Mobile applications with a focus on low-bandwidth usage, global access, or expanded accessibility tend to support the following items:

• Lightweight size

• Data conservation tools

• Customizable saving options

• Progress indicators for downloads and storage

• Data syncing on network restore

• Frequent caching

• Seamless offline to online transitions

• Increasingly, machine learning algorighms to predict data needs and usage patterns

Global mobile access appears at time to result in specialized ‘lite’ versions of applications, but larger technology companies seem to back off these efforts often after a few years, citing the improvements to their full applications. DRM limitations have seemingly hampered interesting offline download and sharing functionality, but a general lesson to learn here for Open edX is a relentless focus on performance optimization and where possibly opting for cached offline views for content over web views not optimized for mobile consumption.

Through an initial exploration of a few accessibility focused applications (Natural Reader, SeeingAI, Field Museum for All), a few areas of interest / exploration surfaced.

1. Exploring how AI / Software might lower the cost of Video Audio Descriptions / Multi-Lingual Transcripts

2. Improved Font Sizing for Readability

3. Visual Exploration of Course Structure (as opposed to linear outline approach)

4. Learner Check-Ins (Progress / Motivation / Sentiment / Feedback)