However, because the county was their least preferred training location, distance methods would have to be balanced with regional and statewide sessions. Staff preferred regional locations for training over all others. Distance education methods focused on regional sites could still offer these benefits, and save travel time for staff and university-based faculty. In response to another survey question, county staff overwhelmingly said they had too little voice in in-service planning and design. The survey did not focus on university faculty members' attitudes towards distance education.
Some methods can require more preparation by teachers and provide less flexibility.
Faculty and administrators will need to develop new methods of evaluating in-service education. As a result of the survey responses, in the fall of 1997, Penn State Cooperative Extension began a pilot program of quarterly satellite in-services. To be eligible for satellite broadcast, at least 35 staff must be registered to make the program cost effective. Currently, Extension administration is considering a proposal to cost-share some of these savings to help pay for satellite uplink costs. Virginia telemedia systems for administrative, training and educational uses.