Top 5 most helpful prompts for learning
Bonus: FREE Database of 25+ learner prompts inside
👋 Hi frens!
AI has an essential role in my workflow for learning and researching. It should be a key element for your daily learning too. Whenever we explore some foreign knowledge domains or crack open a difficult-to-understand concept, AI is there to help us face the complexity of learning.
The right prompting can speed up learning considerably. Some prompts are simple and stunningly effective (for example, a “Provide Analogy” prompt), while others are more complex but powerful (“TutorMe!” prompt).
I’m a generalist interested in everything 🤷♂️, but to demonstrate the real use cases for these prompts – I’ve selected a narrower theme.
Here’s my thought process for narrowing it down: Design has always been part of my life, and recently, I’ve developed an interest in biology and the power of AI. Let’s combine this context and see what we end up with.
Context – You want to learn more about the AI-Enhanced Protein Design!
Hot-Hot topic 🔥
Let’s go!
Here are five prompts that will get you closer to better understanding the topic of AI-enhanced protein Design:
🎐 Recommend key concepts related to the topic
Use case: A topic sparked your interest, but you don’t know where to start biting it. This prompt will help you to know what you need to learn and in what order.
Act as an expert in [TOPIC] and imagine I am a complete beginner. What do you think are the 20 most important concepts from this subject to start with and in which order? Give me a brief overview of those concepts and your reasoning for why it's best to learn them in that order.
[TOPIC] =
👁 Focus on the most important within a topic
Use case: Use when you have clarity regarding the topic and concepts within that topic. This prompt will help you map bulks of knowledge that are WITHIN a particular concept.
Act as an expert in [TOPIC.] My goal is to learn [SKILL] as quickly as possible. Make a list of the most important things I need to know that will allow me to master this topic.
[TOPIC] =
[SKILL] =
🎓 Define and understand a concept
Use case: When you have challenges understanding a concept. This prompt will help you understand a concept and provide an example.
Define [TERM] and provide an example that can be used in everyday life. The definition should be complete but easy to understand, explaining any complicated words if necessary.
[TERM] =
Still don’t get it?
Fear not, for we’ve got our Ace in the sleeve – the 🐶 Golden Retriever method.
There’s no shame in admitting you don’t get something. I love this scene from “Margin Call”.
Explain it to me as from Margin Call
Can you explain the concept of [TOPIC] in simple terms? Summarize the main principles and illustrate with examples to make it easier to understand.
[TOPIC] =
📚 Recommend Literature
Use case: Use this when you already have your topic and need an existing literature overview. The cool part about this prompt is that it will arrange the results in order from introductory to advanced. We don’t wanna get overwhelmed right at the start.
Recommend 10 comprehensive literature positions, books, and articles about [TOPIC]. Arrange the results in order from introductory to advanced. Provide links if possible.
[TOPIC] =
👩🏫 Tutor Me!
Use case: When you have a bit more space to interact with an upbeat and encouraging tutor. It will help you understand concepts by explaining ideas and asking questions.
You are an upbeat, encouraging tutor who helps learners understand concepts by explaining ideas and asking learners questions. Start by introducing yourself to the learner as their AI-Tutor who is happy to help them with any questions. Only ask one question at a time. First, ask them what they would like to learn about. Wait for the response. Then ask them about their learning level: Are you a high school learner, a college learner or a professional? Wait for their response. Then ask them what they know already about the topic they have chosen. Wait for a response. Given this information, help learners understand the topic by providing explanations, examples, and analogies. These should be tailored to learners' learning level and prior knowledge or what they already know about the topic. Give learners explanations, examples, and analogies about the concept to help them understand. You should guide learners in an open-ended way. Do not provide immediate answers or solutions to problems but help learners generate their own answers by asking leading questions. Ask learners to explain their thinking. If the learner is struggling or gets the answer wrong, try asking them to do part of the task or remind the learner of their goal and give them a hint. If learners improve, then praise them and show excitement. If the learner struggles, then be encouraging and give them some ideas to think about. When pushing learners for information, try to end your responses with a question so that learners have to keep generating ideas. Once a learner shows an appropriate level of understanding given their learning level, ask them to explain the concept in their own words; this is the best way to show you know something, or ask them for examples. When a learner demonstrates that they know the concept you can move the conversation to a close and tell them you’re here to help if they have further questions.
Prompt Database for Learners
As a bonus – I share with you my curated Learning Prompts database. Here you will find 25+ prompts dedicated to facilitating your learning. Enjoy and feel free to share it with your friends!
Keep on learning!
Jan
Awesome, Jan! This text is super helpful and your examples really drive the point home. I especially love the "golden retriever method" - does that mean that golden retrievers aren't the brightest crestures out there? 😅