http://www.metaglossary.com/

The basics

MetaGlossary “harvests definitions from the entire web, the world’s largest, constantly-updated repository of information. Hence, it surpasses traditional dictionaries, which grow more out of date with each passing day. MetaGlossary is as dynamic as the web, offering the most current information out there on the most contemporary topics. However, unlike other search engines, MetaGlossary is able to precisely extract the meanings of terms and phrases from the often frustratingly unmanageable mass of information on the web. It provides you with concise, direct explanations for terms and phrases, not just endless links to sift through in search of a comprehensive definition. What’s more, MetaGlossary organizes these meanings based on topic and usage, so you’ll find the one you’re looking for quickly and easily. Since MetaGlossary spans the expanse of the web, even your most field-specific requests for terms, phrases, acronyms, technical jargon, and slang, will be successfully met.”

In other words, Metaglossary attempts to provide a very specific kind of search, producing ‘meaning’ not just results. An example is:

Knowledge networking

Knowledge networking is not just human-human interaction. Tools such as metaglossary show how computers (or to be precise the code running on computer hardware) in a network can themselves do some of the ‘thinking’ (loosely defined) involved in knowledge work. However, as Metaglossary shows — the links can be extended to network humans with others, via this automated element.

What is great

Users can create accounts in which they store lists of words; they can vote definitions up and down a list; and they can create better definitions. Related concepts are presented for easy exploration. Ultimately Metaglossary works best because information about what has been found (and their search history) is storable, enabling users to create something more personal than just a list of results.

Pedagogic Challenge

Simple definitions of words are usually not that important in academic work: it’s the conversations about, and analysis of, competing or subtly different versions, of definitions. However, to the extent that Metaglossary provides clear evidence, in response to a search, that there are different definitions and, in a small way, allows that to be shared with other students, it is capable of using Metaglossary to support both the learning of key terms and the appreciation of the problems of such definitions.

One scenario for using this tool

Debating definitions

First-year philosophy students are each set a list of ten words to define, in their own way and language, and cued to use Metaglossary to complete this task during the semester. The tool is used to prompt each student to develop a map of related concepts. The best definition for each term which a student thinks Metaglossary provides is emailed to a generic email account maintained by the lecturer – she monitors what is provided and then presents back to the class the ‘top’ choice for each term, which is then critiqued by her, showing how definitions are complex and not necessarily significant except insofar as they reveal the linguistic and cognitive relations within discourse.

Metaglossary:

• is simple to use and allows students to see which words they have covered;
• has limited sharing features, but they can be manipulated to create interaction; and
• shows users the links between concepts and terms.

Alternatives

None.