diffing-instructor-vs-student-solution

What problem does it solve?

This Skill helps instructors and TAs turn a reference solution and a student attempt into actionable formative feedback instead of a vague right-or-wrong judgment. It is designed for multi-step work where the real question is which principle broke, not just whether the final answer matched.

Core Features & Use Cases

• Compares the reference and student work step by step and classifies each step into one of four categories: right-answer-wrong-reasoning, wrong-answer-right-reasoning-with-one-misstep, legitimate alternate path, or uncorrelated mechanical error.
• Recognizes cascade errors so one early mistake is not mistaken for many separate failures.
• Distinguishes valid alternate solution paths from coincidental matches and writes feedback in student-facing language that names the underlying principle.
• Use it when grading problem sets, reviewing a student revision, or diagnosing why an automated grader rejected an otherwise plausible attempt.

Quick Start

Compare the attached reference solution and student attempt for the problem, then produce a step-by-step diff with cascade notes, alternate-path checks, concise student-facing feedback, and a short summary of conceptual gaps and mechanical errors.