1. Unit 2 - Global Information
2.1 Information Styles and their Uses.

2. Objectives Know and understand about the different information styles.
Understand the reasons different styles are used for different purposes.

3. Your Notes
Within your notes and to help with revision you need to have information on the different information styles:
Text
Graphic
Video
Animated Graphic
Audio
Numerical
Braille Text
Tactile Images
Subtitles
Boolean
Tables and Spreadsheets
Charts and Graphs

4. Text
Simplest format to keep information and is a method of displaying information to be read by people.
There are around 46 different character sets or alphabets used in different countries around the world, including Western(used now), Cyrllic, Arabic etc.
Simplest text format is written
Text is mainly used for reports, letters, presentations and communications (eg. ) Can be combined with other information styles.
The way in which text is used is very important. Choices of font, size, style or colour could change based on the purpose.
Business documents would not be written in fonts like Jokerman or Chiller. Instead you would write them in fonts like Calibri or Arial.
It is also important to use a font which is suitable for web. Eg. Verdana
CYRILLIC ALPHABET
ARABIC ALPHABET

5. Graphics
Visual images that can be presented on hard copy (eg. Paper) or as a picture in a digital data form. Computer graphics are simply images displayed on computer screens.
There are different types of graphics:
Logos
Represent an organisation and also convey information
Some logos contain organisations name:
Others are represented without words:

6. Graphics Photograph Animated Graphic
Image that is created using a camera. Made visible by either being stored or chemically treated
Animated Graphic
Animated GIF is an image encoded in Graphics Interchange Format which contains a number of image or frames in 1 single file.
Frames a presented in a specific order to convey an animation.
An image where elements move and change.
They offer an advantage over video as they can include step by step instructions, as well as text. Individual scenes can be shown for longer animated graphics than they would on videos.
Scenes can zoom in, or give exploded views to show greater detail to what is happening

7. Video Information conveyed as visual and audio presentation.
Usually more engaging that just listening to a person talk because tasks performed can be seen or examples shown.
Used for entertainment

8. Audio Refers to any recorded sound and can include:
Spoken Word
Music
Sound effects.
Traditionally songs have been used to tell a tale (eg. Opera, Musical, Folk Song)
Audio can be used to help with education purposes (eg. Listen to exam pieces for instruments or a way of remember facts)

9. Numerical Information presented as numbers Includes:
Financial information (eg. Profit and Loss Accounts)
Statistics (eg. Average test scores)
Dates

10. Braille Text
A tactile form of writing that uses raised dots on a page.
Is read by touch.
Due to there being set patterns of dots to represent individual letters, braille can be considered another form of language.
Braille is capable of holding the same information as any other form of written text.
Can’t be replicated electronically but can replicate written text for braille readers.

11. Tactile Images
As well as braille, information can be presented in other tactile ways.
Example – viewer can feel certain images and experience their shapes through touch, rather than just by sight.
Tactile imagery can portray any of the features of visual images except colour.
NASA’s project to create tactile images from images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope is a good example of how images would not have been made accessible to people who cannot explore them by sight.
In a similar way as braille works, tactile images or graphics are conveying non-textual information to people who are blind or visually impaired.
Can include tactile representations of maps, graphs, diagrams and other images
People feel the raised lines and surfaces in order to obtain the same information those who can see the images.

12. Subtitles
All deaf viewers to access audio information. Films, interviews, TV programs and news items can be translated via subtitles.
Cannot only be used to translate speech but gives viewers an idea of what is happening.
Example – “there is a knock on the door” to show why someone would go and open the door.
They are also used to translate films into different languages.

13. Boolean Any information that can be only in one of two forms.
Some information gathered and stored can be answered with questions that include one or the other.
It can only hold 2 values that are allowed:
Yes | No
True | False
0 | 1
It does mean that it is easier to determine straight forward answers as the questions asked will be closed with minimal extra information given besides the true/false and yes/no.
You cannot however have the user expand on their answers and the information received will be minimal and vague.

14. Tables and Spreadsheets
Numerical data can be held in many forms.
Using a database or spreadsheet means that the data can be analysed to identify patterns
Databases can input queries
Conditional formatting to show data changes

15. Charts and Graphs
These present data in a visual manner compared to lists or text.
Can use lines, boxes or segments.
Many people find charts and graphs easier to use when looking at trends/comparisons.

16. Exam Question
Explain the information styles Progress Bike Safe could use in their database. Your answer should include three information style examples. [10 marks]
EXAM TIP:
The aim here is for candidates to explain three aspects (in this case different information styles that can be used in their database)
There must be suitable measures stated (RECALL) which are explained (REASONING) that use real examples (RELATE)
To get high marks you need to link to the business (case study) and develop your points (in this case it’s a motorcycle learner training company)
USE THE 3 x Rs (RECALL, REASONING & RELATE)
Aim to use the 3 x Rs three times
Explain - To give account of the purposes or reasons