Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

To be clear, what's interesting here isn't the software itself, which is "a rough proof-of-concept built for informational and exploratory purposes." No, it's that the software exists at all. A couple of nights ago I read on Mastodon, "I wonder if it's possible to build a standalone application that connects to Brightspace and analyzes all course materials and info using a local LLM and then provides a Coach to help me learn? (turns out, yes, and it works well)." This article from the next day describes the process, from the creation of a specifications document to the prompt to the application itself. While watching the Olympics. In one night.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

Copyright 2026
Last Updated: Feb 20, 2026 4:24 p.m.

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