feynman-learning
Scannednpx machina-cli add skill swathidbhat/Claude-Skills/feynman-learning-technique --openclawFeynman 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.
Source
git clone https://github.com/swathidbhat/Claude-Skills/blob/main/feynman-learning-technique/SKILL.mdView on GitHub Overview
Feynman Learning is a structured workflow that helps you deepen understanding by explaining concepts as if teaching a curious 12-year-old. It emphasizes simplicity and accuracy, then archives polished explanations in a glossary for long-term mastery.
How This Skill Works
You trigger the workflow by selecting a concept to learn and explaining it as if to a 12-year-old. Claude reviews the explanation for simplicity and accuracy and then prompts for an iteration if needed. When the explanation meets the criteria, the refined version is saved to the glossary.
When to Use It
- 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
- Seeks to review and prune unclear explanations for mastery
Quick Start
- Step 1: Prompt for Explanation
- Step 2: Review & Iterate
- Step 3: Archive to glossary
Best Practices
- Prompt the user to explain the concept as if teaching a curious 12-year-old, with no jargon
- Use clear analogies and concrete examples to illustrate key ideas
- Flag jargon or unexplained terms and request clarifications
- Provide specific, actionable feedback and guide the user to try again
- Archive the final, polished explanation to /mnt/user-data/outputs/feynman-glossary.md with a date
Example Use Cases
- User says: "I learned about neural networks today — test me with Feynman" and goes through explanation, review, iteration, then archiving
- User says: "Feynman gradient descent" and the assistant prompts for explanation and iterative refinement
- User says: "Add my explanation of APIs to my glossary" and the explanation is archived to the glossary
- User explains a concept to a 12-year-old and receives targeted feedback on simplicity and accuracy, then iterates
- Final polished explanation is saved to /mnt/user-data/outputs/feynman-glossary.md with a header and date
