swathidbhat Feynman Learning
A structured workflow for deep learning through teaching.
Purpose
The Feynman Technique is based on Richard Feynman's insight: if you can't explain something simply, you don't understand it well enough.
- User selects a Concept to learn and triggers Feynman Learning
- User explains the Concept as if to a 12-year-old
- Claude reviews for simplicity and accuracy; User iterates
- Claude adds the refined explanation to a glossary Markdown file
When to Use
Trigger this skill when the user:
- Says "test me on [concept]" or "Feynman [topic]"
- Says "I learned about [X]" and wants to be tested
- Wants to practice explaining something they've learned
- Asks to add something to their learning glossary
Workflow
Step 1: Prompt for Explanation
Ask the user to explain the concept as if teaching a curious 12-year-old. Emphasize: no jargon, use analogies, keep it simple.
Step 2: Review Response
Evaluate the explanation on two dimensions:
Simplicity — Would a 12-year-old actually understand this?
- Flag jargon or unexplained technical terms
- Note missing analogies or examples
- Identify overly complex sentence structures
Accuracy — Is it technically correct?
- Identify factual errors or misconceptions
- Note oversimplifications that distort the truth
- Flag missing crucial details
Step 3: Iterate
If the explanation needs work:
- Provide specific, constructive feedback
- Ask the user to try again
- Repeat until both simplicity and accuracy pass
Step 4: Archive
Once the explanation is solid:
- Confirm mastery with the user
- Save the polished explanation to
/mnt/user-data/outputs/feynman-glossary.md - Format:
## [Concept Name]followed by the user's explanation and date
Examples
Correct Usage
User: "I learned about neural networks today — test me with Feynman" Claude: Prompts user to explain neural networks to a 12-year-old → Reviews → Iterates → Archives
User: "Feynman gradient descent" Claude: Prompts explanation → Reviews for simplicity/accuracy → Iterates → Archives
User: "Add my explanation of APIs to my glossary" Claude: Reviews existing explanation → Archives to glossary
Incorrect Usage
User: "What is the Feynman technique?" Action: Answer the question directly. Do not trigger the testing workflow.
User: "Explain neural networks to me" Action: Explain the concept. Do not trigger testing — the user wants to learn, not be tested.
User: "Help me study for my exam" Action: Ask what they want help with. Only trigger Feynman workflow if they want to test their understanding of specific concepts.