s:1187:"%T Can e-learning support agricultural development in developing countries? 
%A Atkinson A D 
%A Beniest J 
%A Rao S H 
%X Advances in information and communication technology are opening up new opportunities for dis - tance learning. Various centres within the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) have been developing electronic learning materials for use on the Internet, such as on-line short courses, CD-ROMs, on-line communities and collaborative sites. The centres have also developed virtual university courses for longer-term training. The CGIAR centres collaborate with national and regional partners in developing and using these e-learning materials. The centres are also creating a joint Learning Resources Centre. This will gather and coordinate learning materials based on ongoing research from contributing CGIAR centres, especially material with cross-disciplinary applicability, such as statistical analyses or scientific writing. These materials will be adapted for a broad range of applications, and will be presented in different media and levels of interaction, depending on local circumstances and the context of learning goals 
";