Google Colab adds Learn Mode and Custom Instructions to turn Gemini into a personal coding tutor

Two knobs for one assistant

Google is expanding Gemini inside Colab with two new controls: Custom Instructions and Learn Mode. Short version: you can now tailor the Gemini agent at the notebook level and ask it to teach you, not just hand you a block of copy‑paste code. Want a tutor that favors a particular library or follows your class syllabus? You can bake those preferences right into the notebook and toggle them in the Gemini chat box.

Notebook-level personalization and sharing

Custom Instructions live inside the notebook itself, so the preferences you set travel with your work when you share it. That’s a neat move for educators and teams — everyone opening the same notebook gets the same AI context. It’s straightforward: set your style, save it, and future Gemini chats in that notebook follow the rules. Simple, but powerful. Who likes repeating themselves? Not many.

Learn Mode: step-by-step, not take-home homework

Learn Mode is designed to make Gemini a coach. Instead of producing finished code, it allegedly answers coding questions with step‑by‑step explanations that break down concepts and build understanding. Google says the mode is powered by Custom Instructions and can be switched on from the Gemini chat window; example notebooks are preconfigured to use Learn Mode for hands‑on Python exercises. It’s part of the broader trend of AI tools shifting from autopilot to apprenticeship.

Colab’s update leans into sharing and pedagogy at the same time — a small feature set with outsized classroom and developer workflow implications. Will it reduce the temptation to paste first and understand later? Here’s hoping. Google has published the details and sample notebooks on its blog for anyone who wants to try.

Sources: googleaiblog