Development of an Offline-Capable Mobile Learning Application for Primary School Pupils in Rural Borno State

Primary school pupils in rural Borno State, North East Nigeria, face significant educational disadvantages due to conflict disruption, teacher shortages, and minimal access to digital learning resources. This project developed an offline-capable Android mobile learning application targeting numeracy and literacy skills for pupils in primary classes three to six. The application was built in Android Studio using Java, with content comprising 240 interactive exercises across arithmetic, English reading comprehension, and basic science, structured progressively across three difficulty levels. All content and assessment data were stored in a SQLite local database, enabling full functionality without internet connectivity. A gamified reward system awarded virtual badges for completed modules to sustain engagement. A teacher dashboard mode allowed educators to review individual pupil progress reports stored locally. The application was piloted with 45 pupils across two UNICEF-supported learning centres in Maiduguri over eight weeks. Pre- and post-pilot assessments showed a mean arithmetic score improvement of 24.6 percentage points. Reading comprehension showed a 19.3 percentage point improvement. Session engagement rate averaged 82.4 percent of enrolled pupils attending per session. Average session duration was 34 minutes. The app occupied 47 MB of storage and ran without performance issues on Android 7.0 devices with 1 GB RAM, compatible with low-specification donated devices commonly found in the region. The study recommends Hausa language content adaptation and a version compatible with sub-500 MB device constraints for wider deployment in conflict-affected communities.

Keywords: mobile learning, offline education, primary school, Borno State, North East Nigeria