Show HN: Open-source tool for creating courses like Duolingo

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

An open-source project to build Duolingo-style interactive courses for any subject is drawing interest from people frustrated with closed, gamified language apps and legacy LMS platforms. Commenters focus on two main challenges: designing a learner experience that works well on phones without the distracting “twee” gamification of Duolingo, and making course creation scalable via formats like JSON/CSV, version control, plugins, and possible Anki integration. There is broad support for the idea but repeated warnings that the creator must narrow the target market (schools, enterprises, or a creator marketplace) and invest heavily in content quality and collaboration tools if the platform is to gain real adoption.

Product vision and roadmap

  • Tool aims to enable “Duolingo-like” interactive courses for any subject, not just languages.
  • Planned offerings: enterprise (org training), schools, and a public marketplace. Several commenters warn this is too many markets; suggest picking one.
  • Creator prioritizes features that support a paid cloud product (needs revenue, no funding).
  • Roadmap includes bulk/API uploads, JSON import/export, and possible plugin system for custom lesson types.

Content creation vs learner experience

  • Multiple commenters find the current authoring UI tedious and “click-heavy.”
  • Strong advice to:
    • Focus first on learner UX, mobile-first design, and smooth navigation.
    • Define a simple JSON/CSV DSL so content can be generated or batch-edited (e.g., via LLMs).
  • Some suggest storing course content as version-controlled files (JSON/Markdown), with a GUI editor that reads/writes a folder, allowing Git or cloud storage.

Pedagogy, gamification, and Duolingo comparisons

  • Opinions split on Duolingo-style gamification:
    • Some see it as core to engagement and success (streaks, points).
    • Others find it infantilizing, distracting, and even demotivating over time.
  • Several note Duolingo can function as an effective “pacifier” or vocabulary trainer but is incomplete for real-world speaking and listening.
  • Calls for better explanations, active recall, spaced repetition, and support for different learner goals (speaking, writing, accent).
  • Desire that this platform not lock creators into ineffective course patterns and allow richer interactions than multiple choice.

Comparison to existing tools (Moodle, Opigno, LibreLingo, Anki, H5P)

  • Existing LMSs are seen as powerful but clunky, video/text-centric, and far from Duolingo-level UX.
  • This project is viewed as complementary, focusing on interactive, hands-on learning rather than replacing LMSs.
  • Some question why to choose it over established open-source solutions and warn about long-term content portability (H5P cited as a safer bet).

Technology, UX, and security

  • Built on Elixir/Phoenix LiveView; performance and dev experience praised.
  • Mobile responsiveness issues reported on small iPhones.
  • Login required for demo is widely criticized; suggestions include guest access or passwordless links.
  • Feedback that strict password complexity rules are outdated; length and breached-password checks preferred.

Potential use cases

  • Ideas include music theory/instruments, crypto onboarding, language learning (including Chinese, Japanese), and custom courses for children or grandchildren.
  • Several express interest in experimenting with the tool or contributing, but some see the Erlang/Elixir stack as a barrier.