Learn from a Case Before the Theory
Added 2026-11-04
A concrete case gives abstract concepts something to hang on.
I want to learn something fairly theoretical (topic below). Design a case-first path: 1) start with a short real case that contains a conflict; 2) ask me to guess what the people got wrong, without giving the answer; 3) then introduce three key concepts from the theory and map them onto the case; 4) give a similar case with different conditions to test whether the theory still applies; 5) point out where the theory is most often misapplied. Do not start with definitions.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
理论记不住，往往是因为没有案例可以挂。
Try tweaking it
- Ask for one diagnostic question first to locate where you are stuck.
- Replace "explain it" with "give three progressive exercises; correct me after I answer".
What you should get
- A diagnosis of exactly where you are stuck
- A small set of self-checkable exercises
Common mistakes
- Asking it to explain from scratch, and still not knowing where you went wrong.
- Memorising the explanation as the answer, then failing on any variant.
How to check the output
- It names exactly where you are stuck instead of re-explaining everything.
- Exercises are graded and self-checkable.
Where it works
- Good for: diagnosing where you are stuck, then giving the smallest exercise instead of a lecture.
- Watch out: ask it to flag uncertainty rather than memorising a confident but wrong explanation.