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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."
...so is living in China. Why not just have China be virtual?
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.
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.
because if it does, this WILL go on your permanent record.
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.
Even if test scores are not relevant for the Chinese "social scores", you can bet they already go on permanent record.
Agreed...but I haven't commented yet, so hang on!
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.
Table-ized A.I.
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 . . . ?
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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!
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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.