Among various Land-Grant universities, there is a major emphasis on ha
ving university extension faculty develop distance education programs
and then carry them to county locations. Satellite extension programmi
ng is in the early stages of development as an educational program for
farmers. The challenge is to utilize the technology to augment existi
ng educational programs as well as to create new programs. Well-planne
d programs, in-depth materials, timely topics, and rapid teaching pace
work well to keep audience attention and to communicate topics effect
ively. Audience interaction during these programs must be emphasized,
and the traditional lecture format is almost completely eliminated. On
-site discussions, homework, and periods for live questions and answer
s are critical for interaction. A key aspect of these workshops is to
augment the program with unique footage of people, places, and things
that would otherwise not be available to farmers as part of a local co
unty program. In addition, the county agent or site coordinator is an
integral part of the program as a local teacher and discussion leader
and must receive support for that role from the state specialists.