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Productivity Skill

Learn Anything

An AI tutor that makes you actually learn instead of just explaining – it questions Socratically, verifies by retrieval, and hands you flashcards, a schedule and a log to keep.

LearningTutoringLearning methodsSpaced RepetitionFlashcardsExam prepActive RecallSocratic methodAI tutorSelf-study
Free
0 ↓ 0 v1.0.0 Updated 21.08.2026 by skills-for-ai

SKILL.md in the open agentskills.io standard — works directly in Claude, ChatGPT/Codex, Cursor, Copilot & more.

Learn Anything is an AI skill that actually teaches you instead of just explaining. It questions Socratically instead of giving away answers, verifies real understanding by retrieval from memory (against the illusion of competence), adapts to your level — and hands you durable artifacts to keep: an Anki flashcard deck, a spaced-repetition schedule, and a learning log.

What this skill does

  • **Diagnoses first:** goal, prior knowledge and level in a few questions (not an interrogation), then tasks at exactly the right difficulty
  • **Doesn't give away answers:** Socratic questions + a tiered hint ladder gated behind a real attempt — but tells you directly for facts or genuine stuck-ness
  • **Verifies real understanding by retrieval** (active recall, teach-back/Feynman) instead of "does that make sense?" — against the illusion of competence
  • **Adapts to your level:** worked examples for novices, less scaffolding for experts (expertise-reversal), support fades as you improve
  • **Five modes:** understand · build a skill (project-based) · exam prep · languages · just-in-time — behavior changes by goal
  • **Durable artifacts to keep:** Anki-importable deck, spaced schedule (1·3·7·14·30/SM-2), retrieval quizzes, a paste-back learning log
  • **Keeps you consistent:** if-then plans, visible small wins, escaping "tutorial hell" (build, don't just consume)
  • **Two Node scripts:** SRS scheduler (cards/date → review calendar) and Anki deck export (Q&A text → importable deck)

Description

Learn Anything is a skill that turns your AI into a real tutor — built on learning science, not on "explain it to me." That's the difference from the usual AI tutors (Khanmigo, ChatGPT Study Mode, Guided Learning) and tutor-prompts: those are hosted, often single-subject, stateless chats that lean toward flattery and leave you with **nothing**. Learn Anything is a **portable pedagogy engine** and inverts exactly those weaknesses. First, it **doesn't give away answers**: it questions Socratically and uses a tiered hint ladder (nudge → strategy → partial step → answer only as a last resort), gated behind a real attempt — but it tells you directly for pure facts or when you're truly stuck (fixing the opposite failure, unhelpful withholding). Second, it **verifies real understanding by retrieval** from memory and teach-back (Feynman), never "does that make sense?" — so the illusion of competence, where most study time dies, pops. Third, it **diagnoses your level and misconceptions** (hinge questions) and **adapts**: novices get worked examples and heavy scaffolding, experts get less — support fades as you improve (expertise-reversal). And fourth, it hands you **durable artifacts plain chat tutors structurally can't**: an **Anki-importable flashcard deck**, a **spaced-repetition schedule** (1·3·7·14·30 or SM-2), targeted retrieval quizzes, and a **learning log** you paste back next session so a stateless model "remembers." Five modes cover almost any goal: **understand** a concept, **build a skill** (reps + feedback, project-based), **exam prep**, **languages** (comprehensible input + vocab SRS + speaking), and **just-in-time**. It also handles motivation and consistency (if-then plans, small wins, escaping "tutorial hell"). Honest about limits: it can't remind you daily (your SRS app does), has no real memory without the log, and can be wrong on facts — use it as a strong practice partner, not an infallible examiner.

Examples

Tested with Claude Code

Understand neural networks (with retrieval + flashcards)
/learn-anything I want to understand how neural networks work. My Python is okay, math only high-school.
You September 13, 2026
Learn Anything

# Learn Anything — Neural networks · Understand mode

Before I explain anything, three quick questions (so I pitch at the right level — not over, not under):

1. What's the end goal — a feel for it, or building one in Python yourself?

2. In a sentence or two, what do you *already* think you know about neural nets? (Honest level check, not a test.)

3. One word: what's a vector? (Checks the one bit of math we'll lean on.)

Why this way: normal AI tutors hit you with a wall of text — you nod, feel smart, and it's gone tomorrow (the "illusion of competence"). I do it the other way round — you produce, I verify.

Rough roadmap (each with "done when you…"):

  • Now: a neuron = weighted sum + activation → *done when you compute one by hand on paper.*
  • Next: a layer, then a forward pass → *done when you explain why several layers beat one.*
  • Later: loss + gradient descent + backprop → *done when you write 10 lines of NumPy that learn.*

First mini-lesson (short), then you're up: a neuron takes inputs, multiplies each by a weight, adds them plus a bias, and passes that through an activation. → Your turn, from memory: inputs [2, 3], weights [0.5, −1], bias 1. What comes out *before* the activation? (Work it yourself — I won't give the answer up front.)

Once you answer, I'll turn this into an Anki-importable flashcard deck + a review schedule (Day 1·3·7·14·30) + a learning log you paste back next time so I know where we are. (Honest: I can't remind you daily — Anki does that; I build the deck.)

Edge case — "just tell me the answer"
/learn-anything Just tell me the answer to 3x + 7 = 22, I don't want to guess.
You September 13, 2026
Learn Anything

Totally fair to want it — that's the annoying part. But if I just hand it over, it feels clear now and is gone tomorrow. Give me 30 seconds and it'll stick.

You don't have to solve it — just tell me the first step: what would you do to get rid of the + 7 on the left side?

Or, if you'd rather — make me one guess (even a wrong one), and you get a real hint in return.

*(If you're genuinely stuck, we'll do it together — I'll show the first move, you take it from there. And if this were a pure definition or convention — nothing to discover — I'd just tell you. Here there's something to get, so I'll hold the line a moment. 🙂)*

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What it does not do

  • **Doesn't remind you** — no timer or notifications; it builds the schedule/deck, your SRS app (Anki) or calendar does the daily reminding
  • **No real memory between sessions** — continuity only if you paste the learning log back
  • **Not an infallible fact source** — a study partner, not an examiner; verify important facts (ideally with web access)
  • **Doesn't do the practice for you** — retrieval and spaced review only work if you actually do them

Compatibility & tech

ClaudeChatGPT/CodexCursorCopilotGemini CLIWindsurfCline
Tested (internal)
3 scenarios
Recommended runtime
Claude Opus or Sonnet; web access helps fact-check (a study partner, not an infallible examiner). The two scripts need Node (no extra packages); without Node the skill produces the schedule and deck by hand. For the daily reviews, a real SRS app (e.g. Anki, free) — the skill provides the importable deck.
Modes
Understand (a concept/subject) · Build a skill (project-based, reps + feedback) · Exam prep (retrieval + timed past papers) · Languages (input + vocab SRS + speaking) · Just-in-time (fast, when you only need the answer)
Inputs
a topic or skill you want to learn (+ goal and timeline) · your current level / a specific question or problem · material to practice on (text, notes, a past exam) · a learning log from an earlier session (for continuity)
Output format
Interactive tutoring in chat (questions, hints, feedback) plus, on request, durable artifacts to copy/save — a roadmap, an Anki-importable deck, a review schedule, a quiz, and a learning log, each in its own clean block.
Subcategory
Learning, tutoring & knowledge-building
License
Proprietär

Security profile

Local

Runs entirely on your machine with your own AI — no external runtime, no running costs.

Contains scripts

Contains executable code or runs actions/tools — take a quick look before using.

No network access

Works offline with what you provide — does not call external services on its own.

What do these badges mean? →

What you get

  • learn-anything-1.0.0/11 files
    • .claude-plugin/marketplace.json
    • plugins/learn-anything/skills/learn-anything/11 files
      • SKILL.md
      • manifest.json
      • references/7 files
        • learn-anything-diagnose-adapt.md
        • learn-anything-learning-science.md
        • learn-anything-modes.md
        • learn-anything-motivation.md
        • learn-anything-project-based.md
        • learn-anything-socratic.md
        • learn-anything-spaced-artifacts.md
      • scripts/2 files
        • deck-to-anki.mjs
        • srs-scheduler.mjs
    • .agents/skills/learn-anything/→ universal — same content (Codex, Cursor, Copilot, Gemini, Windsurf, Cline)
    • LICENSE.txt

Installation

After unlocking, you install with a single command — it auto-detects your AI tool.

Runs inClaude CodeGitHub CopilotGemini CLICursorCodex CLIWindsurfCline

Also works as a chat prompt

Method in chat

No AI tool? Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT or Gemini and use the method right away.

You get the full method. Only 2 helper script(s) that automate parts of it run once installed.

Installing is the full version — it triggers automatically, runs its scripts and loads references as needed. As a chat prompt you drive the method by hand.

Unlock to copy the ready-to-paste prompt — then in “My Skills”.

Reviews

No reviews yet – be the first.

Note

Learn Anything is a study partner, not an infallible examiner and not a replacement for a teacher: fact and diagnosis quality depend on the underlying AI model, which can be wrong — verify what matters. It doesn't remind you and has no memory between sessions without the learning log; the daily reviews are run by your SRS app (e.g. Anki) or calendar — the skill only supplies the schedule and the deck. Retrieval and spaced repetition only work if you actually do them. The bundled scripts need Node (no extra packages).

Changelog

  • v1.0.021.08.2026Initial release: an AI tutor that makes you actually learn instead of just explaining. Built on learning science (retrieval/active recall, spaced repetition, interleaving, elaboration, worked examples, cognitive load, ZPD, Bloom, metacognition). Diagnoses level + misconceptions, doesn't give away answers (tiered hint ladder gated behind a real attempt), adapts novice vs expert (expertise-reversal), verifies real understanding by retrieval instead of the illusion of competence. Five modes (understand, build a skill, exam prep, language, just-in-time). Delivers durable artifacts plain chat tutors can't: an Anki-importable deck, a spaced schedule (1·3·7·14·30 / SM-2), and a paste-back learning log. Two Node scripts (SRS scheduler, Anki deck export), 7 references. Honest limits — it can't remind you; your SRS app does.

Frequently asked questions

What does Learn Anything do?

Learn Anything is an AI skill that actually teaches you instead of just explaining. It questions Socratically instead of giving away answers, verifies real understanding by retrieval from memory (against the illusion of competence), adapts to your level — and hands you durable artifacts to keep: an Anki flashcard deck, a spaced-repetition schedule, and a learning log.

What makes Learn Anything better than a normal AI chat or Khanmigo/Study Mode?

Three things plain chat tutors structurally can't do. First, Learn Anything doesn't give away answers — it questions Socratically with a tiered hint ladder, gated behind a real attempt, instead of dumping the solution. Second, it verifies real understanding by retrieval from memory (against the illusion of competence), not "does that make sense?". Third, it hands you durable artifacts to keep — an Anki deck, a review schedule and a learning log — that don't vanish when the chat or subscription ends.

Can Learn Anything follow me across sessions without memory?

Yes, via a trick. Learn Anything ends each session by generating a learning log (what you can do, where you're stuck, what's due next) that you paste back next time — so an otherwise stateless model "remembers" where you are. Honestly — it can't remind you daily; you run the review schedule and the flashcard deck in a real SRS app (Anki), which does the daily work.

What kind of learning is Learn Anything for?

Just about anything — hence the name. It has five modes and behaves differently per goal — understand a concept (explain it back, not have it dumped on you), build a skill (reps with feedback, project-based), exam prep (retrieval + timed past papers), languages (comprehensible input + vocab SRS + speaking), and just-in-time when you only need a quick answer.

Why won't Learn Anything just give me the solution when I ask?

Because the learning lives in your own retrieval and productive struggle — handing over the answer feels clear now and is gone tomorrow. Learn Anything holds the line kindly with a hint ladder (nudge, strategy, partial step, answer only as a last resort), asking for a small attempt first — but it tells you directly for pure facts or conventions, or when you're genuinely stuck and frustration is tipping into quitting. It's calibration, not dogma.

Does Learn Anything replace a teacher, or is it always factually correct?

No. Learn Anything is a study partner, not an infallible examiner — fact and diagnosis quality depend on the underlying AI model, which can be wrong. Treat it as a very good practice partner, verify important facts (ideally with web access), and use it alongside — not instead of — reliable sources or a teacher.

Which AI tools does Learn Anything work with?

Claude · ChatGPT/Codex · Cursor · Copilot · Gemini CLI · Windsurf · Cline

How do I use Learn Anything?

Learn Anything is a SKILL.md in the open agentskills.io standard: install it with one command (npx) or download it and add it to your AI tool — Claude (Projects), ChatGPT (Custom GPT), Cursor, Copilot, Gemini CLI and more. No code needed.