For adding to some on going interest here in solutions for bringing online learning content and functionality to places lacking internet access– I’m not surprised to find yet another nifty feature of Moodle.
The Moodle mobile app has the capability to download learning material and exercises to a mobile device for working through lessons offline, with the capability to synchronous progress when the device is able to connect online. See the Moodle mobile app offline features
We live in a hyper-connected 5G world and we think the Internet is everywhere, but we usually forget about:
- Underdeveloped and developing countries
- Rural areas in big countries
- Kids with restricted data plans
- Shared internet connection in schools/classrooms
- Aerial and maritime traffic
One of the most powerful features of the Moodle app is that it enables us to work offline.
Students can browse course contents offline and participate in activities, then once they are connected back to the Internet, the app will synchronise all the necessary information with their Moodle site.
I learned about this while in conversation with Grant Potter at the University of Northern British Columbia where he described how UNBC has made use of this for some of their remote learners. It seems that this is a feature that needs to be turned on by a Moodle admin.
In someways it parallels Kiwix, which enables downloading of Wikipedia and more content to a mobile device for offline reading.
I am familiar with the impressive work of @danmcguire at https://sabier.org/ using Moodlebox and there is an impressive array of other solutions at the Offline Internet Consortium.
I have no experience at all with this Moodle feature but am very curious to know if anyone else is using it and can share more, or for that matter more examples of use of these approaches for providing access to online/digital content, especially open content, for situations where being online is not possible.
It’s no uncommon in the world.