GCSE ICT

Information By the end of this, you

and Data: should be able to state
the difference
between DATA and
INFORMATION.

Information
 GCSE ICT
Information and Data – what’s the
difference?

• Information systems = hardware and software

working together…
• It will take DATA that has been INPUT and
convert it into INFORMATION.
• In other words, an information system processes
the DATA to produce INFORMATION.

In a diagram…
 GCSE ICT
Information and Data – what’s the
difference?

DATA (Input) So, Data is taken

from an input device
Information System and INPUT into the
(Processing) information system, it
PROCESSES it and
converts it to
INFORMATION information so it can
(Output) be OUPUT.
 GCSE ICT
Information and Data – Define the
difference?
Data is raw facts Example:
and figures This is a set of data:
which have no
meaning and 85, 60, 65, 90, 70,
have not been 50, 40.
put into a As it is, it has no
context (given a meaning, the numbers
could mean anything
purpose) (within reason).
 GCSE ICT
Information and Data – Define the
difference?

However, this DATA can be given a purpose

or a context…

85, 60, 65, 90, 70, 50, 40

It will become INFORMATION when I tell you
that they are percentages for this years ICT
examination…
85%, 60%, 65%, 90%, 70%, 50%, 40%
 GCSE ICT
Information and Data – Define the
difference?

The DATA has now become INFORMATION

since it has been given a meaning…
…INFORMATION occurs when DATA has been
PROCESSED…

*Processed means taking the values and manipulating them

(doing something with them)…
 GCSE ICT
Information and Data – Define the
difference?
Information is When we have
data which has information we
been processed can come up with
to give it conclusions and
meaning. answer questions
about the data.

From our data, we can now find out more!! Now that
we know what it means…
 GCSE ICT
Information and Data – Define the
difference?

So, we now have percentages of the ICT

exam…
85%, 60%, 65%, 90%, 70%, 50%, 40%
…as it is now information, we can find out
more!

• What is the average class mark?

• What do these marks tell the teacher?
 GCSE ICT
Information and Data – Define the
difference?

If the average mark of the class is calculated,

the data will give the teacher some useful
information…
… ICT systems produce information which
has been formatted so that a user can make
use of it (understand it)…
…Information can be paper-based e.g. a
report or electronic e.g. a chart shown on a
screen.