How a lesson runs
- Start. Press Start Tutor, or type what you want to learn or build.
- It reads your project. The tutor builds a map of what your system actually does, working from a safe sandbox copy when it is your own project.
- It explains the architecture. It talks you through entry points, data flow and the decisions hiding in the code, opening files, highlighting the lines that matter and drawing on the whiteboard.
- It runs the terminal with you. Claims are checked with real commands: evidence, not guesses.
- It turns fixes into skills. A problem you hit becomes a hands-on challenge you solve yourself.
- It checks you understood. It keeps going until you can explain the work yourself.
You stay in control of your code
- What it does on its own. Creating and editing files inside your workspace and everyday commands (installing packages, running your code and tests, git commits) go ahead without a prompt, so the lesson keeps moving. They are still checked against the sandbox and logged.
- What it asks you first. Deleting things, rewriting git history, force pushes and other risky commands pause until you approve them.
- Undo. A checkpoint is saved before meaningful AI edits. Run AI: Undo Last AI Change from the command palette to put everything back.
- Sandbox copies. When you work on an existing project, LoWisa can create a protected sandbox copy first, so your original stays untouched. See Your own project.
Talking with the tutor
- Voice. The tutor speaks its explanations aloud as it teaches.
- Speak back. Tap the microphone in the chat, talk, and tap again. Speaking stops the tutor's voice, so it never talks over you. Voice input uses your own OpenAI or Groq key; without one, type instead.
- Point at files. Type
@in the chat to bring any file in your workspace into the conversation. - Show it a picture. Paste a screenshot straight into the chat.
Keeping what you learned
When you prove a concept, LoWisa schedules a review, with longer gaps each time you succeed. When one is due, a Memory check card appears at the top of the chat. Press Review now and the tutor asks one question at a time, reteaching only what you forgot.
Your progress lives on the welcome screen: the Understanding Map shows how much of your code you can explain, Your skill map shows every concept and what is due for review, and Your learning record is a shareable list of skills you have verified.
For why this works, read Active recall and flashcards.
Frequently asked questions
What does the LoWisa tutor do in the IDE?
It talks with you, opens your files and highlights the lines that matter, draws the system on a whiteboard, runs the terminal with you, and guides you until you can explain the work yourself.
Does the LoWisa tutor change my code without asking?
It creates and edits files inside your workspace as it teaches, and asks you before deleting anything, rewriting git history or running risky commands. A checkpoint is saved before meaningful AI edits, and AI: Undo Last AI Change puts everything back.
What is a Memory check in LoWisa?
A spaced-repetition review. When a concept you proved is due, a Memory check card appears and the tutor quizzes you one question at a time.