Understanding difficult material.
THE KEY INSTRUCTION
Specify your level. Without it, you receive an average explanation suiting nobody.
"Explain this to someone who has never studied the subject." "Explain this to someone who understands [related thing]." "Explain as though to a twelve-year-old."
That last one produces genuinely clearer explanations at any level.
FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS
The most valuable part, and the part people skip.
"I did not follow the part about X. Explain that differently." "Give me an analogy." "Give me a concrete example."
ASKING FOR SEVERAL EXPLANATIONS
"Explain this three different ways."
One of them usually clicks.
WHAT TO VERIFY
Well-established concepts are generally explained reliably.
Specific figures, dates, formulae and technical details are not.
For anything you will be examined on, check against your actual course material.
THE RISK
A fluent explanation of something the model has wrong is convincing.
Check against your textbook.
