Characteristics of a minicourse developed at Macquarie University in Australia, its application in Australia, and potential for countries in the Asia-Pacific region are discussed. A minicourse is defined as an entire course of studies for a group, similar to a conventional course but compressed into a few hours. The Australian minicourse is characterized by: a systems approach, self contained, clear objectives, skills orientation, wide participation, varied learning activities and media, structured program, creative activity, overt and exemplary strategies, participant feedback, followup, and an educational technology design. In addition to describing minicourse development and the resources needed, a minicourse description, which includes the rationale and objectives, is presented. Examples of training areas in Asia and the Pacific where minicourses would be applicable are examined, including inservice education, curriculum development, material development and evaluation, and resource center administration. The following resources are also presented: titles of available minicourses, guidelines for adapting minicourses to the needs of developing countries, a case study of the application of the minicourse approach in Thailand, checklists for evaluating program design and presentation, and a bibliography. (SW)