How to learn a new skill using AI without giving you the full solution right away? Which LLM to use?
In a discussion forum with @monatruong_murror , we talked about how AI can help us learn things that aren’t naturally familiar to us, like programming.
The biggest challenge was/is:
Getting AI to guide you toward a solution, instead of just giving you the answer.
This problem has two sides:
– As a beginner, you don’t know how to clearly define what you need.
– AI either gives incomplete answers or jumps straight to full solutions because the instructions aren’t precise enough
At the moment, I try to approach it this way:
I research tools or projects that I want mine to be similar to
I use prompts like: “I’m a beginner, explain this to me like I’m 5 years old”
“Don’t show me the final solution, guide me step by step”
“How should I approach this and where should I look?”
“Show me some of the best examples of how to do this”
The issue is that AI (e.g. Anthropic’s Claude) still tends to slip into generating full code, which completely disrupts the learning process and understanding.
So my question is:
How would you use AI in a way that actually guides your thinking instead of replacing it?
And one more thing:
Maybe it’s also about the model choice. Would something like OpenAI Codex or Perplexity be better, or is it less about the tool and more about how you ask?
Replies
Great question — but I think it’s less about the model and more about how you use it.
The key shift: don’t use AI as an answer machine, use it as a strict tutor.
What works better:
Set rules: “Don’t give full solutions. Only hints + questions.”
Use a loop: you explain → AI critiques → AI asks → you try again
Ask for feedback, not answers: “What’s wrong with my approach?”
Most models can do this — the difference isn’t huge.
Claude just tends to be more “helpful” (and over-explain), but the real lever is your structure.
If AI keeps giving full answers, you’re (unknowingly) still asking for them.
Curious: have you tried forcing it to ask you questions first?
minimalist phone: creating folders
@eliasweiser Okay, but there is a model situation: I do not know how to write a proper code, where to start etc, so according to what I can write the code when AI already pushes me the whole code? Because for me, it is like cooking without ingredients.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@howell4change I actually want to build a plugin first. I need a motivation(certain product to start)
App Finder
I sure wouldn't use AI to learn something like programming. There are enough great textbooks written with great care by people who have much experience with the subject and with teaching the subject.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@konrad_sx In that case, I think it would take way more time to research what you exactly need, or?
App Finder
@busmark_w_nika Whatever you want to program, you need to understand the basics. Once you do, it's not so difficult to find out what more specific things you need for a specific project.
I'd start learning a popular language like Python using a popular and high rated book, check e.g.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=python+programming&i=stripbooks-intl-ship&s=review-rank
It depends on the person. If I want to learn something, my prompts or questions will reflect that. For example, if I want to know something- how it works, how I can make it myself - it will give me a detailed guide with instructions that I can follow.
Use prompts like this: "I want to learn [skill]. Act as my tutor. Break it into small concepts. Teach me one at a time. Quiz me before moving on. If I get stuck, give a hint first, not the solution."
minimalist phone: creating folders
@sanath_bhat Just I am curious how much time it takes to break it down and learn it like this.
I believe this challenge can be solved by imposing strict constraints on the LLM, ensuring it complies without deviation.
The key lies in how we structure it, much like learning apps that guide users through a set journey, or why people buy structured courses.
Instead of random exploration, instruct the LLM to create a core curriculum divided into beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels. This enforces a progressive order, building skills step by step.
I think proper prompt engineering and thinking about a solution before leveraging AI helps you learn while simplifying the process. Imagine you are building a website created by AI but certain features, buttons, or elements are not function. Rather than go to AI to solve the issue, it would be helpful to understand the context and learn the "Whys".
It's a give and take relationship. AI is great, but giving it instructions without learning the context or reasoning puts you in a deep technical hole. You may end up spending more time troubleshooting your prompt vs prompting for the right solution.