Chinese Homework Apps in the US

Just like TikTok took the US (and world) by storm, Chinese education apps like Gauth and Question.AI have taken the American education app sector, writes Lily Ottinger. Both apps say they can solve problems in “all school subjects”.

 

Is this encouraging cheating, where kids stop doing homework? And what do equivalent Chinese apps offer in China? Well, for one, the apps for China and the rest of the world are different, even when made by the same Chinese company. Give the two apps (Chinese and non-Chinese), say, an integration question to solve and the Chinese one will list the steps to solve it while the American one will tell the answer, then show the steps. The Chinese one will give hints and tricks to solve such questions, the American ones won’t (unless you upgrade to the paid version). The Chinese apps also graph the problem to make it easier to visualize.

 

What could be the reasons for the differences? Well, Western education places more emphasis on homework, whereas Chinese education is more about tests and exams. An unintended side-effect of this fundamental difference is that while American kids are incentivized to cheat on their homework via these apps (more focus on homework, remember?), Chinese kids (like Indians) know that the test is all that matters and so cheating on homework doesn’t get you much nor does it help you with the eventual exam.

 

Plus, as I said in the earlier blog, coaching centers are banned in China. So parents and education app companies are vary of using such apps – is it violating the law? Even if it is legal, could the government crackdown on them in the future? The uncertainty lowers Chinese demand for such apps.

 

When it comes to non-maths, non-science, the apps have some degree of censorship. Like not answering questions on Trump (why invite his wrath and get banned?). And of course, not answering on forbidden topics like Tiananmen Square.

 

The author makes an interesting point – if kids are cheating on their homework, would richer parents send their kids to private tutors to ensure that they can’t cheat, and forced to do the questions themselves?!

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