presses the mouse button, that acti- vates a second stack of cards. Computer Center The second stack of cards contains information about the enzymes in- volved. For this example, the appro- priate card is shown in Figure 2. This card contains three fields which relate HyperCardas a Tool for Educational to the enzyme. The name of the en- zyme is presented, along with the re- SoftwareDevelopment action it catalyzes. In addition, there is room for various notes which can be entered. RichardDuhrkopf For example, if the reaction requires a DepartmentEditor cofactor or ATP, that informationcan be provided. This card also has three buttons. The left and right arrows function as they did in the first card. Occasionally, a new piece of soft- through a variety of stacks that were They allow the student to see infor- ware has the potential to turn the created as demonstrations. One stack mation about the enzymes that cata- computer world in a new direction. functioned as a calendar/date book; lyze the preceding and following steps Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/50/2/121/43290/4448665.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 VisiCalc and Multiplan are credited another as an address book. Various in glycolysis. The third button is the with beginning the personal computer other stacks performed what I consid- box that says "See Reaction." If that era and making the Apple H a success. ered to be rathermundane functions. I button is selected, the student is re- MacPaintsold the Macintosh. was not impressed. turned to the stack of cards that show Now Apple has released the next As a result, I put HyperCardon the the reactions. After two days of work, generation in what it calls "System shelf for a couple of weeks. During I decided that HyperCarddid have Software" for the Macintosh-Hyper- that time, I decided I really had not some potential. I had not produced Card.It has the potential to be the next given it a proper test, so, having just anything that was earthshaking, but I step in software evolution. As with finished a week of lectures on respira- began to see various possibilities. I MacPaint,if it is successful, there will tion, I decided to develop a stack of created three stacks. One was the re- quickly be similar programs available my own. Students usually find respi- actions of glycolysis; the second, the for other machines. Here is a small ration one of the most difficult topics enzymes involved in glycolysis; and sample of quotes which refer to Hyper- in biology. I could never think of an the third, the reactions of the Citric Cardfrom the December 1987 issue of appropriate way in which computer Acid Cycle. MacUsermagazine: assisted instruction could help in I did all three stacks without en- "I very much believethat it is the learning respiration. So, I decided to tering any programmingstatements. I world'smost excitingcomputer pro- use HyperCardto generate a stack created them by using the general gram... HyperCardis to the Macin- which showed the various reactionsof techniques learned by using MacPaint. tosh what the Macintoshwas to per- glycolysis. The problem was that I really had not sonalcomputing in 1984." The generation of stacks occurs at done anything that would help the "Oneof thoseprograms that comes two different levels. At the simplest students. One of the criticisms I read along and changes people's ideas level, one uses tools which are practi- about HyperCard was that it was aboutwhat computers are here for." cally identical to MacPaintin laying nothing more than an electronic page "Allowsnovice users to easilywrite out graphics and buttons for turner. I felt that was true. All the in- usefuland powerfulprograms to ma- fields, nipulateinformation." the cards. (HyperCardwas written by formation that was presented was Bill Atkinson who wrote MacPaint,so available in most biology texts. I be- HyperCardhas been described in a many of the features are the same.) lieve in using computers to do things variety of ways. Apple describes it as Using the simplest level, I devel- in ways that texts and lectures cannot. "A personal toolkit for information." oped a stack of cards which contained And, so far, HyperCarddid not do Its stated goal is to make it as neces- one card for each reaction in glycol- that. sary for the Macintosh as Applesoft ysis. Figure 1 is an example of one of At this point, I decided to investi- BASICis to the Apple II. HyperCardis the cards. The conversion of Glucose gate the second level of stack develop- not a programming language like 6-phosphate to Fructose 6-Phosphate ment. That level involves writing in- BASIC.It most closely resembles a da- is shown. The molecular structures tabase in its function;however, it does and names of both compounds are not have many of the limitations of a shown, along with the enzyme which Richard Duhrkopf, editor of the database. HyperCardcan be used to catalyzes the reaction. Computer Center, is a lecturer in generate screens of informationwhich This card contains three "buttons." the Department of Biology at can be connected to each other in Two are seen as arrows. If the student Baylor University, Waco, TX various ways. The screens are called selects the arrow that points to the 76798. He teaches introductory bi- "cards," and the groups of cards are left, the previous card (reaction) will ology for majors and nonmajors called "stacks." The user moves from be shown. If the student selects the and serves as director of Biological card to card and stack to stack by arrow that points to the right, the next Computing. He has a B.S. in Zo- clicking the mouse on various active card (reaction) will be shown. The ology and an M.S. and Ph.D. in spots (called "buttons")on the cards. third button is invisible. It is attached Genetics, all from The Ohio State Apple envisions HyperCardas being to the name of the enzyme involved. If University. He has been active in especially useful in education, so I de- the student moves the mouse pointer the development of a wide variety cided I better give it a try. The first to the name of the enzyme (in this of educational software. time I ran the program I worked case, Phosphoglucose Isomerase) and COMPUTERCENTER 121 structions (called "scripts") in a So, I went back and thought more phosphate is moved from on top of simple programming language called about my stacks. I thought, rather the arrow to the bond vacated by the "HyperTalk." The statements cause than just presenting the reaction as removal of the hydroxyl group. The various events to occur in connection two molecules, a reactant and a result was the animated formation of with the cards. product, why not show the reaction glucose 6-phosphate from glucose. At the first level of development, with some form of animation. So, I Now, the computer was being used in these scripts are written for the user. began with the first reaction. The card a way which a textbook cannot ap- At the second level, the user has the shows a molecule of glucose and an proach-the student can see how glu- ability to modify and expand upon the arrow with a phosphate group from cose 6-phosphate is formed from glu- simple scripts that the program sup- ATP above it. I changed the arrow to cose. Such programming requires plies. For example, the buttons have make it a button. When that button is much more time (that single anima- scripts which pass control from one selected, the molecule of glucose is tion took me about two hours of card to the next. More advanced copied and moved to the right of the work), but can produce some effective scripts can be written to perform more arrow. The hydroxyl group attached results. advanced (and interesting) functions. to the 6' carbon is removed, and the After finishing the first card, I de- cided that HyperCard really had much more to offer. Since that time, I have thought of several other ways Hyper- lle Edit Go Tools Objects Card could be helpful in educational software. The first is in the common Downloaded from http://online.ucpress.edu/abt/article-pdf/50/2/121/43290/4448665.pdf by guest on 02 October 2021 drill applications for studying mate- rial. A card can contain a multiple choice question. The letters of the al- ternative answers can be made as buttons. The student can choose an 0 H I answer by pointing to the letter and I 0 O= P-O-C-H H H pressing the mouse button. Control is cards based o then passed to various 1H 1H O=P-O-C-H H-C-OH upon whether the answer is correct or C H-C OHOHC , . ,,, H HI HO incorrect. Incorrect responses could / \ I I / \ Phosphoglucose H C-I OH additional questions on HO c-c OH C- OH then lead to Isomerase the same topic. In other words, HI HOH branched control would be much easier to accomplish in this setting Glucose6-Phosphate Fructose 6-Phosphate than in traditional forms of program- ming. The second place where HyperCard might have a great deal of potential is as a database for bibliographies. Au- thor, title, citation and topic fields can be created in multiple stacks for dif- Figure 1 ferent topics. Cards and stacks can be linked to each other based on various criteria. In summary, I am not ready to r t File Edit Go Tools Objects forget my years of programming in .