# Post-Digital Learning for Rural Development: A Case Study of _Open Biotec_ MOOCs in Colombia
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Contribution of MOOCs to Closing Social Gaps and Economic Challenges
For this reason, a formation course called Bioprocesses was designed to achieve these transformations. The MOOC presents the central concepts of biological processes and illustrates the equipment and techniques required for the biological production of interesting substances. In Colombia, many wastes are not used efficiently. This is due to the lack of knowledge about the appropriate methods for their preparation, characterization, and transformation, with sufficient quality and safety [71]. In emerging economies and a megadiversity of natural resources, microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, and yeasts, are used in biological processes to provide enhanced value to raw materials. This fact creates relevant market niches and boosts these economies [72]. The Uraba subregion is composed of different bioregions with a diversity of coastal ecosystems, continental biological corridors, and biological wealth associated with rivers, swamps, and tropical forests. This environment makes it a source of opportunities for bio-entrepreneurship. Additionally, the MOOC on Environmental Biotechnology empowers the students to identify the potential of biotechnology for the bioremediation of contaminated water and soil, especially in rural areas. One of the premises of sustainable rural development is to solve, mitigate or prevent environmental problems [73]. The community should conserve natural resources for present and future generations. Environmental biotechnology, also identified as bioremediation, applies microorganisms, fungi, plants, or the enzymes derived from them, for the attenuation, reduction, or elimination of the harmful effects caused by environmental pollutants in a given site [73; 74]. In the Uraba subregion, domestic wastewater treatment systems are not enough to cover 100% of the population's discharges [75]. Besides, the increase in agricultural and industrial activities represents impacts at an ecological level on the health of living beings and human communities. In turn, a Renewable Energies MOOC leads the student towards the potential of alternative energies to develop different processes efficiently and innovatively, making the most of natural resources. With the courses on Agricultural Residues and Bioprocesses, students acquire the tools to visualize biomass as a raw material to produce alternative energy. The biomass composition of agricultural wastes has large amounts of carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, which can participate in exothermic reactions that generate energy, to supply up to 35% of primary energy consumption in developing countries [76]. Finally, the Bio-entrepreneurship MOOC teaches the design process for launching and managing new businesses based on biotechnology. The students acquire skills to create value proposals and communicate business models. In many developing countries, the biotechnology industry is led by small and medium-sized companies capable of implementing innovation and high-technology projects in the sector [77]. Bio-entrepreneurship and bio-economy understood as a technology-based business directly or indirectly linked to biotechnological tools, allows the target community to convert all the knowledge received into value proposals that promote the development of its members [78; 79]. The bioeconomy provides potential for regional development, as the bioresources are widely distributed in rural and remote areas where alternative sources of livelihood are usually scarce [80]. These courses combine the basic understanding of biotechnology and bio- entrepreneurship with their application in the local environment of the community and can be developed without a strict sequential order. In other words, the different community members have an important and assorted academic offering where they can adopt a pick-and-choose strategy because they have different learning needs [45]. Nowadays, there are virtual education tools for agricultural waste management training.