Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Antrobus.

Welcome to computing.

I'm so glad you could join the lesson today.

Today we're going to learn about using data loggers to collect data.

Welcome to today's lesson from the unit Data logging.

Today's lesson is called Using Data Loggers to Collect Data, and by the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain that a data logger collects data points from sensors over time.

During today's lesson, we will be using these keywords: logging.

Logging: capturing, and displaying or storing data points, usually over time.

Data point.

Data point: a discreet piece of data, often part of a data set.

Interval.

Interval: the time between data readings.

Today's lesson will be separated into three parts.

The first part, we will recognise data loggers collect data at intervals.

In the second part, we will identify intervals used to collect data.

And in the third part, we will discuss data that you have captured.

Let's get started.

A data logger is a digital device that can automatically record data from sensors over a period of time.

Data loggers can be left to record data on their own and the data can be downloaded later.

So far, you have been recording data by writing it down.

However, a data logger can also be used to record data automatically over a period of time.

This is probably a more efficient way and will be a lot quicker to record the data and better use of your time.

You could leave a data logger in your classroom to log how noisy or quiet each lesson is throughout the week.

I'm sure your teacher would find this information very interesting.

You could leave a data logger in the school kitchen to see how hot it is at different times of the day.

You could leave a data logger in the window of your classroom to see how the light levels change throughout the day.

Data loggers take readings at set intervals, for example, every one second, five minutes, or one hour.

The timing of these intervals affects how detailed the collected data will be, because if you imagine, the more intervals that are recorded, the more detail will be provided.

The intervals set for data recording do not impact on the data collected.

Shorter intervals give more detailed data, but require greater storage capacity.

That is because there will be more intervals and more data recordings, so therefore more storage capacity is needed.

Using this data, you can identify and explain patterns shown in the data.

You are going to place a data logger somewhere in the room and leave it to automatically collect data.

Choose somewhere where you think the light level, temperature level or sound level might vary the most.

For example, near the window or maybe at the front of the classroom, or maybe at the back of the classroom to detect the different sound levels.

Automatic data collection.

Once you've placed the data logger somewhere in the room, press start.

The screen will display "Logging started." A small up arrow will appear on the screen under Logging.

Okay, so your data logger should now be logging the data.

Just leave that there for now and we'll come back to the data logger later on in the lesson.

Let's check your understanding so far.

True or false: Shorter intervals give more detailed data.

Is that true or false? Pause the video and think about that statement.

Okay.

How did you get on? Well, if you said true, you would be correct, but why is that? Well, if you were to take your temperature every minute, you would have more detailed data than if you took your temperature every hour because there will be more readings.

Does that make sense? The more readings you take, the more detail it gives you.

Now you're going to have a go at filling in the missing gaps.

We're going to read the paragraph together and you are gonna choose from the four words at the bottom of the slide: Data loggers take readings at set eg, every one second, five minutes, or one hour.

The timing of these intervals affects how the collected data will be.

Intervals give more detailed data, but require more storage.

Using this data, you can identify and explain shown in the data.

Okay, pause the video and choose from: "detailed," "intervals," "patterns," and "Shorter" and put them in the correct place.

How did you get on with that task? Let's fill the gaps together.

Data loggers take readings at set intervals, for example, every one second, five minutes, or one hour.

The timing of these intervals affects how detailed the collective data will be.

Shorter intervals give more detailed data, but require more storage.

Using this data, you can identify and explain patterns shown in the data.

How did you get on? Did you put the correct words into the correct gap? If you did, well done, and if not, don't worry.

Maybe go back over some of the content from the lesson so far to make sure that you understand fully.

You are going to be a data logger.

You will log the temperature throughout one day.

To do this, you're going to watch a video.

You'll need to write down the temperature shown every hour from 7:00am to 7:00pm.

The interval in this simulation is one hour.

It might help to use a table like this to record your data, so you'll have two rows, one with the different hours of the day from 7:00am across to 7:00pm, and then in the second row, degrees Celsius to record the temperature in degrees Celsius.

Okay, let's have a look at Task A.

So first of all, you're going to watch the video and record the times in hourly intervals from 7:00am to 7:00pm.

Then you're going to answer the following questions.

A: did you find the activity easy or hard? And B: the data logger can record temperature, light, and sound 50 times every second.

Do you think you could manage that? I want you to reference intervals in your answer.

Okay, let's get started.

(tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) (tone beeps) Okay, let's have a look at an example and see how you got on in comparison.

The first part of the task was to watch the video and record the times in hourly intervals from 7:00am to 7:00pm.

Alex said, "I recorded my data in a table.

This really helped me because the times were already there and I could just write in the temperatures." You can see Alex's table here.

He has all the recordings from 7:00am to 7:00pm and he made those recordings and those readings in degree Celsius because he was recording the temperature.

How did you find the table? Was it useful for you? The second part of the task was did you find the activity easy or hard? Well, Alex said, "I think the table made the activity more manageable, but it was hard to record my answers whilst keeping an eye on the video.

I think if it had gone much faster, I would've really struggled." Do you agree with Alex? Did you find it difficult to keep track of the video and record your answer at the same time? And the third part of the task was the data logger can record temperature, light and sound automatically 50 times every second.

Do you think you could manage that? Reference intervals in your answer.

Well, Alex said, "Wow, that's fast.

I don't think I would be able to keep up with the data logger as the intervals are too close together.

I think that's an advantage of using data loggers.

They can log data quicker than humans." What do you think? Do you agree? Well done for having a go at that task.

Being a human data logger isn't easy.

Let's move on to the second part of today's lesson: Identify intervals used to collect data.

Let's get started.

At the beginning of the lesson, you set the data loggers recording.

You are now going to connect the data logger to a computer and download the data.

First of all, we're going to connect the data logger to a computer and then you're going to open the data logger programme.

Your teacher will show you how to do this.

The data logger will have recorded light, temperature and sound levels.

Which data do you think will vary the most? Which data do you think will vary the least? Give reasons for your answer.

Maybe pause the video at this point and just think about that for a moment before we move on.

Okay, we're now going to download the data from the logger.

Downloading the data from the logger involves, first of all, connecting the data logger to the computer load Logbook Graphing, and then in Logbook Graphing, click on Logger Files.

Click on the last recorded date and then click on Download.

The data will download and the graphs screen will be shown.

Does the graph that you produced look as you expected? Look for your highest and lowest readings.

Look at which line changes the most.

Is it what you expected it to look like? If you click the Show Points button, then the Hide Joins button, you'll see a dot for each reading your logger took.

That is a data point.

The X Axis Zoom control will let you zoom in.

Each of the dots represents a data point, and the distance between two data points is the time interval.

Sensor data.

There are a range of sensors that could be used for data logging.

The sensors allow data to be collected over time, so we can look back at what's happened in detail.

The readings from a data logger let us see what happened and when it happened.

Let's just check your understanding at this point.

Fill in the blanks: Downloading data from the logger.

One: Connect the data logger to the computer.

Two: Three: In Logbook Graphing, click on Logger Files.

Four: Five: Click on Download.

Six: Okay, pause the video and have a go at putting the correct step into the correct place, and we'll come back and have a look at it together in a moment.

Okay, how did you get on? Well, let's have a look.

In the steps, Downloading data from the logger, one is connect the data log to the computer.

Two is load Logbook Graphing.

Three, in Logbook Graphing, click on Logger Files.

Four is click on the last recorded date.

Five is click on Download.

And six is the data will download and the graphs screen will be shown.

How did you get on? Did you manage to put them in the correct order? Well done if you did.

Okay, let's check your understanding again using this fill in the blanks activity.

We're going to read the paragraphs together, and you're going to use the words at the bottom of the page to fill in the gaps.

There are a range of that can be used for data logging.

The sensors allow data to be over time, so we can look back at what's happened in detail.

The from a data logger lets us see what happened and it happened.

Okay, pause the video and use the four words: "readings," "when," "collected" and "sensors" to fill in the gaps.

Okay.

How did you get on? Let's have a look at filling the gaps together.

There are a range of sensors that can be used for data logging.

The sensors allow data to be collected over time, so we can look back at what's happened in detail.

The readings from a data logger let us see what happened and when it happened.

How did you get on? Did you fill in all the gaps correctly? Well done if you did.

We're now going to move on to Task B.

You're going to look carefully at the data you have collected, and can you identify the intervals used when collecting the data? I want you to pause the video and think about that for a moment.

Okay, let's have a look at some data together.

So the first part of the task, can you identify the intervals used when collecting data? So here we can see the data point number from 0 to 4 on the left hand side.

Then we have the time column, and then we have the temperature column, the light level column, and the sound level column with numerical readings in all of them.

Your data probably looks similar to this.

So, can you identify the intervals used when collecting the data? Well, in the data on the previous slide, Alex has said, "The interval shown here is every 0.

1 seconds.

So every second, 10 readings were recorded." Does that make sense to you? Have you been able to identify the intervals on your data? Let's move on to the final part of today's lesson: Discuss data that I have captured.

Let's get started.

Now we're going to discuss the data that you've captured.

So this is the downloaded data from the previous activity.

Can you discuss the data that has been captured? "This graph shows the temperature in degrees Celsius," Alex says.

Jun says, "The temperature didn't change that much." Can you see what they're talking about here? Can you discuss the data that has been captured here? This graph shows the light level in lux.

We know that because we can see it on the Y axis on the left hand side.

The light levels changed a lot at first, then they stabilised.

What data has been captured? This graph shows the sound level in decibels.

Again, we can see this on the left hand side of the graph.

What does the data show us? Well, we can see there's a constant noise to start with, and then it looks like it gets really noisy.

I wonder what was going on at that time.

In Task C, we're going to look at the data you collected and answer the following questions: A: What are the highest and lowest readings on each graph? B: From which sensor does the data change least? And C: What other information does the graph provide? I want you to pause the video and think about those questions whilst you look at your data.

How did you get on? Let's have a look at some example answers.

So, what are the highest and lowest readings on each graph? Well, on the temperature graph, Izzy said, "The highest recording is 23 degrees C.

The lowest recording is 17 degrees C." On the light graph, Izzy said, "The highest recording is 8,000 lux, and the lowest recording is 5 lux." And finally, on Izzy's sound graph, she said, "The highest recording is 92 decibels and the lowest recording is 50 decibels." How did you get on with recording the highest and lowest readings on each of your graphs? Well done for having a go.

The next part of the task says, from which sensor does the data change least? Well, Izzy has noted that the data in the graph showing temperature changes the least.

As we can see from these images, the sound and the light graph has lots of ups and downs, whereas the temperature graph is fairly consistent and straight.

How did you get on with discussing the data that you've captured? Well done for having a go.

So now we've reached the end of today's lesson.

You've done a fantastic job, so well done.

Let's just summarise what we've learned today.

A data logger is a digital device that can automatically record data from sensors over a period of time.

Data loggers take readings at set intervals, for example, every one second, five minutes, or one hour.

The timing of these intervals affects how detailed the collected data will be.

Shorter intervals give more detailed data, but require more storage.

Using this data, you can identify and explain patterns shown in the data.

Thank you for taking part in today's lesson.

I hope you enjoyed it, and I look forward to seeing you next time.