Abstract

The transition to technology-enhanced learning in Nigerian higher education has been hampered by existing e-learning platforms (such as Moodle) which are often web-centric, lack pedagogical depth, and fail to meet critical data security standards. Empirical data confirms that a vast majority of university students rely exclusively on mobile devices, necessitating the development of an intrinsically mobile-first solution. This paper presents the architectural blueprint and detailed design specification of the Pedagogy-Driven Secure Adaptive Mobile Learning (PD-SAML) system for blended learning environments. The PD-SAML design is realized as a four-layer modular architecture that integrates three core principles: Sociocultural Pedagogy (to mandate peer-interaction and scaffolding), Dynamic Adaptivity (managed by an Adaptive Learning Engine that employs behavioral analytics and user profiling), and a Defense-in-Depth Security Strategy (enforcing Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) compliance via secure authentication and AES-based data encryption). By providing a clear technical specification of the system’s modules, including its mobile-optimized interface, offline access capabilities, and security protocols, this work contributes a robust, context-aware engineering artifact to address the specific mobile, pedagogical, and security challenges faced by developing world higher institutions.

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