Teach it to learn it
The explain-it-back method
Often called the Feynman technique: explain an idea in plain words as if to a curious friend, notice where you get stuck or reach for jargon, go back to the source for those parts, and try again. Researchers call the wider effect 'learning by teaching': preparing to explain something makes you organise it better.
AI as the listener
Type or say your explanation, then ask: "Where is my explanation wrong, vague or missing a step? Don't rewrite it; ask me questions about the weak parts." The AI points to the gap and you do the fixing. Our Deep Concept Explainer prompt sets this up.
Three levels
Ask for an idea explained at three levels: for a 12-year-old, for a smart adult, and for a specialist. Read them in order. The simple version gives you the shape, the middle one the mechanism, the expert one the vocabulary and edge cases. Then close the tab and explain the middle version yourself.
Watch for confident errors
AI can explain wrong ideas fluently, especially in specialist or fast-changing subjects. If an explanation contradicts your textbook or course notes, trust the course and ask the AI to reconcile the two. Lesson 7 covers checking in more detail.
Pick an idea you think you understand. Try explaining it in five sentences without notes. Where did you hesitate?