Anthropic has expanded its “learning mode” feature for the Claude AI, making it accessible to all Claude.ai users and introducing specialized versions for Claude Code developers and users, transforming the chatbot into a collaborative learning tool.
Initially launched in April for Claude for Education users, the learning mode employs a Socratic method, guiding users to discover solutions themselves rather than presenting direct answers. All Claude.ai users can now access this feature through a new “Learning” option in the style dropdown menu, allowing individuals to engage in a guided learning process with the flexibility to deactivate the mode at any time.
For Claude Code, Anthropic has rolled out two distinct iterations of this feature. The “Explanatory” mode enables Claude to generate summaries of its decision-making process during coding tasks, providing users with insights into the AI’s logic. The “Learning” mode is tailored for novice coders, prompting them to write their own code by inserting “#TODO” comments. Users can access these new output styles by updating to the latest version of Claude Code and typing “/output-styles.”
Drew Bent, Anthropic’s education lead, emphasized that the learning mode represents the company’s effort to evolve its chatbot into a collaborative partner. “I think it’s great that there’s a race between all of the AI labs to offer the best learning mode,” Bent stated, hoping to inspire similar advancements in coding agents.
The original learning mode stemmed from discussions with university students concerned about “brain rot” from copying and pasting chatbot outputs. Bent noted that students realized copying and pasting directly from a chatbot isn’t good for long-term learning. When adapting the feature for Claude Code, Anthropic balanced the needs of new and seasoned programmers.
“Learning mode is designed to help all of those audiences not just complete tasks, but also help them grow and learn in the process and better understand their code base,” Bent explained, envisioning these tools empowering coders to become “really good engineering managers” with a keen understanding of different components.
Anthropic is exploring further enhancements to expand upon the learning mode’s capabilities, opening Claude Code’s new Output Styles to developers to construct their own customized learning modes. Users can now modify Claude’s communication style by creating custom prompts, fostering a more personalized AI interaction experience.
