For further information contact: Edith Hesse

Numerous capacity strengthening activities were jointly organized over the past 10 years by CIAT, the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute's Regional Office for the Americas (Bioversity -AMS).

However, obtaining funding for traditional training courses has recently become more difficult. Given the continually high demand for training, distance education was seen as a promising alternative for reaching wider audiences, including those in remote areas. To embark on this new teaching venture, a strategic partnership was established to provide computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) through the Network of Institutions Dedicated to Teaching Agricultural and Rural Development Policies for Latin America and the Caribbean (REDCAPA), which has over 10 years experience in CSCL.

A multi-institutional pilot e-learning course, conducted from August 2004 to January 2005, resulted in many interesting lessons for the institutional partners, as well as for the students and tutors. The course was externally evaluated, with encouraging results.