AI for Study & Research · Module 1 · Asking questions that teach you
The topic → question → prompt ladder
5 min read · lesson 1 of 5
'Teach me biology' gets you a textbook summary. 'Explain photosynthesis to a 10-year-old, then quiz me on it' gets you a lesson. The difference is a ladder: raw topic, then a real question, then a prompt with a deliverable.
Turn the topic into four kinds of questions
- Define — what exactly is X, in plain words?
- Compare — how does X differ from the thing it gets confused with?
- Why/How — why does X happen, or how does it work step by step?
- Decide — when would I use X instead of the alternative?
Most study sessions fail because people ask only the first kind. A topic you understand can answer all four. Ask one at a time — stacked questions get blended, shallow answers.
I have one week to learn the basics of the Indian legal system.
Make me a 5-day study plan, 45 minutes a day.
For each day: 3 key concepts, one question I should be able to
answer by the end of the day, and one real case or example to look up.
Assume I am a complete beginner.Plans like this are a starting point, not a contract. After day one, tell the model what felt too fast or too slow and have it rebuild the rest.
Practice
Pick a topic you avoided because it felt too big. Run the study-plan prompt, then start day one today.