E-Learning as the New Tool for Development in Bangladesh

This paper is based on a qualitative case study research, in an attempt to find a new perspective around e-learning, associating it with developmental gains and with ground realities where informal learning is a deep-rooted social practice in rural Bangladesh. The study shows that e-learning can provide enhanced opportunities for learning, and the development of awareness, skills and knowledge, associated with the lives and livelihoods of those living in situations of poverty. These enhanced opportunities imply increased capability of rural people and the resulting freedom to learn, despite individual limitations and challenging context. The research suggests that a trust based assisted e-learning platform can offer freedom of learning for rural people when the e-learning system is configured in a way that reflects context-specific rural realities.