# Post-Digital Learning for Rural Development: A Case Study of _Open Biotec_ MOOCs in Colombia
## 3 Results and Discussion  
### Diagnosis in Pilot Communities  
The Uraba region is the second-largest market in the department of Antioquia, having a population of 693,868 inhabitants, which accounts for 10.49% of the total inhabitants of the department [58]. Around 40% of this population pertains to the rural sector, where the young population represents 58.1% of the subregion (Table 2). The communities exhibit an index of Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) of 80.91% on average for the region. Around 62.29% of the population cannot pay for health coverage, which shows the scarcity of their living conditions [60]. Furthermore, in the past decade, the region presented the highest number of massive displacements (20.2%) due to conflict, violence, and public order [60]. In these communities, only 47% of young people between 11 and 16 have access to high school, while 16.2% of the population between 17 and 24 access technical or undergraduate programs [59]. In addition to this, rural unemployment in the region is about 34% and rises to 45% for people between 16 and 29 [58]. This value is the highest in the country, mainly due to a lack of access to higher education and job opportunities. Due to this, several testimonies from the members of these communities indicate that the youth of Uraba show little motivation to stay in the region and are attracted to move to urban centers in search of job opportunities. Close these educational gaps requires 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 of this is 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 important not to interfere with the work of each member of the community. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c} \hline \hline
**Domain** & **Topic** & **Indicator** \\ \hline Population & Rural area inhabitants & 269,103 \\  & Youth population (\(<\)24 years old) & 58.1\% \\  & Population without health coverage (subsidized regime) & 62.29\% \\  & Youth population enrolled in high school (11–16 years old) & 47.0\% \\  & Youth population enrolled in higher education (17–24 years old) & 17.0\% \\  & UBN (Unsatisfied Basic Needs) & 80.91\% \\  & Rural job & Rural unemployment rate & 34\% \\  & Internet penetration rate & 4\% \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular} Sources: [58–60].  
\end{table} 
Table 2: Socio-economic indicators of Urabá region. Precisely, closing gaps in technology can help close gaps in education. For this, these communities must adopt technologies that allow them to solve the different limitations imposed by traditional systems. Incorporate them until they become familiar with rural areas, in such a way that they transmit an ideology of proximity to the modernized world [28]. Today, information and communication technologies (ICT) are present in all areas, allowing more and more people to interact effectively with their surroundings [9; 29]. However, the success of ICT initiatives needs to be ensured to make it a sustainable mode of learning [61]. According to this, it is possible to build virtual communities with an adequate appropriation of ICT to develop new training strategies [62]. At the same time, biotechnology provides tools and research capabilities to face the challenges of technological development in a country like Colombia. Hence, it can reduce the impact of hazardous pollutants in the water, soil, and air matrices. At the same time, it promotes the synthesis of innovative products with added value to the market. The combination of biotechnology and ICT can create communities with training to reduce poverty levels, improve living conditions, and strengthen food safety in rural areas. Through the virtual learning process, it is possible to solve economic and geographical limitations and not interfere with the time that the population dedicates to their productive work.