be moderated insightful? That would lead to a random grading. It would be very noticeable especially for hard sciences. There are some cases when one may not agree with a grade but most of the time they are about right.

    20. Re:Good idea by twosat · · Score: 1

      I have heard of job applications being initially selected in a similar manner. This page from a book claims that such a thing is true. https://books.google.co.nz/boo...

  2. Welcome to China by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't think too much, it's illegal.

  3. Finding Errors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The most interesting part of this post is that the system can locate and identify the most common errors.
    As a former math teacher, I made a habit of trying to identify how students made errors and address them before they did their work.
    Obviously, this isn't always going to work. But if you can help some, that's better than not helping anyone.

    Put to a more rigorous analysis, this could actually change the way the way that math is taught at all levels. Even now, math is taught much better than it was decades ago, but just think how much better it could be done. Especially without the "drill and kill" approach.

  4. Will test scores count towards social media scores by bobstreo · · Score: 2

    because if it does, this WILL go on your permanent record.

  5. Sad news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apparently China has stolen our crown jewel of AI: optical character recognition

    1. Re: Sad news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I bet they dont hit it with a baseball bat

  6. Near Future Headline by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    In Chine, Some Students Are Using A.I. To Do Homework

  7. A is for Apple... by TigerPlish · · Score: 0

    B is for Buy n' Large, your very best friend.

    We're headed that way, y'know.

    --
    The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.
  8. Today this may be newsworthy... by ffkom · · Score: 1, Interesting

    ... but not too far in the future, AI in some hospital will decide which children will live or die, and people will shrug and consider this perfectly normal.

    1. Re:Today this may be newsworthy... by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

      Agreed...but I haven't commented yet, so hang on!

    2. Re:Today this may be newsworthy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Not new. There are situations in which a doctor must decide which patients to treat because there are too many to treat all at once. Some of the ones who don't receive treatment will die. It is called triage. It is sad, but better than having no procedure at all.

    3. Re:Today this may be newsworthy... by zlives · · Score: 1

      its an honor just to be nominated...

  9. Re:Will test scores count towards social media sco by ffkom · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Even if test scores are not relevant for the Chinese "social scores", you can bet they already go on permanent record.

  10. Photomath is better by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It will solve arbitrary problems, not just canned ones stored in a database. Not only that, it will show you the steps needed to solve them. It does this without a network connection on the phone itself!

  11. Not AI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    This is OCR combined with a calculator. Now if it can grade book reports or creative writing, then you can call it AI.

  12. the Scranton needs AI and cloud now? by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    the Scranton needs AI and cloud now?

    Sitll the same cram for the test any ways.

    1. Re:the Scranton needs AI and cloud now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's more or less why tests are such a dumb way of assessing student's learning. Students will cram for them because that's what you're incentivizing and chances are they'll forget as much as possible afterwards because they crammed as much as possible ahead of the test.

      You can somewhat mitigate that by having all tests and quizzes be cumulative, but at that point, you're better off just using other forms of assessment that remove the incentive to cram.

  13. In France by lorinc · · Score: 4, Funny

    In France, we use a staircase. Grades are between 0 and 20 points, 0 being the lowest and 20 the best. You then have to decide whether copies landing on the first step get 0 or 20 points and grade the others accordingly. If you have a big enough staircase, you can even grade at half point precision!

    1. Re:In France by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We only do that for philosophy and French tests. I teach math and I use Auto Multiple Choice as an alternative way to increase my hourly wage.

  14. Scantron [Re:Good idea] by XXongo · · Score: 2

    Makes sense. Grading homework is boring repetitive work.

    That's why Scantron and the like was invented a generation ago. It didn't need AI.

    Yeah, in fact, I make heavy use of Scantron. When I first started teaching, I thought I'd make a lot of homework and exam problems essay problems, to let the students get creative, and force them to actually think about the material. Then I realized, fuck, I have to read all these? And come up with a grade for each one? Hell, I'm using the machine.

    Dumb little machine, but it's the difference between ten hours to grade an exam, and twenty minutes.

    1. Re:Scantron [Re:Good idea] by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It depends a bit on the subject, but this is a perfect example of why we have so many dumbasses graduating highschool, but completely worthless for pretty much anything.

      Scantron is acceptable as a way of quickly measuring what students have memorized, but it's hardly that helpful. It's borderline acceptable as a quick measure of what students have memorized. Which can be useful at the start of a unit to see if you're relying upon too many concepts and ideas that the students haven't memorized, but beyond that, it's just a way of pretending like you care about outcomes without actually caring.

      And really, the fact that you're talking about homework and tests the way you are, suggests that you're stuck in the '50s as far as assessments go. You're far better off with a smaller number of things being asked and using methods that demand higher levels of thinking than to just go through the motions with a scantron.

      And yes, I'm well aware that doing this correctly takes time. I reckon for every 5 minutes of homework I used to assign my students, it would take me at least an hour per class to grade. Which is why you don't assign large amounts of homework, you assign reading before class, spot check during class and for understanding you set up some sort of a task or project. It does take more time, but if you're not assessing those higher level functions, then you shouldn't need a bunch of homework or quizzes to get the students learning.

    2. Re:Scantron [Re:Good idea] by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Well, they good always just go home, have a snack, log in and do their homework and have it automatically graded. Whilst attending school during the day, to ensure positive social interaction training with other students and those in assigned authority, as well as working together on task and working supervised on solitary tasks, ensuring that positive social interactions are occurring to reinforce positive socially beneficial behaviours.

      Also ensuring socio-political lesson are taught in a positive social political fashion to ensure they can effectively contribute to society and protect their society and themselves within the society, with their voice being heard and their rights as citizens protected, something that does need to be taught.

      Probably means a USB connected video camera with microphone which the student can connect for evaluation by the instructor for a spoken response and actively disconnect for privacy in the home.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
  15. Re:Will test scores count towards social media sco by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Not true. The only exams that "matter" and formally regarded are the school entrance ones (e.g. Zhongkao and Gaokao). The rest are all just your usual and trivial quizzes. No one cares.

  16. Who cares when they all cheat/copy? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I mean if little MoaMao gets it right then LiLi and PoPo and QiQi all just copy it.

    Chinese education is nothing more the rote memorization and cheating. You don't need AI, you need ETHICS in China.

  17. Re:Will test scores count towards social media sco by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To a large extent that's true. They only care in so far as they believe them to predict those test scores.

    I used to teach a subject that didn't appear on those tests, so for the most part, there was very little supervision and the students mostly didn't care about how they did. This made it incredibly tough to teach, so eventually I gave up and just tried to make the material as engaging as possible, hoping that the students would become interested enough that they'd pursue spoken English outside of class, or even after they took their gaokao.

  18. Bye bye teachers by JimSadler · · Score: 1

    We are about to see a major squashing of teachers in the US . Kids can be taught by computer and we will see 99% of teachers eliminated in this country. Those in training to become teachers had best change their college majors right now.

  19. Re:Will test scores count towards social media sco by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Nevertheless they have nothing to do with so-called "social credit" (which even isn't an actual thing hitherto) whatsoever. It's as if Equifax cares about your SAT scores.

  20. OUR brains stuck by KresusLuck · · Score: 1

    Probably soon people will not have to use the brain and what then? as in the DETROIT game? Robots take control? China is on the biggest path to this LS

  21. Understandable by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Imagine having to grade 60 students per class, that is the reality of a grade school classroom over there on an interesting side note https://www.sciencealert.com/this-college-used-an-ai-bot-as-teaching-assistant-and-none-of-the-students-noticed

  22. Education by maxiposik · · Score: 0

    That's just amazing. Great way to save some time for a teacher. Just as good as the use of writing services for students. I managed to find some good ones on https://edureviewer.com/servic... and since then I always prefer to pay for papers rather than waste time doing all that stuff myself.

  23. Re:Will test scores count towards social media sco by ffkom · · Score: 1

    If Equifax had easy automated access to your SAT scores, they would certainly store them. The attitude of corporations in the "big data age" is "collect first, figure out what it might be good for, later". Even if they never had any use for that data on their own, they would assume the pennies it takes them to store these few bytes per person may pay off later, if someone comes along who wants to buy that data (like advertisers intending to target people with different SAT scores with different ads).