The problem
Teachers at VU wanted to use generative AI for course prep, but pasting content into a chat window is slow and ignores the educational framing: which student level, what kind of quiz, which teaching format. The VU Centre for Teaching and Learning wanted a tool that meets teachers where they already work.
What I built
A Chrome extension that works on whatever the teacher is reading. Any webpage or in-browser PDF becomes raw material for five tools: summaries, quizzes (multiple choice, true/false, short answer), concept explanations at adjustable levels, teaching ideas, and custom prompts built on educational templates. It answers in English or Dutch, matching the language of the source.
I built the full stack solo: the extension itself plus a Node.js/Express backend on Azure with Google OAuth restricted to vu.nl accounts, SSE streaming for responses, rate limiting, and dual AI providers (Azure OpenAI and Gemini) behind one interface.
Outcome
Live on the Chrome Web Store at v3.2.2 and rolling out to educators across the university. GDPR compliant, stores no user data, runs on Chrome, Brave and Edge. This project taught me what production means: OAuth flows, quota handling, versioned releases, and users with deadlines.