ABSTRACT
The Blacksburg Electronic Village (BEV) became a far-flung participatory design project, energizing pockets of innovation throughout the community, transforming the communitys sense of its own identity, and catalyzing community learning about information technology. The BEV had already made the important point that pre-existing, appropriable socio-technical infrastructure is a prerequisite for meaningful participation. In 1993 the US National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a Networking Infrastructure for Education program, which supported research initiatives exploring how networked computing could enhance science and mathematics education. Typical community-based associations, such as the School Board and the Parent Teacher Association, engage parents in planning and implementing educational programs and reciprocally engage teachers in the concerns and activities of the broader community. The teacher in the rural community chose to focus mentoring activities on a single class, with a mentor assigned to each of six project groups. The firewall also prevented video conferencing interactions with community mentors for several months.
