From Score-Driven to Value-Sharing: Understanding Chinese Family Use of AI to Support Decision Making of College Applications

TL;DR

This paper explores how Chinese families and experts use AI tools to assist with college application decisions, revealing usage patterns, challenges, and design implications in a competitive educational context.

Contribution

It provides an empirical analysis of AI use in Chinese college application decision-making and offers design insights to improve multi-stakeholder support.

Findings

Parents mainly use AI, students less involved.

AI focuses on immediate exam results, not long-term goals.

Challenges include misleading recommendations and irresponsible use.

Abstract

This study investigates how 18-year-old students, parents, and experts in China utilize artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support decision-making in college applications during college entrance exam -- a highly competitive, score-driven, annual national exam. Through 32 interviews, we examine the use of Quark GaoKao, an AI tool that generates college application lists and acceptance probabilities based on exam scores, historical data, preferred locations, etc. Our findings show that AI tools are predominantly used by parents with limited involvement from students, and often focus on immediate exam results, failing to address long-term career goals. We also identify challenges such as misleading AI recommendations, and irresponsible use of AI by third-party consultant agencies. Finally, we offer design insights to better support multi-stakeholders' decision-making in families, especially in the Chinese context, and discuss how emerging AI tools create barriers for families with fewer resources.