Week 11: Building Knowledge

Lecture summary

This lecture was about data, information and knowledge. Including the characteristics of each term and their hierachy. As knowledge is at the top, then information and then data as the lowest form.

Tutorial summary

We tried various ways of how to present data, information and knowledge. We searched the terms and then had to write what we think the terms mean.

Workshop Tasks

1. First we went to the webpage:http://www.success.co.il/is/dik.html

we also went to the webpage : http://dir.yahoo.com/Reference/Dictionaries

Webpage definitions

Here we had to find the definitions for the terms data, information, knowledge and wisdom.

Data: Is facts that does not have meaning

Information: data that has been processes into a form that is meaningful

Knowledge: Knowledge represents a cognitive/affective state that finds definition in meaning and understanding.

Wisdom: Knowledge consists of an organized body of information, such information patterns forming the basis of the kinds of insights and judgments which we call wisdom.

My definitions

Data: Data is raw facts.

Information: Is processed facts that conveys meaning

Knowledge: Is what you gain through reading, writing and researching many subjects.

Wisdom: You gain wisdom through experience and lots of knowledge

2. Graphical ways of how to present the terms

3. Relationship between data, information and knowledge.

These three concepts follow a certain logical hierachy. First is data, then information and knowledge. Knowledge being the most meaningful. Information is produced from data, which is just raw information and does not have any meaning. Knowledge is gained from aquiring heaps of information, which conveys meaning and is useful. Both knowledge and information are produced from data to have some meaning. Knowledge needs to be applied to something to make it useful.

4. Five Organisations that collect information from their clients or the public

-Banks

-Insurance companies

-statistical organisations

-Medical companies, e.g. hospitals, medical clinics

-Airports

Banks hold people's money in safe deposits, they need people's information for identification purposes. Insurance companies needs people's information, for when they get into an accident or the people are robbed, they can claim insurance from the company. Statistical organisations may need to take note of how many people live in the city, note the amount of voters for elections and other statistical reasons. Medical companies need the medical information about people for medical reasons. Airports need to collect people's information for indentification and national security reasons.

Readings

Data, Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom-(http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm)

This site is about data, information, knowledge and wisdom. It provides an explanation for each term and the relationship between the terms.

Information Literacy Tutorial-(http://camellia.shc.edu/literacy/index.html)

This site has anumber of tutorials of how information is presented aimed at highschool students. IT also includes some handouts and quizzes about information.