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Collaboration around the multi-instance mobile app POC

Collaboration around the multi-instance mobile app POC

This space will contain documents relating to a shared provider app, a multi-tenant app that allows LMSs to use the mobile apps at near-no-cost.

Initial context

Earlier this year, Raccoongang proposed a POC for a Universal Mobile App to the Open edX community, laying the groundwork for a unified, accessible mobile learning experience. Following collaborative discussions at the recent Open edX conference, Edunext formally committed to joining forces on this vital initiative. Together, both organizations aim to actively promote this multi instance mobile client, enabling our respective clients to provide their students with seamless, robust access to their courses while expanding the mobile footprint of the entire ecosystem.

These conversations are open for other community stakeholders to join and engage, and are taking place in this document and in the mobile produc biweekly meetings with strong support from Schema Education.

The goal is to deploy a โ€œprovider-ledโ€ and brand agnostic multi-client mobile app with strong community governance, aiming to eventually be proposed to become the โ€œoficialโ€ Open edX mobile app in the future.

To manage the brand-reputation and content-oversight concerns currently outlined by Axim Collaborative, this strategic proposal adopts a "transparent branding" framework under the functional title Mobile Learning App. By utilizing a completely neutral, white-label identity during the initial deployment and pilot phases, the initiative establishes a secure, decentralized testing environment. This pragmatic approach allows us to demonstrate operational stability, guarantee strict security compliance across independent hosting environments, and compile the definitive performance data required to pave a clear path toward official community branding and endorsement in the future.

What follows is our current action plan.

Strategic Work Plan: Mobile Learning App Initiative

The primary objective is to deliver a highly functional, multilingual, app that allows students from an authorized Open edX instance to access their courses in their mobile devices efectively and securely. This initiative operates under a neutral, "white-label" brand to mitigate intellectual property risks for Axim Collaborative and the broader Open edX community, while demonstrating technical and operational viability before pursuing official community endorsement and branding.

Phase 1: Technical Setup & enablement

Objective: Build the shared, neutral environment required for collaborative development and app store submission.

more details here: DRAFT - Framework and Operational Flow:multi-instance Mobile App Collective Testing Phase

  • Key Deliverables:

    • Get the official product proposal process started for this initiative

    • Create the shared Git repository for collaborative coding for the registry backend. (aiming to host it under the official open-edx GitHub organization)

    • Set up a branch in the official mobile app repos for the multi-client mobile app.

    • Agree on the Minimum viable scope for this POC.

    • Agree on the communication chanels for the genearl conversation and for reporting and tracking issues.

    • Technical documentation for registering a site and accessing the testing apps.

    • Register an initial set of Open edX instances to serve as testbeds for app store reviewers (including one from each provider, and perhaps the official Open edX sandbox and training sites).

    • Deploy closed beta tracks via TestFlight and Google Play Beta.

  • Ownership: edunext + RG.

  • Estimated Timeline: Weeks 2โ€“3.

Phase 2: Governance and vision alignment

Objective: Establish the strategic, operational and legal framework for the joint initiative.

Current draft here: DRAFT - Joint Governance Agreement: Mobile Learning App Initiative

  • Key Deliverables:

    • Prepare a Joint Governance Agreement, outlining rules of collaboration, intellectual property (IP) ownership, and data privacy policy, terms of service, etc.

    • Formalize invitations to other community providers to participate in this early-stage joint collaboration.

  • Ownership: Joint (Edunext & RG Executive teams).

  • Estimated Timeline: Weeks 1โ€“4.

Phase 3: Testing and App Enhancements

Objective: Modify the codebase to resolve identified issues and support multiple, independent server backends under a neutral UI.

Issue Tracking: Initially sub issues here: Universal Mobile Learning App ยท Issue #51 ยท openedx/wg-mobile

  • Key Deliverables:

    • Remove all brand-specific assets, references, and proprietary API hooks from the mobile core codebase.

    • Implement the neutral UML App UI shell, clean typography, standard naming, and the selected flat icon pack.

    • Detect and resolve critical functional issues (specifically addressing errors in core features identified during initial testing, such as navigation, catalog displays, course enrollment, and discussion forum interactions).

    • Validate API connectivity, secure authentication handshakes, and OAuth flows across independent hosting environments.

    • Validate compliance with multi-tenancy models, ideally ensuring support for instances running a single production tenant alongside one or more hidden testing/staging tenants.

    • Test all basic and advanced functionalities across multiple domains to guarantee functional consistency.

    • Confirm i18n support or provide translation strings as required for the beta program.

    • Conduct rigorous data security and privacy audits, focusing on secure on-device token storage (utilizing iOS Keychain and Android Keystore) and GDPR/CCPA compliance of the central site-routing registry, ensuring strict alignment with agreed-upon governance policies.

  • Ownership: Led by RaccoonGang (mobile core experts) with Edunext review and assistance.

  • Estimated Timeline: Weeks 3โ€“7.

Phase 4: App Store Submission & Compliance

Objective: Navigate store review hurdles and secure live, downloadable versions of the app.

  • Key Deliverables:

    • Produce neutral, high-quality app store metadata, descriptive copy, and white-labeled screenshots aligned with the agreed-upon branding guidelines.

    • Submit the iOS and Android packages to Apple and Google under the designated developer account.

    • Execute the public production release in both app stores under the commercial name "Mobile Learning App" via the standard app store and Google Play stores.

    • Manage store reviews proactively, deploying quick-fix patches to address any technical or policy rejections raised by reviewers.

  • Ownership: Joint (Assigned release managers from both teams).

  • Estimated Timeline: Weeks 7โ€“9.

Phase 5: Controlled Pilot

Objective: Validate real-world performance and gather initial data with a limited group of trusted instances.

  • Key Deliverables:

    • Onboard 2โ€“3 selected pilot instances from each of the participating partners to use the app in production.

    • Establish comprehensive application analytics, usage patterns tracking, and system performance monitoring.

  • Ownership: Joint (Edunext and RG account managers supporting their respective pilot clients).

  • Estimated Timeline: Weeks 9โ€“15.

Phase 6: Towards the official endorsement

Objective: Build a data-driven case study for Axim Collaborative to consider endorsing the provider-led mobile app as the oficial app.

  • Key Deliverables:

    • Implement continuous automated and manual monitoring of content safety and connectivity.

    • Compile a "Proof of Concept" data report detailing active users, retention rates, security compliance, and operational success to present to Axim Collaborative for future official brand integration.

  • Ownership: Joint Committee.

  • Estimated Timeline: Month 6 onwards (Continuous).