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Information is a term widely, but carelessly used. Most definitions distinguish data and information, attributing meaning to information. Here we present several in-class exercises we have developed to help students understand the semantic aspect of information and recognize the implications of this view. While these exercises can be used to teach and explain semantic theories of information, they were originally designed to reinforce a particular semantic theory of information--the difference theory of information (McKinney and Yoos 2015). Lessons learned, limitations and implications conclude the article.

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Informing About Semantic Information: A Set of Exercises and Lessons Learned

Information is a term widely, but carelessly used. Most definitions distinguish data and information, attributing meaning to information. Here we present several in-class exercises we have developed to help students understand the semantic aspect of information and recognize the implications of this view. While these exercises can be used to teach and explain semantic theories of information, they were originally designed to reinforce a particular semantic theory of information--the difference theory of information (McKinney and Yoos 2015). Lessons learned, limitations and implications conclude the article.