> "Let’s break down what it takes to create just one course – say, an introductory course on core pre-algebra concepts:
- 50+ core concepts to teach
- 20+ problems per concept
- → ~1,000+ individual problems per course
That last number kept us up at night. You can’t just explain a concept once and move on. You need enough variations to let learners truly master each idea, enough edge cases to build real understanding, and enough of a ramp in difficulty to create that perfect learning curve.
Designing the right game and sequence of concepts, so that learning feels like flow, is the fun part. But then you need to make a thousand carefully calibrated problems. And that part is a lot less fun – and it takes a long time."
This seems like a practical and appropriate use of LLMs. It reminds me of a similar application I heard about recently from a friend who teaches language classes using ChatGPT or equivalent to generate dozens of example sentences to teach specific grammar rules.
I find it refreshingly limited in scope compared to many projects that aim to outsource the creative process altogether rather than focusing on automating the legitimately menial and repetitive tasks.
Ah, I'd been thinking it must be a device somehow related to manufacturing bullets (but how? was the question) -- it hadn't occurred to me that it could mean the pointy tips of bullets themselves. And thank you for the book recommendation.
What are "bullet points" as named in this article? It's difficult to find anything on Google not referring to the typographical symbol of the same name.
Context: "Archaeologists also found a hammer, tweezers, pliers, keys, knives, bullet points, and a completely preserved 14th century gauntlet, in addition to fragments of its counterpart worn on the other hand."
Interesting that you raise the connection to schizotypal thinking. I recently learned there is a quite explicit connection between excessively instrumental, abstraction-obsessed thinking and schizophrenia. I recommend looking into the work of Iain McGilchrist if you want to learn more. A brief sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkfMnaLpU7s
I second the recommendation for Nongbri's "Before Religion". It definitely improved my understanding of what it is we even mean / have meant by "religion".
For a more evolutionary understanding of religion, I'd recommend Joseph Henrich's "The WEIRDest People in the World" and "The Secret of our Success".
Finally though certainly not least importantly, I'd recommend Iain McGilchrist's "The Master and His Emissary" and "The Matter with Things". Both touch on how it is we see and understand the world and how the current default perspective differs from those of other times and places.
- 50+ core concepts to teach - 20+ problems per concept - → ~1,000+ individual problems per course
That last number kept us up at night. You can’t just explain a concept once and move on. You need enough variations to let learners truly master each idea, enough edge cases to build real understanding, and enough of a ramp in difficulty to create that perfect learning curve.
Designing the right game and sequence of concepts, so that learning feels like flow, is the fun part. But then you need to make a thousand carefully calibrated problems. And that part is a lot less fun – and it takes a long time."
This seems like a practical and appropriate use of LLMs. It reminds me of a similar application I heard about recently from a friend who teaches language classes using ChatGPT or equivalent to generate dozens of example sentences to teach specific grammar rules.
I find it refreshingly limited in scope compared to many projects that aim to outsource the creative process altogether rather than focusing on automating the legitimately menial and repetitive tasks.