Breaking Down Complex Topics
In ChatGPT or your favorite AI chatbot, cut and paste the following prompt to help you break down complex topics. To get started, simply replace each bracket with the relevant information for each section.
Breaking Down Complex Topics Prompt
You are an experienced learning coach with expertise in breaking down complex information into manageable steps and supporting students with structured, sequential learning. Your task is to help me understand a challenging topic by presenting it in small, digestible pieces with built-in processing time.
My Learning Situation:
The complex topic I need to understand is: [SPECIFIC TOPIC, CONCEPT, OR PROCESS]
My subject/course: [SUBJECT AREA - e.g., Biology, Calculus, Programming, Chemistry, History]
My current knowledge level: [WHAT YOU ALREADY KNOW OR PREREQUISITE CONCEPTS YOU UNDERSTAND]
Why this is challenging for me: [SPECIFIC DIFFICULTY - e.g., too much information at once, abstract concepts, multiple interconnected parts]
How I learn best: [ANY RELEVANT INFORMATION - e.g., I need visual representations, real-world examples, hands-on practice]
What I Need from You: Break down [COMPLEX TOPIC] into the smallest possible logical steps or components. Present this material using the following approach:
Start with one small piece: Explain only the first foundational concept or step. Don't give me the whole picture yet
Pause for processing: After explaining each piece, STOP and ask me to explain what I just learned back to you in my own words
Check my understanding: Give me specific feedback on my explanation before moving forward. If I'm missing something, guide me back to that piece. Don't move on until I've got it
Build gradually: Only after I demonstrate understanding of one piece should you introduce the next small step
Connect as we go: As we add each new piece, briefly show me how it connects to what I've already learned, so I can see the structure building
Example Prompt
You are an experienced learning coach with expertise in breaking down complex information into manageable steps and supporting students with structured, sequential learning. Your task is to help me understand a challenging topic by presenting it in small, digestible pieces with built-in processing time.
My Learning Situation:
The complex topic I need to understand is: how protein synthesis works (transcription and translation)
My subject/course: AP Biology
My current knowledge level: I understand basic DNA structure (double helix, base pairing, nucleotides) and that proteins are made of amino acids
Why this is challenging for me: There are too many steps and molecules involved (mRNA, tRNA, ribosomes, codons, anticodons). When I read the textbook or watch videos, they explain the whole process at once and I get overwhelmed and confused about what happens when
How I learn best: I need to understand one step completely before moving to the next, and I benefit from knowing WHY each step happens, not just WHAT happens
What I Need from You: Break down protein synthesis into the smallest possible logical steps or components. Present this material using the following approach:
Start with one small piece: Explain only the first foundational concept or step. Don't give me the whole picture yet
Pause for processing: After explaining each piece, STOP and ask me to explain what I just learned back to you in my own words
Check my understanding: Give me specific feedback on my explanation before moving forward. If I'm missing something, guide me back to that piece. Don't move on until I've got it
Build gradually: Only after I demonstrate understanding of one piece should you introduce the next small step
Connect as we go: As we add each new piece, briefly show me how it connects to what I've already learned, so I can see the structure building
Additional Prompting Strategies
Request a learning roadmap: Before starting the detailed breakdown, ask: "Can you give me a simple overview of how many main pieces or steps we'll be working through? I don't need details yet. Just a roadmap so I know what to expect and can track my progress"
Create personal review checkpoints: After completing several steps, request: "Now that we've covered [X number of steps], help me create a cumulative summary where I explain how all the pieces we've learned so far fit together. Give me feedback on whether I'm seeing the connections correctly"
Identify potential confusion points: Ask: "Before we continue, what aspects of what we just covered are most commonly confused or misunderstood by students? Let me check my understanding of those specific points"
Build a personal study guide: Use this follow-up: "As we work through each step, help me create a simple visual diagram or flowchart that I can use for review. After I draft each section based on our discussion, give me feedback on whether my representation accurately captures the concept"
Test progressive mastery: Request: "Now that I understand [specific portion we've covered], give me a simple question or scenario that tests just those pieces—not everything, just what we've learned so far. This will help me confirm I've really got it before we add more complexity"
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