Online courses and virtual education laboratories are proving valuable in the resource-limited developing world, where there are many more potential learners than can be accommodated by the pool of experienced classroom teachers and institutions offering scientific education (see Nature 495, 160–163; 2013 and Nature 499, 268–270; 2013).
India has developed its own innovative examples of freely available e-learning resources. Scientific-education materials, such as those supplied by the Sakshat Virtual Labs and the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning, are also available to a global audience (S. Ray et al. PLoS Biol. 10, e1001353; 2012).
In developing countries, the anticipated benefits of such resources extend beyond distance learning. Science and technology skills can fuel a knowledge-driven economy, narrowing a country's poverty gap and leading to national prosperity that is embedded in sustainable practices.
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Srivastava, S. E-learning booster in developing world. Nature 501, 316 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/501316c
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/501316c
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