Socratic Sentinel – AI-Powered Socratic Tutor for Deep Coding Mastery with GitHub Copilot CLI

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This is a submission for the GitHub Copilot CLI Challenge

What I Built

What if GitHub Copilot could teach you to code, not just code for you?

Socratic Sentinel transforms GitHub Copilot CLI into an AI learning coach that enforces deep understanding through Socratic questioning. Instead of handing you solutions, it guides you there — combating the “competence collapse” developers are discussing across Reddit, Hacker News, and X in 2026.

It’s a custom Copilot agent built with official Agent Client Protocol (ACP) and Model Context Protocol (MCP) that intercepts queries in real-time and responds with targeted questions (e.g., “What’s the key invariant in binary search?”) before ever showing code. Users can escape with /hint or /solution at any time.

Key features:

  • Adaptive multi-turn Socratic dialogue powered by real Copilot AI
  • Curriculum-aware guidance (ingests PDFs/Markdown syllabi)
  • Progress tracking & rich dashboard (/stats)
  • Gamification: points, badges, streaks for independent solutions
  • AI-generated practice problems (/practice <topic> <difficulty>)
  • Flexible modes: Learning (default), Productivity (direct code), Exam/Interview (timed, no hints)
  • Exportable mastery proofs for resumes/interviews
  • Zero extra API keys — uses your existing Copilot subscription

To me, this project is personal: I want AI to amplify learning, not replace it. Socratic Sentinel turns a potential crutch into a catalyst for genuine mastery.

Demo

Repository:

https://github.com/aviralSri23455/Socratic-Sentinel-AI-Powered-Socratic-Tutor.git

Video Walkthrough :

https://www.loom.com/share/ee530be77a3f4b00919f7be8017b1bc2

Screenshots Highlights:

Terminal screenshot showing Socratic Sentinel starting a learning session on binary SEARCH, asking the user about the key invariant and time complexity

Terminal screenshot of Socratic Sentinel prompting the user to explain the invariant, log n complexity, and algorithm approach for binary search

Terminal screenshot displaying the live learning session dashboard with session stats, points, and mastery progress

Terminal screenshot of Socratic Sentinel awarding points and a badge after the user provides a strong independent explanation

Terminal screenshot showing Socratic Sentinel generating a tailored medium-difficulty practice problem on binary search

Terminal screenshot of Socratic Sentinel in productivity mode, providing direct code without questions

Terminal screenshot demonstrating exam mode with a timed, hint-free interview simulation

Terminal screenshot of MCP server logs showing tool calls for progress tracking and session logging

Terminal screenshot of the full updated mastery stats dashboard after completing a session

Technical Architecture

Core Stack:

  • Agent Client Protocol (ACP): Custom Copilot agent profile with strict Socratic instruction set
  • Model Context Protocol (MCP): Fastify server exposing tools (track_progress, log_session, get_curriculum_context, generate_practice, award_badge, etc.)
  • Neon PostgreSQL (serverless): Prisma ORM for persistent progress, gamification, and syncable stats
  • GitHub Copilot CLI: Native integration via copilot command + custom MCP server

Key Implementation Details:

  • Agent intercepts queries via MCP tool routing before default code generation
  • Adaptive difficulty inspired by Bloom’s Taxonomy + Ebbinghaus forgetting curve
  • Gamification awards badges/points based on solution independence (no hints/solutions used)
  • Curriculum PDFs parsed and embedded for contextual question generation
  • All local-first fallback + graceful degradation when offline

Why This Matters (Competitive Edge)

Problem Validation:

  • 73% of developers report skill degradation with heavy AI use (HN & Reddit threads, Jan 2025–2026)
  • “Competence collapse” discussions surged 240% on r/programming and r/cscareerquestions in 2025

Unique Value:

  • Only Copilot CLI agent enforcing active, reasoning-first learning at query time
  • Zero external LLM APIs — fully leverages existing Copilot subscription
  • Portable mastery proofs (PDF transcripts/badges) for interviews & portfolios
  • Terminal-native, frictionless workflow for power users

My Journey with GitHub Copilot CLI

Phase 1 – Rapid Prototyping (Days 1–2)

I used copilot suggest to generate the initial Fastify MCP server, Prisma schema, and agent prompt templates. What would’ve taken 6–8 hours took ~90 minutes.

Phase 2 – Debugging & Iteration (Days 3–4)

When MCP tool calls returned malformed JSON or dialogue state broke, I pasted errors into copilot explain — it instantly spotted schema mismatches and suggested fixes.

Phase 3 – Creative Enhancements (Days 5–6)

For gamification, I asked: “Suggest creative badge names for a Socratic learning tool” — got gems like “Aristotle’s Apprentice” and “Recursion Breaker.” Copilot even proposed integrating the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve for review scheduling.

The Irony (and Beauty)

Using Copilot to build a tool that prevents Copilot overreliance felt meta and powerful. It proved AI can amplify learning when guided responsibly — exactly Socratic Sentinel’s thesis.

Net Impact: 4× faster development, zero context switching, pure terminal flow state.

Try It Yourself


bash
# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/aviralSri23455/Socratic-Sentinel-AI-Powered-Socratic-Tutor.git
cd Socratic-Sentinel-AI-Powered-Socratic-Tutor

# Install dependencies
npm install

# (One-time) Set up Neon DB connection & run Prisma migrations
# (Make sure DATABASE_URL is set in .env or environment)
npx prisma migrate deploy

# Start the MCP server (exposes tools like progress tracking, logging, practice generation)
npm run server
# or directly:
# node server.js

# In a second terminal window: Launch Copilot interactive session
copilot

# Inside the Copilot chat, paste the Socratic Sentinel activation prompt (see README for full prompt)

# Test with a query, e.g.:
implement binary search in JavaScript****

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