It involves encoding information in a way that it can be easily understood, processed, and utilised by people.
This field spans multiple disciplines,
- including artificial intelligence,
- cognitive science,
- Linguistics, and
- psychology.
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Natural Language:
- Text and Speech: Using written and spoken language to convey information. This includes books, articles, conversations, and digital content.
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Visual Representation:
- Diagrams and Charts: Tools like flowcharts, bar graphs, pie charts, and mind maps to visually organize and represent data and concepts.
- Infographics: Combining visuals and minimal text to present complex information quickly and clearly.
- Maps: Geographic or conceptual maps to represent spatial or relational information.
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Structured Data:
- Tables and Spreadsheets: Organized rows and columns to structure data for easy access and manipulation.
- Databases: Structured collections of data stored in a way that can be efficiently retrieved and managed (e.g., SQL databases).
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Hierarchical Representation:
- Taxonomies: Classifying information into hierarchical categories and subcategories (e.g., biological classification systems).
- Ontologies: Formal representations of knowledge within a domain, defining entities, relationships, and rules (e.g., semantic web technologies).
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Conceptual Models:
- Concept Maps: Visual tools that show relationships between concepts, often used in education and knowledge management.
- Entity-Relationship Diagrams (ERDs): Used to model data and their relationships within a system.
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Logical and Formal Representations:
- Propositional and Predicate Logic: Mathematical representations of statements and their relationships, used in formal reasoning and AI.
- Rules and Constraints: Specifying conditions and rules for data and processes (e.g., business rules in enterprise systems).
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Multimodal Representations:
- Combining Multiple Forms: Using a mix of text, visuals, audio, and interactive elements to convey information, such as in multimedia presentations or e-learning platforms.
Cognitive and Psychological Considerations:
- Cognitive Load: Represent knowledge which consumes less cognitive load
- Memory and Recall: Techniques to enhance memory retention, such as mnemonic devices, repetition, and chunking of information.