# Post-Digital Learning for Rural Development: A Case Study of _Open Biotec_ MOOCs in Colombia
## 1 Introduction
In Latin America, rural communities have undergone different transformations in recent decades, giving rise to new social, economic, and cultural dynamics fueled by a growing rapprochement between the rural and the urban areas [9; 10; 11]. This transformation has been accompanied by various rural development measures that aim to improve living conditions in these territories and enhance their human and infrastructure resources [12; 13]. Despite this, not all measures have advanced at the same speed in countries like Colombia, and some of them, like higher education, have been scarce in rural areas. The populations have been characterized by social disparities resulting from armed conflict, drug trafficking, unequal access to land, corruption, and state negligence, among other factors [14]. The most recurrent modality has been the articulation of high school with higher education and the world of work through agreements with public educational institutions where young people acquire technical labor training [13; 15]. In addition, a high percentage of the rural population experiences dropout in high school due to factors such as economic problems (34%), the distance between school and home (28%), academic difficulties (27%), lack of interest in study (26%) and need to work (25%) [16]. It makes many young people leave looking for education or employment while an increasingly aging population remains [17]. These dropout rates remain suspended over time because the governmental reforms choose only to increase the education coverage in the sector. There is no aim of making people find a significant experience in training that allows them to overcome unfavorable social and economic conditions [18]. The training deficiencies in rural human resources need to be solved. In this way, education in rural areas must be based on more than just the dissemination of content. This type of community requires effective and relevant educational innovation strategies [19]. A potential foundation for better training can be to adapt the teaching techniques to the characteristics and needs of the target population, where ideas and concepts are moved from the virtual laboratories to the marketplace, with resulting business development [20; 21; 22; 23]. To this end, closing the educational gap requires the creation of training opportunities with relevance and quality, the intervention of students in their communities, and the intention to strengthen unconventional areas without disengaging from cultural identity [16]. All this, accompanied by an \"in situ\" and free education, with an ability to stimulate the taste for study, as specific characteristics designed to solve the dropout issue. Besides, it is necessary not to interfere with the work of each community member. These opportunities give rise to new and innovative entrepreneurs. Recent research has shown that agricultural entrepreneur profoundly affects the growth and survival of companies [24]. Furthermore, business activity within the academy has become a priority due to its positive impact on regional development. The knowledge gained through the commercialization of research results and the provision of highly trained entrepreneurial human resources in regional labor markets are proof of this [25]. However, to achieve this, the use of ICT is decisive. Besides, it is offered as an alternative to overcome the limitations that cause desertion in this type of community. Closing gaps in technology can help close gaps in education. In the modern world, software technologies developed by academic institutions and industries worldwide are revolutionizing the educational system and continually offering new tools and platforms in students' learning experience [26; 27]. For this, the communities must adopt technologies that allow them to solve the limitations imposed by traditional systems. Incorporate them until they become familiar with rural areas so that they transmit an ideology of proximity to the modernized world [28].