What This Article Covers
- Ten short “codes” you send to any AI like commands.
- Three groups: Understanding, Structuring, Testing.
- One ready-to-copy prompt in English each.
- When each code makes sense and when it doesn’t.
What Are Learning Codes?
Learning codes aren’t programming, they’re shortcuts. Instead of typing three paragraphs (“Please explain this simply, with everyday examples, without jargon”), you just say ELI5 and add your topic. The AI recognizes these conventions from millions of Reddit threads and learning forums, and the code triggers a complete response format.
The ten codes here cover three phases: Understanding (breaking into new material), Structuring (anchoring material), and Testing (checking if it stuck). They work equally well in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and local models via Ollama. For the overall framework, check out AI as Learning Partner.
Understanding: Breaking Into Material
ELI5, Explain Like I’m Five
The most famous code, from the Reddit forum r/explainlikeimfive. The AI explains without jargon, using everyday analogies. Perfect for first contact with a new topic.
ELI5: [topic]. Explain it so simply that I could explain it
to a child. Use an everyday analogy.80/20, Apply the Pareto Principle
Twenty percent of the material delivers eighty percent of understanding. This code filters out exactly that core and saves you from the jungle of details at the start.
Explain [topic] using the 80/20 principle: Which 20% of concepts
cover 80% of use cases? List them by importance.First Principles, Break Down to Fundamentals
This code takes a topic apart to its basic truths and rebuilds it from there. Powerful for topics that seem complicated because they rest on assumptions you never examined.
Break down [topic] using first principles: What are the
immovable foundations, and how does everything else follow?Socrates, Learn Through Counter-Questions
Reversed code: you don’t ask, the AI asks you. It poses one question after another and pulls you toward thinking on your own instead of delivering ready-made answers. More demanding, but the learning effect is strongest.
Be my Socratic tutor on [topic]. Ask me one question at a time,
wait for my answer, and probe deeper when my argument has gaps.Structuring: Anchoring Material
Sticky Notes, Knowledge on Post-it Size
Forces the AI to condense a topic into mini-units: one idea per note, one sentence per idea. Perfect for overview boards, learning walls, or a quick scan before diving deeper.
Summarize [topic] as sticky notes: one core statement per note,
maximum one sentence. Group notes by topic blocks.Mindmap, The Map of the Topic
The AI creates a hierarchical outline you can transfer directly into a mindmap tool. Good for seeing connections and identifying what sub-areas even exist.
Create a mindmap for [topic] as a nested list: main branches
= sub-areas, with 3-5 bullet points under each.Copy the output into tools like markmap or XMind, and the list becomes an actual diagram.
Visual Study Guide, The One-Page Learning Aid
This code produces a compact study page: definitions, formulas, an example, typical mistakes. Basically the cheat sheet you wish you had before an exam.
Create a visual study guide for [topic] on one page: core terms
with definitions, one formula or rule, one worked example,
three typical mistakes.Schematic, Processes as Flow Diagrams
For anything with steps: this code delivers a text-based schema with arrows and decision points. Ideal for workflows, algorithms, or technical processes.
Create a schematic for [process]: steps as a text-based flowchart
with arrows, decision points, and brief reasoning per step.Testing: Check If It Stuck
Feynman, Explain Until the Gaps Split Open
The Feynman Technique from the Nobel laureate physicist: you explain the topic, the AI plays skeptical listener and shows you where your explanation wobbles. If you can’t explain it simply, you haven’t understood it.
I'll now explain [topic] to you as if you were curious and had
no prior knowledge. Listen, then show me: What was unclear,
where were the logical jumps, what questions remained open?Quiz Me, Active Retrieval
The classic of active recall: the AI quizzes you, waits for your answer, evaluates it. Combined with flashcards and Spaced Repetition, this becomes a complete system.
Quiz me on [topic]: Ask me a question, wait for my answer,
evaluate it, then ask the next question. Increase difficulty
with each correct answer.The Complete Learning Cycle in Codes
Here’s how the codes connect: 80/20 for entry, ELI5 and First Principles for core concepts, Mindmap and Sticky Notes for structure, Feynman for self-explanation, Socrates and Quiz Me for the stress test. You only need the Schematic if the topic involves processes, and the Study Guide right before an exam.
A word of caution: the codes change format, not facts. The AI can hallucinate with all ten, so verify core facts against your sources. With your own material (lecture notes, books), include the text directly, as described in Learning from PDFs with AI.
Common Questions About AI Learning Codes
Do the codes work in every AI model?
Yes. The formats are known from training material and work in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and also in local models via Ollama. With small local models execution can be less precise; describing the desired format briefly helps.Do I have to write the codes in English?
No. German variants (“Erklär es mir wie einem Fünfjährigen”) work just as well. The English shortcuts like ELI5 are just more convenient because they’re more widely recognized.Which code is best for starting out?
80/20. It shows you in one minute what really matters in the topic and helps you decide whether diving deeper is even worth it.What’s the difference between Socrates and Quiz Me?
Quiz Me tests facts. Socrates forces you to argue yourself and find reasoning errors. For exam material use Quiz Me, for real understanding use Socrates.Can I combine multiple codes?
Yes, for example “ELI5, then as Sticky Notes” delivers a simple explanation as a note wall. Combine at most two codes per prompt; more makes the output unfocused.Why is Feynman so exhausting?
Because you produce instead of consume. Active explanation is cognitively harder than reading, which is exactly why it works. The effort is the effect.How do I turn the mindmap list into an actual diagram?
Copy the nested list into a tool like markmap, XMind, or MindMeister. Most accept markdown-style indentation as an import format.When should I use Schematic instead of Mindmap?
Mindmap for static knowledge (terms, sub-areas), Schematic for dynamic workflows (steps, decisions, processes).Do the codes help with exam preparation?
Yes, especially Quiz Me and Feynman for self-testing plus Visual Study Guide for final review. For the complete workflow see Exam Preparation with AI.What do I do if the AI doesn’t recognize the code?
Just write out what the code means: “Explain like I’m five” instead of “ELI5”. The result is identical.Do these techniques exist without AI?
Of course. Feynman, Pareto, and Socratic questioning are older than ChatGPT. AI just makes them available and patient at any time.How do I know a code worked?
By the Feynman test: Can you explain the topic simply in your own words afterward? If yes, the code worked. If not, keep probing.Are the AI’s answers always correct?
No. Format and clarity are reliable, facts can be wrong. For exam-relevant material, always verify against lecture notes or textbooks.Which codes work for programming?
ELI5 for new concepts, Schematic for algorithms and data flows, Feynman for architecture decisions, Quiz Me for syntax and commands.How often should I repeat Quiz Me?
After intervals of one day, three days, and one week; that’s the spaced repetition rhythm. Forgetting phases are built in deliberately.Sources and Further Reading
- r/explainlikeimfive: The forum where the ELI5 code originated.
- Richard Feynman: Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!: The memoir on which the Feynman Technique is based.
- Pareto Principle (Wikipedia): Background on the 80/20 code.
- Dunlosky et al.: Improving Students’ Learning (PDF): The meta-study confirming active retrieval and spaced repetition as the strongest learning techniques.
The Codes as a Start, Not a Shortcut Past Thinking
The ten codes are tools, not miracles. ELI5 makes complicated simple, Quiz Me shows you ruthlessly what hasn’t stuck, Feynman forces you to think on your own. Use them as conversation starters rather than buttons, and you’ll learn faster than with any pre-packaged explanation. For the next step: Finding Knowledge Gaps with AI shows how to work deliberately on your weakest points.