Stepwise

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  Generated by OpenAI's ChatGPT, created September 27, 2026.

Inspiration

I was inspired on Saturday morning to try something. I didn't want to leave my first hackathon without attempting to do something.

What it does

My project helps walk you through 3 basic Python Programming Concepts, loop boundaries, conditions, and running totals. Each of the 3 lessons goes through 4 stages: predict what the code will do, investigate the rule, revise the code, and then try an example by yourself.

How we (I) built it

I built Stepwise in Python using Streamlit for the web interface. I used Google's Gemini Flash API to help select hints based on what the learner/user is thinking. Each lesson checks answers, keeps track of progress, and makes available downloadable reports that may have useful application for teachers who keep track of how many hints students used for questions.

Challenges we (I) ran into

I have never built a website application like this. Turning this idea I had into a working project was the biggest challenge. I had to decide how I would let the AI help without giving the answer away. I solved that problem by having Gemini select from pre-determined hints and keeping the built-in hints available as a backup if user decided not to use the API.

Another huge challenge was figuring out how to make the lessons transition smoothly as I would get lost once I finished on part of a lesson, it would suddenly go to the next part. The progress report and keeping track of answers was another difficult challenge. Testing the app and thinking of ways to break my own app helped

Accomplishments that we're (I'm) proud of

I am proud that I built and submitted a project at my first hackathon, especially solo. Stepwise now has three complete lessons, a practice stage for each lesson, optional AI hints, and a report that you can download to keep track of each lesson.

What we learned

I learned how to build an interactive website app with Streamlit, learned how to connect Python to the Gemini API, manage progress through a browser session, and testing/debugging a complete workflow. As well, I learned the importance of an educational AI feature needing carefully crafted boundaries; a great hint should be enough to move someone forward while leaving the reasoning to the individual.

What's next for Stepwise

I'd like learners/users to easily upload or paste a single math or coding problem, confirm that my app can read it correctly, and then receive a custom guided lesson. That would require many careful checks for accuracy of lessons and hints that may reveal too much. I'd would begin with a very short set of Python problems, then delve into Java, C, and math once the AI is reliable enough.

Built With

• css
• google-gemini
• html
• pydantic
• python
• streamlit