Orbitant New Learning

Overview

Generate learning ideas based on the learner's profile and add selected ones to ~/.claude/learning/backlog.md. Ideas can be hands-on projects (structured by milestones) or reading/article recommendations.

When to Use

• User wants to discover what to learn next
• User has a specific topic in mind and wants it structured
• Backlog is empty and user wants to start learning
• After completing a lesson, to find the next one

Prerequisites

Profile must exist at ~/.claude/learning/profile.md. If not, tell the user: "No learning profile found. Run /init-learning first to set up your profile."

Process

1. Read context:

   • ~/.claude/learning/profile.md — gaps, goals, session_length
   • ~/.claude/learning/lessons/archive/ — scan "Still Fuzzy On" sections and abandoned lesson topics
   • ~/.claude/learning/backlog.md — avoid duplicating existing items
   • ~/.claude/learning/insights.md — if it exists, read recurring struggles and confirmed strengths to inform suggestions

2. Determine source of ideas:

   • If the user passed an argument (e.g., /new-learning "WebSockets"): focus on that topic
   • If no argument: use gaps from profile + "still fuzzy" themes from archives + recurring struggles from insights

3. Search for current resources:

   • Use web search to find up-to-date articles, tutorials, docs, and project ideas
   • Prioritize recent, well-regarded resources

4. Propose 3-5 ideas using this format for each:

   ### 1. [Title]
   **Gap:** [which gap from profile]  |  **Effort:** [N] sessions  |  **Style:** hands-on / reading
   
   [1-2 sentence description of what you'll build or learn]
   
   **Milestones** (if hands-on):
   1. [First milestone — simplest, get something working]
   2. [Build on it]
   3. [Polish or advanced feature]
   

   Example:

   ### 1. Build a REST API with Express + PostgreSQL
   **Gap:** backend  |  **Effort:** 3 sessions  |  **Style:** hands-on
   
   Build a task management API from scratch — routes, validation, database, and tests.
   
   **Milestones:**
   1. Scaffold Express app, define routes, return mock data
   2. Connect PostgreSQL, implement CRUD operations
   3. Add input validation, error handling, and integration tests
   

5. User picks — present as a numbered list. Ask: "Which ones should I add to your backlog? (e.g., 1, 3)"

6. Write to backlog.md:

   • Create the file if it doesn't exist (with ## Backlog header)
   • Append selected items as checkbox lines
   • Format: - [ ] <title> — **gap:** <gap> — **effort:** <N sessions> — **style:** <hands-on | reading>

Important

• Do NOT re-suggest topics from abandoned lessons (check archive for status: abandoned)
• Calibrate milestone size to the user's session_length from profile
• Mix hands-on and reading suggestions — don't propose only one type
• If the user provides a specific topic, still search the web for the best current resources
• Postponed lessons are NOT re-suggested here — they show up in /learn as resumable
• If insights.md exists, use it to inform suggestions: prioritize topics related to recurring struggles, avoid suggesting basics on confirmed-strength topics
• If insights.md does not exist, skip it silently — do not error or prompt the user