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Study Skill - Interactive Learning & Note Augmentation

Interactive study session that finds your existing notes, teaches you the topic, fetches latest information, answers follow-up questions, and updates notes with new learnings.

Usage​

/study <topic>
/study Apache Kafka
/study mental models
/study machine learning optimization
/study sleep hygiene

Workflow (Interactive Learning Loop)​

Step 1: Find Existing Notes​

Search your knowledge base:

# Semantic search for topic
mcp__obsidian-hybrid-search__search(
  query="<topic>",
  limit=20
)

# Text search for exact mentions
grep -ri "<topic>" docs/

Analyze findings:

  • List all relevant notes found (with scores)
  • Identify main notes vs peripheral mentions
  • Note gaps in current knowledge base

Step 2: Read & Synthesize Existing Knowledge​

Read all relevant notes:

# Read top matches
Read(path="docs/<category>/<note1>.md")
Read(path="docs/<category>/<note2>.md")
Read(path="docs/<category>/<note3>.md")

Synthesize current knowledge:

  • Create structured summary from existing notes
  • Identify what you already know
  • Highlight connections between notes
  • Note any contradictions or outdated info

Step 3: Fetch Latest Information​

Search for current information:

# Web search for latest developments
WebSearch(query="<topic> latest 2026")
WebSearch(query="<topic> best practices 2026")

Key sources to check:

  • Official documentation (if tech topic)
  • Recent academic papers (if research topic)
  • Industry best practices
  • Latest trends/developments

Step 4: Teach the Topic (Interactive)​

Present structured lesson:

# <Topic> - Study Session

## What You Already Know (From Your Notes)
- [Summary from existing notes]
- [Key concepts you've documented]
- [Connections to other topics]

## Latest Developments (2026)
- [New information not in your notes]
- [Updated best practices]
- [Recent changes/trends]

## Core Concepts Explained
1. [Concept 1 - explained clearly]
2. [Concept 2 - explained clearly]
3. [Concept 3 - explained clearly]

## Key Takeaways
- [Main points to remember]
- [Practical applications]
- [Common misconceptions]

## Questions for Deeper Understanding
1. [Thought-provoking question 1]
2. [Thought-provoking question 2]
3. [Thought-provoking question 3]

Teaching style:

  • Clear, concise explanations
  • Connect to what user already knows (from their notes)
  • Use examples and analogies
  • Highlight practical applications
  • Reference specific notes for deeper reading

Step 5: Interactive Q&A Loop​

Answer follow-up questions:

  • User asks questions about the topic
  • Provide detailed answers
  • Reference existing notes when relevant
  • Fetch additional information if needed (WebSearch/WebFetch)
  • Track which answers should be added to notes

For each Q&A:

**Q:** [User's question]

**A:** [Detailed answer]
- [Explanation]
- [Examples]
- [References to existing notes if applicable]

📝 **Add to notes:** [Yes/No] - [Which note to update]

Step 6: Update Notes with New Learnings​

After Q&A session, update notes:

If new information complements existing note:

# Read current note
Read(path="docs/<category>/<note>.md")

# Add new section or update existing
Edit(
  file_path="docs/<category>/<note>.md",
  old_string="## Links",
  new_string="## [New Section from Study Session]

[New information learned]

## Links"
)

# Update frontmatter date
Edit(
  file_path="docs/<category>/<note>.md",
  old_string="updated: <old-date>",
  new_string="updated: <today>"
)

If significant new information, create new note:

# Use /note skill to create new note
/note <new-topic> [url]

Step 7: Study Session Summary​

Report what was learned and updated:

## Study Session Complete: <Topic>

### 📚 Notes Found
- docs/<note1>.md (score: 0.95)
- docs/<note2>.md (score: 0.87)
- docs/<note3>.md (score: 0.76)

### 🎓 Key Learnings
1. [Main learning 1]
2. [Main learning 2]
3. [Main learning 3]

### 🆕 Latest Information (2026)
- [New development 1]
- [New development 2]

### 📝 Notes Updated
✅ docs/<note1>.md - Added section on [topic]
✅ docs/<note2>.md - Updated with latest [info]
✅ Created: docs/<note3>.md - [new topic]

### 🔗 Related Topics to Study Next
- [Related topic 1]
- [Related topic 2]

Decision Rules​

When to Update Existing Notes​

UPDATE existing note if:

  • New information directly extends existing content
  • Clarifies or corrects existing information
  • Adds examples or recent developments
  • Note is the primary source for that subtopic

When to Create New Notes​

CREATE new note if:

  • Topic deserves standalone documentation
  • Significant new subtopic emerged from study
  • Current notes don't have a clear home for new info
  • Use /note skill for creation

What to Add to Notes​

ADD to notes:

  • ✅ Factual information learned
  • ✅ Important clarifications
  • ✅ Recent developments/updates
  • ✅ Useful examples
  • ✅ Practical applications
  • ❌ NOT conversational Q&A text
  • ❌ NOT temporary study session notes

Format additions professionally:

  • Extract key points from Q&A
  • Write in encyclopedic style
  • Integrate with existing content
  • Maintain note's structure and tone

Critical Rules​

✅ DO​

  1. Search comprehensively - Use both semantic + text search
  2. Read all relevant notes - Don't skip related content
  3. Fetch latest info - Always check for 2026 updates
  4. Teach clearly - Explain concepts, don't just list facts
  5. Be interactive - Encourage questions, answer thoroughly
  6. Track learnings - Mark which Q&A should update notes
  7. Update professionally - Add to notes in proper format
  8. Use Obsidian CLI - For all file operations (use /note skill for new notes)
  9. Connect concepts - Link to related notes
  10. Summarize session - Show what was learned and updated

❌ DON'T​

  1. Skip existing notes - Always search knowledge base first
  2. Use outdated info - Fetch latest 2026 information
  3. Copy Q&A verbatim - Extract and format professionally
  4. Create duplicate content - Update existing notes when possible
  5. Be verbose in updates - Keep additions concise and relevant
  6. Break note structure - Maintain existing formatting
  7. Skip summary - Always provide study session report
  8. Forget to update dates - Change updated: in frontmatter

Teaching Guidelines​

Explain Concepts Clearly​

  • Start with what user already knows (from their notes)
  • Build on existing knowledge
  • Use analogies and examples
  • Connect to practical applications
  • Highlight common misconceptions

Encourage Deep Understanding​

  • Ask thought-provoking questions
  • Encourage user to ask questions
  • Explain "why" not just "what"
  • Show connections between concepts
  • Reference specific notes for deeper reading

Keep It Interactive​

  • Present information in digestible chunks
  • Pause for questions after each section
  • Adapt explanations based on questions
  • Use examples relevant to user's domain

Example Session​

User: /study Apache Kafka

Step 1: Search
  mcp__obsidian-hybrid-search__search("Apache Kafka")
  → Found 5 notes:
    - docs/technologies/kafka/core/intro-to-kafka.md (0.92)
    - docs/technologies/kafka/core/kafka-consumers.md (0.88)
    - docs/technologies/kafka/core/kafka-guarantees.md (0.85)
    - docs/technologies/kafka/others.md (0.76)
    - docs/technologies/confluent/governance/confluent-kafka.md (0.71)

Step 2: Read & Synthesize
  Read all 5 notes
  Summary: "You have solid coverage of Kafka basics, consumers, and guarantees.
  Your notes were last updated 2024. Let me check for 2026 updates..."

Step 3: Fetch Latest
  WebSearch("Apache Kafka 4.0 new features 2026")
  → Found: KRaft is now default, new queue features, faster rebalancing

Step 4: Teach
  # Apache Kafka - Study Session

  ## What You Already Know
  - Stream processing platform, pub/sub messaging
  - Consumer groups, partitions, offsets
  - Exactly-once semantics, idempotent producers
  - [Connected to: message-oriented-architecture.md]

  ## Latest Developments (2026)
  - Kafka 4.0 released: KRaft replaces ZooKeeper (default)
  - New queue features for simpler messaging patterns
  - Faster consumer group rebalancing
  - [Not yet in your notes - should we add?]

  ## Core Concepts Refresher
  [Clear explanations with examples]

  ## Questions?

User: How does KRaft compare to ZooKeeper?

Response:
  **Q:** How does KRaft compare to ZooKeeper?

  **A:** KRaft (Kafka Raft) is Kafka's new consensus protocol...
  [Detailed explanation]
  - Simpler deployment (one less system)
  - Faster metadata updates
  - Better scalability
  - Your note kafka-architecture.md mentions ZooKeeper - we should update it

  📝 Add to notes: Yes - Update docs/technologies/kafka/core/intro-to-kafka.md

Step 6: Update Notes
  ✅ Updated intro-to-kafka.md - Added "Kafka 4.0 & KRaft" section
  ✅ Updated frontmatter: updated: 2026-06-22

Step 7: Summary
  ## Study Session Complete: Apache Kafka

  ### 📚 Notes Found: 5 notes
  ### 🎓 Key Learnings: KRaft, Kafka 4.0, queues
  ### 📝 Notes Updated: intro-to-kafka.md
  ### 🔗 Related: Study "KRaft internals" or "Kafka queues vs topics"

Success Criteria​

✅ All relevant notes found via semantic + text search ✅ Existing knowledge synthesized from notes ✅ Latest 2026 information fetched and presented ✅ Topic taught clearly with examples ✅ User questions answered thoroughly ✅ Relevant learnings added to notes professionally ✅ Study session summary provided ✅ Related topics suggested for continued learning

Installation​

To use this skill in Claude Code:

# Create skill directory
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/study

# Copy skill content
# (Copy the content between the --- markers from this file to SKILL.md)

# Reload skills
/reload-skills

# Use the skill
/study <topic>