DeepTutor CLI
HKUDS/DeepTutor
Teaches the agent to set up and run DeepTutor from the command line: chat and capabilities, knowledge bases, partners, memory, sessions, notebooks and the server or Web app.
Socratic tutor that drills the user until they deeply understand a change — the problem, the solution, the design decisions, the edge cases, and what it impacts.
Install Socratic Tutor
$ npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install nicknisi/claude-plugins socratic-tutor --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor .claude/skills/socratic-tutor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "socratic-tutor" agent skill from https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins/tree/main/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor into .claude/skills/socratic-tutor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "socratic-tutor", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins/tree/main/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutorType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install nicknisi/claude-plugins socratic-tutor --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor .agents/skills/socratic-tutor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "socratic-tutor" agent skill from https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins/tree/main/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor into .agents/skills/socratic-tutor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "socratic-tutor", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install nicknisi/claude-plugins socratic-tutor --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor .cursor/skills/socratic-tutor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "socratic-tutor" agent skill from https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins/tree/main/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor into .cursor/skills/socratic-tutor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "socratic-tutor", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins.git --path plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install nicknisi/claude-plugins socratic-tutor --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor .gemini/skills/socratic-tutor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "socratic-tutor" agent skill from https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins/tree/main/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor into .gemini/skills/socratic-tutor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "socratic-tutor", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install nicknisi/claude-plugins socratic-tutorInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor .github/skills/socratic-tutor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "socratic-tutor" agent skill from https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins/tree/main/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor into .github/skills/socratic-tutor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "socratic-tutor", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install nicknisi/claude-plugins socratic-tutor --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor .opencode/skills/socratic-tutor && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "socratic-tutor" agent skill from https://github.com/nicknisi/claude-plugins/tree/main/plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor into .opencode/skills/socratic-tutor/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "socratic-tutor", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
socratic-tutor- GitHub stars
- 114
- Token cost
- ~843 tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 437 words
- Files
- 1
- Skills in repo
- 12
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Socratic tutor that drills the user until they deeply understand a change — the problem, the solution, the design decisions, the edge cases, and what it impacts.
- Works in 3 steps: The problem — what it was, why it… → The solution — what was done, why it was… → The broader context — why this matters,…
- Wants to truly own it
- SKILL.md covers Gauge where they are first, Keep a running checklist, Drill the whys and Quiz, don't lecture, plus 2 more sections
- Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md
What it does
Socratic Tutor is an agent skill from nicknisi/claude-plugins. Socratic tutor that drills the user until they deeply understand a change — the problem, the solution, the design decisions, the edge cases, and what it impacts. Use after completing or reviewing work (a diff, PR, or session) when the user wants to truly own it, not just skim it — or when the user says /socratic-tutor, "teach me what we just did", "quiz me on this", "drill me on this", or "make sure I understand this". Interactive: restates first, quizzes as it goes, and does not stop until the user demonstrates…
Its SKILL.md is about 840 tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.
It sits in Education, covering Tutoring and explanations and Quizzes and assessments. The repository describes itself as: Nick's own marketplace of Claude Plugins. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Wants to truly own it
- Not just skim it —
- The user says /socratic-tutor
- Teach me what we just did
Example prompts
- “teach me what we just did”
- “quiz me on this”
- “drill me on this”
- “/socratic-tutor”
Workflow steps
3 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- The problem — what it was, why it existed, and the different branches or alternative approaches that were on the table.
- The solution — what was done, why it was resolved this way, the design decisions behind it, and the edge cases it handles (or doesn't).
- The broader context — why this matters, and what the change will impact downstream.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6a6decd. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md.
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Socratic Tutor loads about 843 tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 156 tokens; SKILL.md has 437 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from nicknisi/claude-plugins at commit 6a6decd, republished under its MIT licence (© nicknisi). 437 words, ~843 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/socratic-tutor/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).- name
- socratic-tutor
- description
- Socratic tutor that drills the user until they deeply understand a change — the problem, the solution, the design decisions, the edge cases, and what it impacts. Use after completing or reviewing work (a diff, PR, or session) when the user wants to truly own it, not just skim it — or when the user says /socratic-tutor, "teach me what we just did", "quiz me on this", "drill me on this", or "make sure I understand this". Interactive: restates first, quizzes as it goes, and does not stop until the user demonstrates mastery. For a written explainer to read or share instead of a live quiz, use explain-diff.
- argument-hint
- Optional — which change or area to focus on (defaults to this session's work)
Socratic Tutor
Act as a wise, effective teacher. The goal is for the user to deeply understand a change — not skim it. Teach incrementally and confirm mastery of each stage before moving to the next. Understanding must hold at both the high level (motivation, why it matters) and the low level (business logic, edge cases).
This session is not finished until the user has demonstrably mastered every item on the checklist below.
Gauge where they are first
Before teaching anything, ask the user to restate their current understanding in their own words. This surfaces the real gaps and prevents lecturing on things they already know. Fill in from there.
Let the user steer. They may ask questions or request a level: eli5 (explain like they're five), eli14, or elii (explain like they're an intern). Match the depth they ask for.
Keep a running checklist
Maintain a markdown checklist of what the user must understand, and keep it visible — render it back to the user as items are added and checked off, so they can see how much ground is left. Check an item off only after they have demonstrated it — not merely heard it explained. Organize it into three buckets:
- The problem — what it was, why it existed, and the different branches or alternative approaches that were on the table.
- The solution — what was done, why it was resolved this way, the design decisions behind it, and the edge cases it handles (or doesn't).
- The broader context — why this matters, and what the change will impact downstream.
Show full SKILL.md (177 more words)Show less
Drill the whys
Make sure they understand why — then ask the next why, and the one beneath that. Understanding the problem deeply is the priority; do not let the user jump to the solution before the problem is solid. Cover what and how as well, but why is the spine of the session.
Quiz, don't lecture
Use AskUserQuestion to quiz with open-ended or multiple-choice questions. Quiz at each stage as it's taught — do not save one big quiz for the end.
Two rules for fair quizzing:
- Vary the position of the correct answer between questions so it isn't always the same slot.
- Never reveal the answer until after the user submits.
Use the code
Show the actual code, walk the diff, or drive the debugger when it makes a concept concrete. A real line of code or a live variable beats an abstract explanation.
Stop condition
Keep going until every checklist item is confirmed mastered. The session ends when — and only when — the user has shown they understand the problem, the solution, and why it all matters.
© nicknisi, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
Just SKILL.md in plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor of nicknisi/claude-plugins.
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6a6decd
Compare with similar skills
Socratic Tutor next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socratic Tutor this skillnicknisi/claude-plugins | 114 | — | ~843 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| DeepTutor CLIHKUDS/DeepTutor | 41k | — | ~2.8k | Automated safety check: Pass | Apache-2.0 | |
| Claude Certification Tutorrohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch | 67k | — | ~3k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| StudyVault Quiz Tutorbevibing/tutor-skills | 1.3k | — | ~1.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Zone of Proximal Development Practice LessonsTHU-MAIC/OpenMAIC | 40k | — | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| AI Engineering Course Tutorrohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch | 67k | — | ~2.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
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Questions about Socratic Tutor
What does Socratic Tutor do?
Socratic tutor that drills the user until they deeply understand a change — the problem, the solution, the design decisions, the edge cases, and what it impacts. Socratic Tutor is an agent skill from nicknisi/claude-plugins. Socratic tutor that drills the user until they deeply understand a change — the problem, the solution, the design decisions, the edge cases, and what it impacts.
When should I use Socratic Tutor?
Socratic Tutor fits situations like: wants to truly own it; not just skim it —; the user says /socratic-tutor; teach me what we just did.
How do I install Socratic Tutor in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor in nicknisi/claude-plugins) into .claude/skills/socratic-tutor in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Socratic Tutor in Codex?
Run `npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/essentials/skills/socratic-tutor in nicknisi/claude-plugins) into .agents/skills/socratic-tutor in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Socratic Tutor in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add nicknisi/claude-plugins --skill socratic-tutor -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/socratic-tutor, .gemini/skills/socratic-tutor, .github/skills/socratic-tutor and .opencode/skills/socratic-tutor in your project.
What does Socratic Tutor need to run?
SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Socratic Tutor is instructions for the agent only.
Does Socratic Tutor access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Socratic Tutor safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Socratic Tutor use?
Socratic Tutor is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Socratic Tutor use?
About 843 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 3.4k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Socratic Tutor?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Socratic Tutor: DeepTutor CLI (HKUDS/DeepTutor, 41k stars), Claude Certification Tutor (rohitg00/ai-engineering-from-scratch, 67k stars), StudyVault Quiz Tutor (bevibing/tutor-skills, 1.3k stars) and Zone of Proximal Development Practice Lessons (THU-MAIC/OpenMAIC, 40k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Socratic Tutor?
nicknisi (a GitHub user) maintains it in nicknisi/claude-plugins, which has 114 GitHub stars. The repository holds 12 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on August 11, 2026.
Source: nicknisi/claude-plugins on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.