| Abstract | This study addresses the persistent inequities in cryptography education, par-ticularly in low-resource and war-affected contexts where connectivity, power, and device limitations hinder access to formal learning. It presents Crypto-Course, an offline-first, mobile-optimized learning platform designed to make cryptography education more inclusive and resilient. Following a Design-Based Research (DBR) methodology, we conducted a comparative analysis of twelve widely used cryptography and cybersecurity learning plat-forms using a weighted decision matrix across seven dimensions, including pedagogy, offline capability, mobile optimisation, and accessibility. The findings reveal that none of the existing platforms fully support core learning activities offline or accommodate low-end mobile use and accessibility re-quirements. Based on these insights, we derived and operationalized a set of design requirements in a resource-aware Progressive Web App architecture featuring local data persistence, opportunistic synchronization, and browser-native cryptographic functions via the Web Crypto API. The design incorpo-rates a gamification strategy informed by Self-Determination Theory, Flow, Universal Design for Learning, and the FRAME model to enhance motiva-tion and continuity under unstable conditions. The paper contributes a design and feasibility evaluation of Crypto-Course and outlines future research di-rections focusing on empirical assessment of usability, accessibility, and ed-ucator satisfaction. |
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