Proposals/Mahara Mobile 2.0

Mahara Mobile is the mobile app for Android and iOS that allows people to collect their learning evidence offline and then upload into their Mahara files and journal area when internet is available again.

It is not a replacement for Mahara and doesn't allow to manage portfolios. It is a file uploader and journal entry creator that allows doing tasks that can be done offline to prepare learning content.

In September 2019 we are looking into refreshing Mahara Mobile as it is encountering more problems and because iOS is deprecating certain APIs that will not allow us to continue using our Cordova app as it is.

We are going to create a proof-of-concept in React Native around the most important areas:

• Uploading of files
• Generate and re-generate a token to access Mahara

Technical details for the current Cordova app are available.

Overall requirements of the app

The requirements for the app have not changed to the Cordova app.

• Offline use: People gather their learning evidence by using normal device functionality, e.g. to take a photo, video, record audio and then tag the file / journal entry, give it a description and a title
• Accessible: Comply with WCAG 2.0 (or better even 2.1)
• Capability to upload content into a specified Mahara instance; the instances can be changed by logging out and logging in with another instance or by being able to add multiple accounts (think Tweetdeck where you can be logged in with different accounts and decide where you want to post something). Right now we do not have account management. People log in to access one instance and log out to access another.
• Default Mahara colour scheme and Mahara Mobile logo.
• Storage: Use device storage for any files
• Connect via various authentication methods
  • internal
  • LDAP / AD
  • SAML / other third-party SSO
  • Via LMS, e.g. if institution only uses LTI or MNet (currently that is handled by people pasting in a token generated on Mahara itself)
• Internationalization
• Add a file
• Create journal entries
• Edit pending files and journal entries
• sync tags, journals, folders from the Mahara instance
• Default settings for folder, tags, journal
• Take photos and use built-in tools for editing etc. and then add it to Mahara Mobile
• Record audio

Nice to have:

• Add file in bulk
• Bulk delete of pending files
• Get notifications from Mahara; which can be decided on in "Notification settings" in the account settings
• History of uploaded items; the list can be cleared
• Pending upload for when you are on 3G and not wifi
• Sync and manual upload trigger
• Show custom theme based on Mahara theme: Moodle allows having a stylesheet as part of a Moodle theme that is then picked up by the mobile app -> makes it easier to theme as everything is in one place