Week 11 - Building Knowledge

Week 11- Blog 11 Friday 16th May 2008


Morning Lecture:

The week 11 lecture was all about data, information and knowledge. It revolved around conceptualising the gap between cognitive-space & cyber-space. Dr. Cripps asked us a few random questions such as what is a Boolean search? What strategies can you use to give a great presentation? What criteria can be used for evaluation of websites? etc. Then the rest of the lecture she explained definitions of datum, information and knowledge. As well as the relationship between them and looking at them from different perspectives. She then finished up with strategies for assignment work, for example finding data and information as well as using your knowledge to create a very good assignment.


Tutorial/Workshop


Task 1

We had to search web dictionaries and find definitions for the terms data, information, knowledge and wisdom. Then from these definitions we had to make our own and here they are:

• Data = Information which is usually factual and can come in the forms of measurements and statistics which can be used as a basis for calculation, reasoning or discussion.


• Information= Facts or knowledge provided or learned, it can come in different forms and provided for different topics.


• Knowledge= The amount of skills and information acquired and remembered either through education or experience
  
• Wisdom= The body of knowledge and experience that develops within a specified society or period.

Task 2

This task was all about creating a different way of presenting these terms in the form of a graphical presentation. Below:

Task 3

We had to outline briefly how understanding the relationship between data, information and knowledge could help our university studies:

The relationship between data, information and knowledge I would say as collecting large amounts of data, which can be written down or slightly remembered, which can lead to receiving more information, after collecting and receiving information and using it repeatedly it becomes knowledge to you. This way at university if you have to note down plenty of data and information you the more you use it, then it becomes stored in your brain and can be classified as knowledge.

Task 5

Making a list of five organisations that collect information from their clients or public and why they might collect this information:

1. Well firstly the schools own "Blackboard" is trying to collect data and information in order to better the site. By sending out surveys to students an teachers alike they fill these surveys in and when received they go over them and see how they can improve blackboard in order to benefit its users.
2. Optus, collects information from its users mainly through phone surveys and they mainly get asked what they think about the company and how they compare to other telephone companies, they also ask them how they could stand out and what would appeal and attract more customers.
3. World vision, this organisation collects data and information in order to show other countries around the world the statistics and downside of living in a third world country, this way they can get more people to donate and support these less fortunate countries.
4. ECU is also sending out surveys in order to see how effective and efficient the University Preparation Course is. They sent the surveys out through e-mail and we fill them in online and send them back. This way the students can express their thoughts and let the school know how effective the course is.
5. McDonald's sometimes has surveys for the public on what they thought about customer service and how they were treated as customers. These surveys help the managers decide on how well staff works and how their restaurant rates compared to others.

Readings Summary:

The first reading was from the site : http://www.systems-thinking.org/dikw/dikw.htm

This site had a very straight forward outline towards data, information, knowledge and wisdom. It summarised each topic and i found it very efficient as it helped me understand the definitions of each. The site was very managable and basic, making it easy to use and understand with graphs as well as references at the end.

What i found very relevant and interesting on this site was Russell Ackoff's , a systems theorist and professor of organizational change, and how the content of the human mind can be classified into five categories:

1. Data: symbols
2. Information: data that are processed to be useful; provides answers to "who", "what", "where", and "when" questions
3. Knowledge: application of data and information; answers "how" questions
4. Understanding: appreciation of "why"
5. Wisdom: evaluated understanding.

The second reading was from the site: http://camellia.shc.edu/literacy/index.html

This website mainly focused on knowledge. It contained lessons on knowledge and quiz's accordingly to the topic. Some topics covered the organization of knowledge as well as the production of knowledge even how to cite the sources. The site also has assignments that it suggests you should attempt, but only after completing the lessons and quiz's, this way it will make it easier for you to complete the assignment.