Designing courses for learners with limited or no internet access requires careful planning and technical optimization. This guide provides key principles and best practices for creating offline-ready courses on atingi.
For tailored support, we strongly recommend consulting the FMB (learning-for-development@giz.de) and engaging an expert in offline readiness — either through your network or via the framework contract (Strategic Competence Development and E-Learning Content Creation) experts available to assist with course design and adaptation.
Course design principles for Offline Readiness
- Know your learners: Consider the target learner´s devices, connectivity, and digital literacy before designing content
- Devices & storage: Many learners use older phones with little free space. Keep files small so courses can be downloaded and stored offline.
- Familiarity with tools: Complex drag-and-drop or branching tasks may confuse learners with low digital literacy. Short videos and simple text fields often work better.
- Navigation: Provide clear, simple menus and step-by-step instructions (e.g. “Click Next to continue”).
- Connectivity: Learners may only connect briefly to download materials. Ensure the course works fully offline until the next connection.
- Use local resources: All materials (text, PDFs, videos, quizzes) must be uploaded directly to Moodle instead of linking to external sources
- Avoid external embeds: Refrain from embedding content from platforms like YouTube, Vimeo, or cloud-hosted resources. Courses should also not assume access to specific software or the internet - offline alternatives (e.g. Wikipedia, office tools via atingiBox) must be provided.
- SCORM compliance: Use authoring tools that support offline SCORM compatibility (e.g. Adapt, H5P, Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate)
- Lightweigt authoring tools: H5P and Adapt are generally rather lightweight, as they produce small, HTML5-based SCORM packages optimized for mobile and offline use. Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate often produce heavier files with complex media. Check if your tool offers a “lite” export mode for better offline performance.
- Shorter learning modules: Use chunked learning approaches as mobile learners struggle with long study sessions
Alternative interaction methods: Consider offline-friendly assessments, such as auto-graded quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, or short text answers. Avoid assignments that require constant connectivity or advanced digital skills.
Optimize multimedia content
- Video optimization: Compress videos before uploading (e.g. Handbrake; FreeConvert)
- Audio format selection: Use MP3 over WAV to reduce file size
- Image compression: Utilize optimized formats like WebP or compressed JPEG instead of PNG
- Small-screen compatibility: Ensure that images, videos, and interactions are also accessible on low-end Android devices
- Lightweight resources: Optimize content for minimal storage space to ensure smooth offline access
Course structure and navigation
- Use Moodle’s built-in features: Leverage Moodle quizzes, H5P activities, and text-based materials over external interactive tools
- Design for offline navigation: Larger buttons, simplified menus and accessible structures for better usability
- Support older devices and browsers: Optimize for learners using older mobile devices with limited processing power
Testing Offline-ready Courses
Before publishing, always test the course in conditions that reflect your learners’ reality — not just in a comfortable office setup.
- Test on low-end Android devices: Many learners use older or budget smartphones, so check that your course runs smoothly on such devices.
- Test offline: Download the course and switch off Wi-Fi/mobile data. Ensure all videos, quizzes, and documents are accessible without internet.
- Test with poor connectivity: Simulate slow or unstable connections using browser developer tools. Check whether the course can be fully downloaded before going offline and that it resumes correctly if interrupted.
- Test on older browsers: Some learners may use outdated browsers. Verify that navigation, quizzes, and multimedia still function.
- Avoid “office-only testing”: Don’t rely on testing with high-speed office Wi-Fi and a modern laptop. This probably doesn’t represent your learners’ reality.