tutor

Overview of tutor skill

tutor is a quiz-driven study skill for Obsidian StudyVault users who want the system to diagnose knowledge gaps, drill weak concepts, and track progress at the concept level. It is best for readers who need structured learning checks rather than a generic chat tutor, especially when they already have a StudyVault and want the tutor skill to guide review with less manual prompting.

The main value of the tutor skill is that it turns “study this” into a repeatable workflow: detect language, find the vault, locate the dashboard, then ask the right kind of session question. That makes it useful for ongoing learning, not just one-off Q&A.

What tutor skill does well

It focuses on concept-level assessment, not broad summaries. The workflow is designed to surface blind spots through quizzes, track attempts and correctness, and keep a compact dashboard that points back to deeper concept files.

Who should install tutor

Install tutor if you use Obsidian StudyVault, want quiz-based self-assessment, and care about progress tracking across sessions. It is a strong fit for language-aware study flows and for users who want questions that adapt to prior weak areas.

When tutor is a mismatch

If you want a plain explanation, a flashcard generator, or a tutor for a system that does not use StudyVault, this skill will feel too opinionated. Its value depends on the vault structure and on having material worth quizzing.

How to Use tutor skill

Install tutor correctly

Use the repo install path shown in the skill metadata, then start from SKILL.md so you follow the intended StudyVault flow instead of inventing your own. The key adoption check is whether your project already contains a StudyVault/ folder with a dashboard and concept files.

Start with the right input

The tutor skill works best when your prompt names the session goal and the study scope. Good inputs are things like “quiz me on the authentication section,” “test my weak areas from last session,” or “review the dashboard and drill what I missed.” Weak inputs like “teach me everything” make the skill less useful because it is built to ask targeted questions.

Read these files first

Begin with SKILL.md, then inspect references/quiz-rules.md for question design constraints. If you are adapting the workflow, also check any vault files the skill discovers first, especially the dashboard and the relevant concept files, because those determine what the tutor skill can safely test.

Use tutor as a workflow, not a prompt

The best tutor usage is: confirm language, locate the vault, read the dashboard, decide session type, then run quiz or review. If you already know the topic area, say so up front and include the section name, recent errors, or the concepts you want drilled. That reduces guesswork and improves question quality.

tutor skill FAQ

Does tutor work without a StudyVault?

No. The skill is built around discovering an existing StudyVault/ structure and will stop if it cannot find one. That makes tutor a good fit for users who already manage knowledge in that format, but not for unrelated note systems.

Is tutor just a normal prompt template?

No. A normal prompt can ask questions, but tutor adds a structured discovery and tracking workflow plus rules for quiz design. That matters if you want repeatable assessments, concept-level logging, and weak-area drill behavior instead of a one-off conversation.

Is tutor beginner-friendly?

Yes, if the user can point it at a vault and a study goal. The skill is less about technical setup and more about using the correct study inputs; beginners usually need help naming the topic, the session type, and the files they want reviewed.

What should I expect from tutor for Skill Authoring?

tutor is not a generic skill-authoring guide; it is a study workflow for Obsidian learning data. If you are evaluating tutor for Skill Authoring, use it when your authoring task involves testing knowledge, tracking gaps, or reviewing documentation-driven concepts, not when you need content generation alone.

How to Improve tutor skill

Give tutor narrower study targets

The strongest tutor skill results come from specific scope. Instead of “quiz me on Python,” say “quiz me on list comprehensions and exception handling, and focus on what I missed last time.” Narrower scope produces better questions, better difficulty balance, and cleaner concept tracking.

Provide prior mistakes and desired difficulty

If you share what you got wrong, tutor can drill the same concept from a different angle instead of repeating the exact question. Include your weak concepts, confusing terms, or a recent dashboard snapshot so the tutor skill can move from diagnostic mode to targeted review.

Check the vault structure before you rely on it

Most failures come from mismatched assumptions about folder names, dashboard location, or concept file naming. Verify that your project actually contains StudyVault/, a dashboard file, and concept files before expecting tutor to update progress or run a session cleanly.

Iterate after the first quiz

After one session, use the missed items to refine the next prompt: ask for weaker distractors, a harder round, or a review focused only on unresolved concepts. For tutor, the biggest quality jump comes from feeding back results, not from making the first prompt longer.