Abstract:

A Qualitative Study of the Development and First Year of Implementation of the Blacksburg Electronic Village John R. Schorger, Jr. (Abstract) This qualitative study examined and describes the development and first year of implementation of the Blacksburg Electronic Village. This project, which came to national attention February 10, 1994 on the NBC Nightly News, was a collaborative effort by Bell Atlantic of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and the Town of Blacksburg, Virginia. This study looks at the origins of this project as it relates to the development of technological innovations, examines the formation of the partnership, and describes critical events that occurred over time which contributed to the success of the project. Data sources included published documents, key participant interviews, and participant observations. These data sources were then coded and analyzed using HyperQual 2 version 1.0, a qualitative data analysis program, to establish the development and first year of implementation of the Blacksburg Electronic Village. The information gleaned from this analysis was then used to present the Blacksburg Electronic Village story through the first year of official operation. Included in the story are the critical events for the village, a timeline of these critical events, and the successes and challenges that have shaped the electronic village and contributed to what it has become today.