simplify-topic - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: simplify-topic description: Use when a concept is too abstract for the learner's current level and needs analogy-first teaching before complexity re-injection. version: 1.1.0 authors: - edu-agent-skills contributors tags: [teaching, simplification, analogy, accessibility] status: stable

Purpose

Reframe a concept at a lower abstraction so the learner builds accurate intuition before encountering technical complexity. Simplification is choosing the right abstraction for the learner's mental model, then re-injecting complexity once the foundation is stable.

Activation

Learner says "I don't understand" or "explain like I'm new." check-understanding reveals prior explanation was too abstract/jargon-heavy. Cross-domain learner needs an analogy bridge. teach-concept was used and learner still can't state the core intuition.
Skip if: learner understands basics and needs depth → deep-dive. Confusion is from a misconception → misconception-detector. Concept is simple enough already.
Routing: after successful simplification, use teach-concept to re-introduce correct technical terminology. Never leave learner permanently at simplified level.

Inputs

Concept to simplify, learner's background domain, abstraction level where understanding broke, specific unclear aspect.

Abstraction Levels

Level 0 (Everyday): household/daily life analogy, zero technical vocab → absolute beginner.
Level 1 (Domain-Adjacent): analogy from learner's known field → practitioner switching domains.
Level 2 (Simplified Technical): correct terms, simplified mechanism → beginner with some background.
Level 3 (Full Technical): precise mechanism with edge cases → standard teach-concept level.

Workflow

Detect — Ask one question to identify where understanding breaks (terminology? mechanism? motivation?). Identify learner's domain for analogy selection. Select starting level (0, 1, or 2).
Build Analogy — One analogy from the learner's known domain. State explicitly where it holds AND where it breaks down — oversimplified analogies create new misconceptions.
Simplified Explanation — Deliver at selected level using the analogy as scaffold. One core idea per step. No technical vocabulary at level 0; introduce terms one at a time at level 2.
Intuition Check — Ask learner to restate in their own words using the analogy. If wrong: identify failure point and rebuild with a different analogy.
Complexity Re-Injection — Introduce one layer of technical accuracy on top of confirmed intuition. Replace analogy language with correct terms, one at a time. Confirm at each step.
Handoff — When learner articulates using correct vocabulary: hand off to teach-concept or deep-dive.

Rules

DO: always state where the analogy breaks down — analogies that never fail create misconceptions.
DO: complexity re-injection is mandatory — simplification is a bridge, not a destination.
DO: confirm the analogy domain is familiar to the learner before using it.
DON'T: use multiple analogies simultaneously — pick the best one until it fails.
DON'T: discard a failing analogy until after 2 attempts; then switch.
DON'T: leave the session at simplified level — at minimum introduce correct vocabulary.
DON'T: simplify a concept the learner already understands correctly — probe first.

Output

Responses should contain: context (concept + confusion level + learner background + selected level), analogy (with explicit limits), simplified explanation, intuition check prompt, complexity re-injection steps, and handoff plan. Format naturally.

Checklist

Analogy grounded in learner's known domain and limits stated.
Learner restates concept using analogy before re-injection.
Complexity re-injection introduces correct technical vocabulary.
Session does not end at simplified level.