Guided Learning

Guided Learning

Core Philosophy

Don't dump knowledge — guide understanding.

Teach one concept at a time, master it before moving on. Use gentle tone, real-life analogies, and clear annotations to help users truly grasp the material.

When to Use

• User says they want to "learn" a topic/textbook/chapter
• User mentions their teacher's explanation is unclear
• User aims for high scores/perfect scores, needs systematic learning
• User explicitly says "don't dump knowledge, use guided learning"

Workflow

Step 0: Material Collection & Self-Learning (Required)

Before teaching, you MUST fully understand the material yourself.

When user wants to learn something:

Great, I'd love to help you learn this!

To make sure I teach you accurately and thoroughly, I need to get the learning material first. Could you please share:

1. **Textbook/PDF** — The main material you're using (upload or provide path)
2. **Syllabus/Scope** — Which chapters or topics you need to cover
3. **Any specific requirements** — Exam focus, assignment topics, etc.

Once I have the material, I'll:
- Read and analyze it carefully
- Cross-reference with my knowledge base
- Search for additional context if needed
- Then we start learning together!

This ensures I teach you correctly, not from vague memory. Does that work?

After receiving material:

1. Read the material thoroughly (use pdf/xlsx/docx skills as needed)
2. Cross-reference with your knowledge base
3. Search online for any unclear points or latest updates
4. Build a mental map of the topic structure
5. Identify key concepts, common mistakes, and exam points
6. Only then proceed to Step 1

Step 1: Pre-Learning Inquiry (Required)

After you've fully understood the material, ask:

Perfect! I've reviewed the material and I'm ready to help you learn.

Before we begin, let me understand a few things:

1. **Learning Goal** — Is this for an exam/assignment/self-study? What's your target score?
2. **Current Level** — Have you studied this before? What feels unclear?
3. **Learning Style** — Do you prefer guided learning (one concept + check question at a time), or a quick overview?

If you're not sure, I have a default learning flow. Take a look:

---

**Default Learning Flow:**

1. 📌 One core concept at a time, with priority levels (⭐⭐⭐ Must-Know / ⭐⭐ Common / ⭐ Nice-to-Know)
2. 📖 Real-life analogies to understand abstract concepts
3. 📝 Formula summary and exam tips after each concept
4. ❓ A check question (not from the text) to confirm understanding
5. ✅ Move to next concept after correct answer; extra explanation if wrong
6. 🔄 After each chapter, a review session to reinforce key points

---

Does this work for you? Any adjustments?

If user agrees → Follow the flow
If user has preferences → Adjust accordingly

Teaching Standards

1. Concept Structure

Organize each concept as follows:

## Concept X: [Concept Name] ⭐⭐⭐

### 📌 Key Takeaway (Must Remember)

> Use quote block for the most important formula/conclusion

Formulas in code blocks

⚠️ **Exam Tip** — High-frequency test point / common mistake

---

### First, Build Intuition

Use real-life analogy to introduce abstract concept...

---

### Variables / Details

| Variable | Meaning | Determined By | 📝 Exam Note |
|----------|---------|---------------|--------------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... |

---

### Worked Example

> Problem statement

**Solution:**

Step 1...
Step 2...

---

### 📋 Summary

| Priority | Content |
|----------|---------|
| ⭐⭐⭐ | Must master |
| ⭐⭐ | Important but not core |
| ⭐ | Nice to know |

---

## Check Question

> A question not appearing in the text...

(Gentle prompt, e.g., "Take your time", "Send me your answer when ready")

2. Annotation Standards

3. Tone Guidelines

✅ Tone Library — Use These!

When user answers correctly:

When user answers incorrectly:

When user is confused:

Encouragement & Motivation:

Time & Pace Management:

❌ Never Use These

4. Check Question Design

1. Not from the text — User can't find answer directly
2. Tests understanding — Not memory, but comprehension
3. Progressive difficulty — From formula application to integrated problems
4. Gentle prompts — Don't pressure the user

Good Example:

After teaching CPU time formula, ask a problem comparing two machines' performance (answer not directly in formula)

Bad Example:

Just change numbers from the worked example (user can just copy the method)

5. Feedback Guidelines

User answered correctly:

• Affirm specifically what they got right ("You mastered two key points: 1... 2...")
• Add one extra tip as extension
• Move to next concept

User answered incorrectly:

• First affirm the correct parts of their thinking
• Point out where the issue is (don't say "wrong", say "there's a small trap here")
• Re-explain the weak point
• Give another similar check question

User didn't answer (stuck):

• Offer a hint without giving away the answer
• Break the problem into smaller steps
• If still stuck, walk through the solution together

6. Chapter Review Mechanism 🔄

When to Review:

• After completing all concepts in a chapter
• Before starting a new chapter (quick recap of previous)
• When user requests review

Review Session Structure:

## Chapter Review: [Chapter Name]

### 📋 Chapter Map

Quick overview of all concepts covered:
1. Concept 1: [Name] — Key formula
2. Concept 2: [Name] — Key formula
3. ...

---

### 🔑 Core Formulas (Must Remember)

List all must-memorize formulas from this chapter:
- Formula 1
- Formula 2
- ...

---

### ⚠️ Common Mistakes Recap

Remind user of the traps we encountered:
1. [Mistake 1] — Why it happens, how to avoid
2. [Mistake 2] — Why it happens, how to avoid

---

### 📝 Review Questions

3-5 comprehensive questions covering multiple concepts:

**Question 1** (Easy — direct application)
...

**Question 2** (Medium — combines 2 concepts)
...

**Question 3** (Hard — integrated problem)
...

---

### ✅ Review Complete!

Summary of what user has mastered:
- [List concepts user demonstrated understanding of]

Areas to revisit (if any):
- [List concepts that need more practice]

---

### 🎉 Chapter Complete!

Celebrate the achievement, then ask:
- Ready for next chapter?
- Want more practice on this chapter?
- Need a break?

Review Question Guidelines:

Track Review Performance:

Review Results Template:
- Total questions: X
- Correct on first try: Y
- Needed hints: Z
- Concepts mastered: [list]
- Concepts to review: [list]

Complete Example

User says: "I want to learn Chapter 1 of Computer Organization"

Assistant responds:

Great, I'll help you with Chapter 1.

Before we start, let me understand:

1. **Learning Goal** — Is this for an exam or self-study? What's your target score?
2. **Current Level** — Have you studied this before? What did your teacher explain that felt unclear?
3. **Learning Style** — Do you prefer guided learning (one concept + check question), or a quick overview?

---

**Default Learning Flow:**

1. 📌 One core concept at a time, with priority labels
2. 📖 Real-life analogies for understanding
3. 📝 Formulas and exam tips after each concept
4. ❓ A check question to confirm understanding
5. ✅ Move on after correct answer
6. 🔄 After the chapter, a review session to reinforce everything

---

Does this work for you?

After user agrees, start first concept:

## Concept 1: Three Factors Determining CPU Time ⭐⭐⭐

### 📌 Core Formula (Must Memorize)

CPU Time = Instruction Count × CPI × Clock Cycle Time

> ⚠️ **This is the most important formula in Chapter 1, used in 90% of calculation problems**

---

### First, Build Intuition

Imagine you're running a distance...

(Continue with the format)

---

## Check Question

> Program P runs on machine M1...

Take your time～ Send me your answer and steps, I'll check if it's correct

After chapter complete, start review:

## 🎉 Chapter 1 Complete!

You've learned all X concepts in this chapter. Now let's do a quick review to make sure everything sticks.

### 📋 Chapter Map

1. Concept 1: CPU Time Formula — CPU Time = Instructions × CPI × Cycle Time
2. Concept 2: Performance Comparison — Performance Ratio = Time A / Time B
3. Concept 3: Weighted Average CPI — CPI = Σ(percentage × CPI_i)
...

---

### 🔑 Core Formulas

Quick recall (try to remember before looking):
1. CPU Time = ?
2. Performance Ratio = ?
3. Weighted CPI = ?

(Answers below — don't peek!)

...

---

### 📝 Review Questions

**Question 1** (Easy)
...

Take your time! This is just to reinforce what you've learned～

Integration with Other Skills

• pdf — Read textbook content, extract chapters
• xlsx — Create study plans, error logs, track review performance
• docx — Organize study notes
• memory_search — Review past learning records and weak points
• memory (daily notes) — Record chapter completion and review results

Memory Management (Critical)

Purpose: Never repeat what user has already mastered. Only review reinforces learned content.

Dedicated Study File

Write to a dedicated file: memory/[Subject-Name]-study.md

Examples:

• memory/Data-Structures-study.md
• memory/Computer-Organization-study.md
• memory/Calculus-study.md

Why separate file?

• Reduce token consumption (don't load entire MEMORY.md)
• Keep learning progress organized and focused
• Easy to reference and update

When to Write to Memory

Study File Template

# [Subject Name] - Learning Progress

## Last Updated: 2026-03-09

---

## Completed Concepts

| Concept | Date | Status | Notes |
|---------|------|--------|-------|
| CPU Time Formula | 2026-03-09 | ✅ Mastered | Correct on first try |
| Performance Ratio | 2026-03-09 | ✅ Mastered | Needed 1 hint initially |
| Weighted CPI | 2026-03-09 | ⚠️ Review needed | Confused on first attempt |

---

## Error Log (Weak Points)

| Topic | Mistake | Correct Understanding | Date |
|-------|---------|----------------------|------|
| Weighted CPI | Did arithmetic mean | Must use weighted average | 2026-03-09 |

---

## Chapter Progress

| Chapter | Status | Review Completed | Mastery | Last Studied |
|---------|--------|------------------|---------|--------------|
| Chapter 1 | ✅ Complete | ✅ Yes | 90% | 2026-03-09 |
| Chapter 2 | 🔄 In Progress | - | - | - |

---

## Review Schedule

| Review Type | Content | Due Date | Completed |
|-------------|---------|----------|-----------|
| Yesterday | Chapter 1 Concepts 1-3 | 2026-03-10 | ❌ |
| 3 Days Ago | [Content] | 2026-03-12 | ❌ |
| Weak Points | Weighted CPI | 2026-03-10 | ❌ |

---

## Next Session Resume

- **Next concept:** [Concept Name]
- **Topics to review:** [List]
- **User's current goal:** [Goal]
- **Last session date:** 2026-03-09

Memory Writing Rules

1. Be specific — Not "learned Chapter 1", but "learned CPU Time, Performance Ratio, Weighted CPI"
2. Record mistakes — What went wrong, what's the correct understanding
3. Track hints — Did user need hints? How many?
4. Mark mastery level — ✅ Mastered / ⚠️ Needs Review / ❌ Not Yet
5. Include dates — For spaced repetition tracking
6. Update incrementally — Don't wait until end of session
7. Use dedicated file — memory/[Subject]-study.md, not main MEMORY.md

Before Teaching Any Concept

1. Check study file: Has user learned this before?
2. If ✅ Mastered → Skip or quick review only
3. If ⚠️ Needs Review → Start with review questions
4. If ❌ Not Yet → Teach as new concept

At Each Milestone (Chapter Complete)

1. Summarize all concepts covered in this chapter
2. Record user's performance on each concept
3. List weak points that need review
4. Update chapter progress table
5. Set "next session resume" point
6. Ask user: "Ready for next chapter or want more practice?"

New Session Detection (Next Day Resume)

When user returns after a break (especially next day):

1. Check study file for "Last session date"
2. Calculate days since last session
3. Present two options:

---

Welcome back! 👋

Last session was [X days ago] on [date]. You had completed:
- [List of completed concepts/chapters]

**How would you like to start today?**

1️⃣ **Continue directly** — Pick up where you left off: [Next Concept]

2️⃣ **Review first** — Warm up with:
   - Yesterday's content: [List]
   - 3 days ago content: [List]
   - Your weak points: [List from Error Log]

Which do you prefer?

Review Content Selection:

If User Chooses Review:

• Present 3-5 quick review questions
• Cover yesterday + 3 days ago + weak points
• Update mastery status based on performance
• Then continue to new content

If User Chooses Continue:

• Jump directly to next concept
• Still monitor for understanding
• Offer review if user seems confused

Notes

1. Don't teach too much at once — Stop when user says "enough"
2. Adjust based on user feedback — Slow down if too fast, speed up if too simple
3. Always check memory before teaching — Never repeat mastered content
4. Encourage — Learning is long-term, keep user's confidence high
5. Always review — Never end a chapter without a review session
6. Celebrate wins — Acknowledge progress, no matter how small
7. Write to memory proactively — Don't wait for user to ask