2 ms·

Somebody here posted about a Socratic method skill for Claude (or whatever your LLM of choice is). I’ve found this to be fantastic. Dropped in a dense PDF abo

Somebody here posted about a Socratic method skill for Claude (or whatever your LLM of choice is). I’ve found this to be fantastic. Dropped in a dense PDF about Linear Algebra, Postgres (those are the two I’ve gotten into so far). It’s basically just a skill.md that reads, “Here’s a document, give me an opening statement about the material and ask me a question. As I provide answers, guide me to simpler or more complex areas of the topic. Something something Socratic method.” Works great.

ebbi 2mo ago
That's super interesting - will have to take a look into this!
westurner 2mo ago
Khanmigo specifies the Socratic method as well. These look like system and agent prompts and agent instructions: "Academic Assistant Pro.md", "Code Tutor" https://github.com/linexjlin/GPTs/blob/main/prompts/ https://github.com/linexjlin/GPTs/blob/main/prompts/ Gemini Notebook does flashcards, study guides: https://edu.google.com/ai-gemini-notebook/ https://edu.google.com/ai-gemini-notebook/ Spaced Repetition flashcards or flashquestions to progress through a game might be good; configure Anki decks to surface cards from when for example the user jumps to crush a bonus block. "Ask HN: How can I learn to read mathematical notation?" (2018) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18511718 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18511718 "[Feature Request]: flashcards to advance in the game and learning mode" Issue #3054 ; SuperTux/supertux https://github.com/SuperTux/supertux/issues/3054 https://github.com/SuperTux/supertux/issues/3054
- westurner 2mo ago
  Resources for teaching ml and ai? So I Ctrl-F'd for "Linear algebra" resources in my research log and found: "Interactive Linear Algebra (2019)" (2021) re: Manim https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28173565 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28173565 Latest Manim developments; interactive WebGL in browser: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49093210 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49093210
  - sn9 2mo ago
    Math Academy has a Math for Machine Learning course: https://www.mathacademy.com/courses/mathematics-for-machine-learning https://www.mathacademy.com/courses/mathematics-for-machine-...
    - westurner 2mo ago
      Kaggle Learn has courses in ML, Deep Learning, ML Explainability, Python, Pandas,: https://Kaggle.com/learn https://Kaggle.com/learn This is the Dockerfile that they install Python packages with on Kaggle Kernels, which is the Jupyter notebook product that Kaggle Learn is built on: https://GitHub.com/Kaggle/docker-python https://GitHub.com/Kaggle/docker-python
Evidlo 2mo ago
https://github.com/pchalasani/claude-code-tools/blob/main/plugins/workflow/skills/socratic-quiz/SKILL.md https://github.com/pchalasani/claude-code-tools/blob/main/pl...
drdexebtjl 2mo ago
Would you care to share them?
mathisfun123 2mo ago
https://github.com/bevibing/socrates-skill https://github.com/bevibing/socrates-skill I recently used this to prep for interviews - I got the job :)
d4rkp4ttern 2mo ago
Probably referring to my post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48938375 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48938375 (100 up votes) Direct link to the doc page: https://pchalasani.github.io/claude-code-tools/plugins-detail/workflow/#socratic-quiz https://pchalasani.github.io/claude-code-tools/plugins-detai... This was in the context of how I use ChatGPT Live to brainstorm/discuss/learn while on a walk, but of course useful in other contexts too.
- genghisjahn 2mo ago
  Yeah. That was it. I remembered it wrong (you use chatGPT which I admit, has better voice interaction). I use claude code and type it all. Most of the time for walks/runs I just let my thoughts go whenever. But that's just me. I do really appreciate your post though. I wouldn't have the claude skill without it.
epolanski 2mo ago
I've never found this to work properly, because AI doesn't have the empathy to understand where you really struggling.
- JeremyNT 2mo ago
  I'm not super familiar with this approach, but couldn't you just respond with an elaboration on how you don't understand a concept when you encounter it and guide the model in the correct direction?
  - epolanski 2mo ago
    That requires you, the student, to easily identify why you're not understanding and what concept among multiple ones is the primary or secondary blocker. It's not easy.
ismailmaj 2mo ago
While the model itself is great at hiding the answer, the AI summary keeps giving it away, it's so annoying and AFAIK it cannot be disabled.
- genghisjahn 2mo ago
  If you are using Claude code, disable recaps.
bsenftner 2mo ago
I've made an entire platform based on Socratic AI Agents that co-work with a person as method acting assistants in an office suite. https://midombot.com/b1/home https://midombot.com/b1/home

ebbi 2mo ago

That's super interesting - will have to take a look into this!

westurner 2mo ago

Khanmigo specifies the Socratic method as well. These look like system and agent prompts and agent instructions: "Academic Assistant Pro.md", "Code Tutor" https://github.com/linexjlin/GPTs/blob/main/prompts/ https://github.com/linexjlin/GPTs/blob/main/prompts/ Gemini Notebook does flashcards, study guides: https://edu.google.com/ai-gemini-notebook/ https://edu.google.com/ai-gemini-notebook/ Spaced Repetition flashcards or flashquestions to progress through a game might be good; configure Anki decks to surface cards from when for example the user jumps to crush a bonus block. "Ask HN: How can I learn to read mathematical notation?" (2018) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18511718 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18511718 "[Feature Request]: flashcards to advance in the game and learning mode" Issue #3054 ; SuperTux/supertux https://github.com/SuperTux/supertux/issues/3054 https://github.com/SuperTux/supertux/issues/3054

westurner 2mo ago
Resources for teaching ml and ai? So I Ctrl-F'd for "Linear algebra" resources in my research log and found: "Interactive Linear Algebra (2019)" (2021) re: Manim https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28173565 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28173565 Latest Manim developments; interactive WebGL in browser: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49093210 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49093210
- sn9 2mo ago
  Math Academy has a Math for Machine Learning course: https://www.mathacademy.com/courses/mathematics-for-machine-learning https://www.mathacademy.com/courses/mathematics-for-machine-...
  - westurner 2mo ago
    Kaggle Learn has courses in ML, Deep Learning, ML Explainability, Python, Pandas,: https://Kaggle.com/learn https://Kaggle.com/learn This is the Dockerfile that they install Python packages with on Kaggle Kernels, which is the Jupyter notebook product that Kaggle Learn is built on: https://GitHub.com/Kaggle/docker-python https://GitHub.com/Kaggle/docker-python

Evidlo 2mo ago

https://github.com/pchalasani/claude-code-tools/blob/main/plugins/workflow/skills/socratic-quiz/SKILL.md https://github.com/pchalasani/claude-code-tools/blob/main/pl...

drdexebtjl 2mo ago

Would you care to share them?

mathisfun123 2mo ago

https://github.com/bevibing/socrates-skill https://github.com/bevibing/socrates-skill I recently used this to prep for interviews - I got the job :)

d4rkp4ttern 2mo ago

Probably referring to my post: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48938375 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48938375 (100 up votes) Direct link to the doc page: https://pchalasani.github.io/claude-code-tools/plugins-detail/workflow/#socratic-quiz https://pchalasani.github.io/claude-code-tools/plugins-detai... This was in the context of how I use ChatGPT Live to brainstorm/discuss/learn while on a walk, but of course useful in other contexts too.

genghisjahn 2mo ago
Yeah. That was it. I remembered it wrong (you use chatGPT which I admit, has better voice interaction). I use claude code and type it all. Most of the time for walks/runs I just let my thoughts go whenever. But that's just me. I do really appreciate your post though. I wouldn't have the claude skill without it.

epolanski 2mo ago

I've never found this to work properly, because AI doesn't have the empathy to understand where you really struggling.

JeremyNT 2mo ago
I'm not super familiar with this approach, but couldn't you just respond with an elaboration on how you don't understand a concept when you encounter it and guide the model in the correct direction?
- epolanski 2mo ago
  That requires you, the student, to easily identify why you're not understanding and what concept among multiple ones is the primary or secondary blocker. It's not easy.

ismailmaj 2mo ago

While the model itself is great at hiding the answer, the AI summary keeps giving it away, it's so annoying and AFAIK it cannot be disabled.

genghisjahn 2mo ago
If you are using Claude code, disable recaps.

bsenftner 2mo ago

I've made an entire platform based on Socratic AI Agents that co-work with a person as method acting assistants in an office suite. https://midombot.com/b1/home https://midombot.com/b1/home