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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."

27 of 58 comments (clear)

  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: 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.

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

      It has multiple paths to get to the correct answer.

      --
      I hate fat people.
    5. 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.

    6. 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.

    7. 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!
    8. Re:Good idea by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Did the math make the AI seek truth from facts?

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      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    9. 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.

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

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

  3. 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...

  4. 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.

  5. 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!

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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!

  9. 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 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.

      --
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  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. 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

  13. 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).