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Use devils-advocate to critically review [lecture filename] and deliver 5–7 specific, constructive pedagogical challenges covering ordering, prerequisites, gaps, presentation alternatives, notation, or cognitive load, with affected slides, severity, resolutions, and a summary verdict.
Required inputs
[lecture filename]
User-approved starter prompt based on a pinned source version; check current skill requirements before running. Task evidence ↗
SKILL.md
name: devils-advocatedescription: Challenge slide design with 5-7 pedagogical questions. Checks ordering, prerequisites, and cognitive load.argument-hint: "[Lecture filename]"allowed-tools: ["Read", "Grep", "Glob"]
Devil's Advocate Review
Critically examine a slide deck and challenge its design with 5-7 specific pedagogical questions.
Philosophy: "We arrive at the best possible presentation through active dialogue."
Setup
Read the target file (the lecture being challenged)
Read the knowledge base in .claude/rules/ for notation conventions and narrative arc
If applicable, read adjacent lectures for narrative continuity
Challenge Categories
Generate 5-7 challenges from these categories:
1. Ordering Challenges
"Could students understand this better if we showed X before Y?"
2. Prerequisite Challenges
"Do students have the background for this notation at this point?"
3. Gap Challenges
"Should we include an intuitive example before this formal proof?"
4. Alternative Presentation Challenges
"Here are 2 other ways to visualize/present this concept."
5. Notation Conflict Challenges
"This symbol conflicts with earlier lecture usage."
6. Cognitive Load Challenges
"This slide has too many new symbols. Can we split?"
7. Book Vision Challenges
"If this becomes a book chapter, does this section stand alone?"
Output Format
# Devil's Advocate: [Lecture Title]
## Challenges
### Challenge 1: [Category] — [Short title]
**Question:** [The specific pedagogical question]
**Why it matters:** [What could go wrong]
**Suggested resolution:** [Specific action]
**Slides affected:** [Numbers or titles]
**Severity:** [High / Medium / Low]
[Repeat for 5-7 challenges]
## Summary Verdict
**Strengths:** [2-3 things done well]
**Critical changes:** [0-2 changes before teaching]
**Suggested improvements:** [2-3 nice-to-have changes]
Principles
Be specific: Reference exact slides and notation
Be constructive: Every challenge has a suggested resolution
Be honest: If the deck is good, say so
Prioritize: Notation conflicts > missed metaphors
Think like a student: Where do they get lost?
devils-advocate by brycewang-stanford · The Skill Leaderboard