Check Whether the Knowledge Transfers
Added 2026-11-03
Try a problem you have never seen and see whether the method still applies.
I just finished a chapter (key points below). Do: 1) state which class of problems its core method solves; 2) design three new problems: one same type, one transformed, one that looks similar but needs a different method; 3) say what each problem tests; 4) point out where I am most likely to misapply the method; 5) give a fallback when the transfer fails. Do not just change numbers in the original problem.
Site original
Chinese original
How to use
检验学习成果的不是原题，是没见过的新题。
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.