A Hypertext Glossary of Nematology
Leonard J. Francl*
ABSTRACT
Computer-aided
instruction in graduate-levellife science
courseshas laggedbehindthat in undergraduate
curricula. The
description of NEMATODE
GLOSSARY,
a hypertext glossary
of terminologyused in graduatehematologycourses, maybe
usefulto othersdeveloping
referencematerialsin life sciences.
Glossaryusers canmovelinearly or nonsequentially
by preset
linkages. Definitionsthat includepotentially unfamiliarterms
are linked to the definition of those terms. Anatomical
terms
are linked to color illustrations. Common
namesof plant and
animalparasites andmnemonic
codes for nematodegenes are
in separate appendices.The programruns on personal computers runningunderMicrosoftDOS.Hypertextis a useful and
cost-effective tool for the development
of specializedreference
materials.
COMPUTER-AIDED
INSTRUCTIONAL
METHODS have permeated undergraduate life science curricula at
manyuniversities. Large class enrollments and grant programs in science education have stimulated the development of customized computer software. Formal training
in computer programmingis no longer a prerequisite to
development of computer-aided instructional programs,
and fusion of auto-tutorial and computer-aided learning
schemes is well underway (Evans et al., 1992; Hannaway
et al., 1992). Graduate life science courses, on the other
hand, generally have small enrollments, are ineligible for
federal grant assistance, arid are often taught by faculty
having research responsibilties as their major concern.
These factors have reduced development of computeraided instruction in graduate-level courses.
One factor all life science courses share is that of introducing new terminology to students. Learning and correctly employing manynew, unfamiliar terms can occupy
a significant portion of a student’s time in preparing for
a course. The task is more daunting for students for
whomEnglish is a second language, a significant subset
of the graduate student population in the agricultural
sciences. Scientists in manydisciplines have published
written glossaries or dictionaries that students can use as
supplemental texts (e.g., Barnes and Beard, 1992; Lozet
and Mathieu, 1991; Holliday, 1989; Lawrence, 1989;
West, 1989). These texts mayfurther serve individuals
throughout their careers as a reference to terminology of
the discipline.
Unlike the main text of a course, reference materials
are not intended to be read sequentially. This quality
makes reference materials good candidates for employing a computer’s capability to run hypertext software,
Department of Plant Pathology,
P.O. Box 5012, North Dakota State
Univ., Fargo, ND 58105-5012. Mention of commercial products in this
article does not indicate preference or endorsement over other products
not mentioned. Received 22 Feb. 1993. *Corresponding author.
Published
in J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci.
Educ. 22:153-155 (1993).
which provides a way to follow ideas nonlinearly, much
like paging through a book. Hypertext operates conceptually via links. The user positions the cursor within a
link origin and an appropriate key press or mouseclick
tells the program to display the link destination. From
here the process can be repeated as the user delves into
a strand of related information. Thus, hypertext is a convenient way to digest large amountsof interrelated, nonsequential information. Hypertext operation is familiar
to those who use a Macintosh with Hypercard (Apple
Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA) or the help systems of
many software packages, including Microsoft Windows
(Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA).
Computer-based materials also can be updated rapidly. Neweditions of textbooks maytake several years to
publish, but updated versions of software may be ready
in a matter of monthsand can be inexpensively distributed. All scientific fields are dynamically changing their
vocabularies, and rapid deploymentof new reference editions is a particular advantage in an expandingdiscipline
such as molecular biology.
This article describes the development,evaluation, and
availability of a hypertext glossary of terminology used
in nematology. Nematodes are worm-shaped invertebrates in the phylumNematathat are important parasites of humans, other animals, and plants. Other
nematode species are important, sometimes dominant,
components of mesofaunal benthic, riparian, and soil
communities. The phylum includes the bacteriovorous
nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (Maupas) Dougherty,
a species used as a model for studies in cellular and
molecular biology (Brenner, 1974). The descriptioh that
follows should be useful to others developing hypertext
reference materials in life sciences.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The hypertext authoring software programcalled Black
Magic (Ntergaid Inc., Fairfield, CT) was used to write
the glossary. Black Magicis distributed with a run-time
royalty-free license, meaningthat an author can develop
and distribute hypertext documents without incurring
royalties payable to Ntergaid. Users can legally read and
print the hypertext documents with a program called
MAGREAD,
but cannot be given the software necessary
to edit them (i.e., Black Magic authoring software)
without authorization from Ntergaid.
Black Magic is a graphic-based program that has many
word processor functions available to the author and
users. Text can be entered directly into the hypertext document or may be imported from an ASCII file. Graphic
files are incorporated through a screen capture utility.
Users can perform searches, read linearly, or take advantage of hypertext links. For authors interested in multimedia presentations, Ntergaid also markets a hypertext
multimedia program called Hyperwriter. Hyperwriter has
J. Nat. Resour. Life
Sci.
Educ., V~. 22, no. 2, 1993 ¯ 153
_File _Search _Navigate_Util _Help
A
HYPERTEXT GLOSSARY OF
NEMATOLOGY
Leonard J. Francl
Department of Plant Pathology
North Dakota State University
ity provided with Black Magic is incompatible with
Windows,the graphic image was first converted to a PCX
file type and displayed with PC Paintbrush (Microsoft
Corp., Redmond, WA).
An appendix is included that contains mnemoniccodes
used for phenotypes found in genetic studies of the nematode C. elegans. A second appendix lists the common
names of plant and animal parasitic nematodesand gives
their corresponding Latin binomial names.
EVALUATION
4 COMMONNAMES~ "~
C. ELEGANS~
F10 or click left mousebutton on top bar for MenuShift-F1 for Help
Fig. 1. The opening screen of NEMATODE
GLOSSARY
1.1 as it
wouldappear(the actual screen is in color) after clicking a mouse
button on the top bar, which displays the pull-down menuoptions.
The menulacks editing and linking functions because MAGREAD,
a read-onlyhyperlext program,is the operative systemin this example.
the capability to incorporate CDROMimages, animation, and sounds to create a multimedia program. It can
be run under a local area network, enhancing its potential use in an electronic classroom setting.
In Black Magic, links can be forged to different locations in the sameor other files, to graphic files, or to popup windows. The latter are most useful for defining or
explaining a word or phrase that does not require further linkages. Links are set off from the text by paired,
colored symbols. Link traversal is accomplishedby placing the cursor or mouse arrow between the symbols and
pressing the FI key or left mouse button. Backtracking
to the starting point is possible by use of the right mouse
button or escape key.
The opening panel of the hematology glossary consists
of alphabetical links to terms, a link to the list of figures
detailing nematode anatomical features, links to two
specialized appendices, and links to prefatory remarks
and acknowledgments(Fig. 1). Terms used in nematology are arranged alphabetically and potentially unfamiliar
terms used in the definitions ate linked to their respective definitions. Manyof the terms and their definitions
were taken with some modifications from A Glossary of
Nematological Terms with permission by the author
(Caveness, 1964). The glossary was expanded to include
manynew terms found in nematology texts and articles
published since 1964. Coverage was improved for nematode parasites of animals and the vocabulary of parasitology.
Sixteen colored figures illustrating various nematode
body parts are included in the current version (1.1)
NEMATODEGLOSSARY. Anatomical
terms were
linked to these illustrations to provide multipoint access.
Figures were scanned into the computerwith the Logitech
ScanManModel 256 (Logitech Corp., Fremont, CA) and
edited with Logitech’s FotoTouch software, both operating under Windows
3.1. Because the screen grabber util154 ¯ J. Nat. Resour. Life Sci. Educ., Vol. 22, no. 2, 1993
The glossary (version 0.9) was used for the first time
in a graduate level nematology course at North Dakota
State University in 1992. Eight students were registered
for the course. The hypertext glossary and a printout was
given to the students with the understanding that it was
a resource for personal reference and there was no specific
requirement to use it. A questionnaire evaluating the usefulness of the glossary was developed 9 mo after the
course ended. Six replies were received. The sample size
wastoo small for a detailed statistical analysis, so the students’ evaluation were qualitatively judged.
All students said they used the glossary while the class
was being taught and 50°70 have used it since. One student who had not used it since the course ended commented that she definitely would use it while preparing
for graduate examinations and in her career as a research
plant pathologist. All felt that the glossary was a valuable resource that enhanced their understanding of nematology. Whenasked to estimate a dollar value for the
glossary, the greatest amount given was $25.00 and the
least was $5.00.
SOFTWARE SPECIFICATIONS
The Black Magic reader system requires an IBMcompatible computer system running under MS-DOS
with a minimum of 512 Kb RAM.The run-time nematode glossary program requires about 300 Kb of storage
space on a hard drive or diskette and includes a help system supplied by Ntergaid. The program can be run under Windows, but does not support dynamic data
exchange. Video requirements are minimal, but a VGA
color monitor and a mouse are recommendedto take advantage of the program’s graphic capabilities.
NEMATODE
GLOSSARY
(version 1.1) is being marketed as a site-licensed product by Cella Designs, Fargo,
ND.Each licensed site is entitled to unlimited copying
privileges and distributions to persons studying or working at the site. The purchaseprice of a site license is $200
including shipping, but purchase orders from lessdeveloped countries qualify for a discounted price of
$100. The site licensees, at their discretion, maycharge
users on site for copies. Persons other than the licensee
who receive a copy of NEMATODE
GLOSSARY
are not
permitted to distribute further copies. The author maintains a mailing list to advise licensees of updatedversions.
Under this arrangement, educators can make an upgrado
able reference available to students or other individuals
studying nematology for about $5.00 to $10.00 each, de-
pending on the actual number of people involved. Further information is available by writing L. J. Francl, Cella
Designs, 2713 Southgate Dr., Fargo, ND 58103.