find-core-ideas

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps educators and learners move beyond memorization by guiding them through eight structured phases of first-principles thinking: identifying core ideas, testing dependencies, reconstructing knowledge, and reflecting on the meta-skill to achieve durable understanding.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Dependency testing framework: Elimination, Reconstruction, Abstraction Descent to reveal what is fundamental.
• Gate-based progression: All eight phases with HUMAN_REQUIRED gates to ensure active learner involvement.
• Cross-domain applicability: Useful in CS, physics, economics, biology, and more to uncover mechanisms behind phenomena.
• Reconstruction practice: Build new understanding from core ideas and verify by reassembly of the original concept.
• Transfer & reflection: Apply the meta-skill to new topics and reflect on learning strategy.

Quick Start

Start Phase 1: Topic & Entry Point. Have the learner articulate their topic and motivation. Then Phase 2: Component Identification — break the topic into 4–6 components. Move to Phase 3: Layer Identification, Phase 4: Dependency Testing, Phase 5: Core Identification, Phase 6: Reconstruction, Phase 7: Application & Transfer, Phase 8: Reflection. Throughout, enforce gates and record evidence of core idea identification.