Project Coordinators:
   Joseph V. McHugh
    Associate Professor, Department of Entomology
    University of Georgia
   Eugene N. Wright
    Assistant Professor, Art Department,
    University of Georgia.

Mission
  The objective of the Virtual Roach Project is to develop an exciting, interactive tool for instruction on the subject of insect morphology.

Project Summary
  The Virtual Roach is an instructional CD-ROM package comprising a collection of graphics, text and a glossary of terms.  The interface for the system links the material in a manner permitting interactive study of the anatomy of the American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus)) through a virtual dissection.

Background
  Insects are a major component of every non-marine ecosystem on earth, placing Entomology at the core of agricultural, environmental and life science curricula.  Morphology is perhaps the most fundamental element of entomological studies because a basic knowledge of anatomy is a logical prerequisite to studies of taxonomy, physiology, behavior and biology.  Unfortunately, this important subject is difficult to teach in a stimulating manner.  The nature of morphological study requires exposure to a vast number of new structures and terms.  The typical instructional material used for this subject consists of reproductions of illustrations from a few classic texts and laboratory dissections.  Though illustrations from the basic literature are often technically superb, they are monochromatic, flat, and not particularly engaging.  It is difficult to provide dynamic instruction using only this material for visuals.  Hands-on dissections are more stimulating, but require considerable time, supplies and an appropriately equipped facility.  It is usually not practical to use actual dissections in lectures because they require a great deal of preparation time and are too clumsy and slow for a smooth presentation.  For some courses and workshops, dissections are simply not possible due to limitations of time, equipment, or proper facilities.

The Virtual Roach is an instructional CD-ROM package on the subject of insect anatomy. The interface for the system links morphological terms with an extensive image archive, including scientific illustrations, scanning electron micrographs, photomicrographs and video clips.

Images are arranged in a manner permitting a virtual dissection of the American Cockroach, Periplaneta americana.  Information on the natural history and behavior of roaches will be cross-linked throughout the program, reflecting inseparable nature of form and function. As an autotutorial module, the Virtual Roach can function as a freestanding reference, an interactive bench-top guide, a pre-lab introduction, or a post-lab review tool.  Because the extensive collection of colorful images and text are also available for quick reference from lists of direct links, the program can serve as a powerful visual aid to augment lecture-format instruction as well.

The Humble subject: The American Cockroach (Periplaneta americana (Linnaeus) is an ideal subject for the study of insect anatomy. It is a familiar insect to the public and has been studied extensively by the scientific community.  Because the anatomy of roaches and closely related orthopteroid taxa has been studied extensively, basic literature is available, greatly reducing the time required for the authors to interpret structures for this project.  Blattid anatomy represents a relatively generalized insectan form; therefore students will be able to identify and homologize the anatomy of other taxa more easily.  The American Roach is also a perfect species for complementary laboratory instruction due to their large size, relatively thin cuticle, and availability.  Teachers can easily collect and rear P. americana or purchase specimens from biological supply companies which provide an inexpensive and dependable source of living stock and preserved material.

Acknowledgements:

Project implementation:
The P.I.'s invite talented students to participate in this
project in the form of special topics courses in either
Insect Morphology or Scientific Illustration.

Participants:
All participants were active faculty, staff, or students at
the University of Georgia during the period of participation.

Project Coordinators:
Joseph V. McHugh, Assist. Professor, Department of Entomology
Eugene N. Wright, Assist. Professor, Art Department

Student Participants:
  Department of Entomology
    Mark Abney
    Petty Bennet
    Erica Chiao
    Corey Lewis
    Gregory Hodges
    Amanda Hall Hodges
    Juanita Forrester
    Erich Tilgner
  Scientific Illustration Program
    Brad Guilland
    Andy Rekito
    Tony Baselici

Formative Evaluation Participants
  Instructional Technologist, Evaluation Designer/Evaluator:
  Priya Sharma, Graduate Student, Department of Instructional Technology.

Volunteer testers:
   David Jenkins
   Glen Ramsey
   Tatiana Kiselyova
   Daniel Potucek
   Dawn Stanek
   Elizabeth Glenn
   Anna Majzlik
   Erika Bilger
   Content evaluator:
   Dr. Robert Matthews, Department of Entomology

Interface evaluator:
  Amy L. Edwards, Georgia Museum of Natural History

Instructional evaluator:
  Priya Sharma, Graduate Student, Department of Instructional Technology

The Virtual Roach Project was supported by a grant(#GEO9803572) from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) through the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) under its Higher Education Programs (HEP).  Additional support was provided by the following units at The University of Georgia:   Department of Entomology, Georgia Museum of Natural History, and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

Contact:
Page maintained by Joe McHugh.
Please send questions/comments to:  jmchugh@bugs.ent.uga.edu

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