The InfoVisual site uses images to explain objects, listing all their component parts in English, Spanish and French. Detailed views show all relevent details. Every image and term is fully defined. Sometimes, animations allow to better understand a phenomenon and also stimulate the interest for consultation.
The InfoVisual is a reference tool who lays emphasis on the essential and quick search of information. Its main objective is to help master the language and to contribute to the knowledge dissemination. The link and mutual enrichment of the words and images and the large amount of illustrations make it an essential tool to words identification. The objective and orientation make it a tool accessible to general public.
The InfoVisual site proposes an efficient interface, allowing the simple use for everyone, but especially specific search tools allowing information access that a hard paper edition wouldn't be able to proposer.
The InfoVisual images
The images come in two formats, JPG and EPS :
The JPG is a file format that uses a compression system allowing to reduce the size of big files. This image format allows to integrate easily to the InfoVisual on the Web by reducing the download time.
The EPS format uses the printer language. The printer must be Postscript to understand the files. The EPS format can be used for everything meant to be printed. The EPS files can be visualised and imported in many graphic and page layout softwares. This format is not available for the Web version but is used to generate the JPG images.
Help for browsing
This partial list briefly resume the technological choices made for this site.
The tool bar
To facilitate the consultation, the commands are grouped in the tool bar.
||Previous page : allows to go to the previous page.|
||Next page : allows to go to the next page.|
||Home page : go back to the home page.|
||Back - Historic : this button allows to see the last consulted pages.|
||Seek image : allows to quickly locate a page. This command group all the pages.|
||Search : allows to do a search by word.|
||Alphabetical table of contents : allows to see the list of key words.|
||List of tropics : allows to consult another module or page.|
||Hear a sound : allows to hear a sound related to the image.|
||See an animation : Allows to download an animation.|
||Virtual objects : It is possible to see a virtual object from many angles by making it rotating.|
||Photo : It is possible to examine a photo.|
||Image share : Allows the blog manager & webmaster to include image.|
||Wikipedia : more info in Wikipedia.|
Display language : allows to change the language.
Add "Visual Dictionary" to your iGoogle page.
Electronic addresses :
The addresses you provide by writting us are not sold, neither transmitted to a third party and are not used for commercial purposes.
Connection information :
The connection data is processed to be presented in a general statistic report and remains anynomous. This repport allows the webmaster to monitor the general activity of the site, look for and quantify errors, enhance the presentation of the site and ensure that the site benefits from adequate ressources.
About the updating of the website
The infovisual.info website contains hundreds of thousands of entries of various nature. We are aware that errors may exist, in spite of all our precautions. Please send us any information that could complete or correct our data; we will integrate it into if appropriate. Please note, however, that given the relative complexity of the data, updates will only be done once or twice a year.
Warranty and responsibility exclusion
All information appearing on the Website is provided on an “as is” or “as available” basis, without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to, any implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose. InfoVisual.info assumes no responsibility for any error or omission that may occur on the Website.
The production of this website required the contribution of many people. Many thanks to the people who have worked very hard to the conception and realisation of the InfoVisual.
To this list, need to be added all those who helped me throughout the project. Without listing them, I want to thank them for their support in helping me to overcome many difficulties thought the completion of this project. To succeed in its completion, this project requires numerous investments. Our needs are various and you could support this project by sending us money, illustrations, or simply addind information or contacts. If you would like to contribute in any way to this project, please contact us.
Copyright © 2005-2011 - Bernard Dery. All rights reserved. All of the work on our web site is the copyrighted property of Bernard Déry and is protected as such. All texts, images and screen shots of this site are protected by the applicable laws on copyright and intellectual property. If you would like to use image on your website, you must use the share function available on each page of the site. We tried to make this procedure as easy as possible.
Nevertheless, the reproduction of texts or images on paper is authorized in a school environment, subject to the 3 following conditions :
Frequently Asked Questions
We propose here the answer to the most frequently asked questions by the visitors. We created this section to answer quickly and more easily your requests.
Q : How do I do a search?
The first thing is to identify the principal concepts of your search. Try to find the terms corresponding exactly to what you are looking for. Don't hesitate to use very specific words, then widen according to results. Don't forget the synonyms.
Q : I am not able to do a search of terms in English?
You have to display the terms in English on the screen to do a search in the English index. To change the language, use the Display languange command in the tool bar.
Q : I get a failed search result when I know that the word I'm searching exist?
The most common error is a spelling mistake in the caracters string. If you are not sure of the spelling of the word, try to write only a part of the word.
Q : I made a search but the result is not convenient. To whom can I make a complaint?
If you have questions or suggestions, you can write at [email protected]. We appreciate your interest toward the InfoVisual and we thank you to take the time to provide us with your impressions.
Q : I would like to have more information displayed on my screen.
Simply press the F11 key and many menus from Internet Explorer will dissapear. Press F11 again to come back to the initial mode.
Q : I have a problem with the display?
If you are on Windows XP (or more recent) and are using Internet Explorer 6x, it is possible that the «Java Virtual Machine» of Microsoft is not included with the standard software package. If no Java plug-in is not installed on your computer, go on the Sun website by clicking here. You will then be invited to download the last version from their site. The InfoVisual will then be able to function. Sun will provide you each step for the installation.
Q : The videos don't work?
To play videos through your browser on this site, your system must meet the following requirements:
Q : How many languages will you propose?
We consider adding new languages according to perceived or expressed needs.
Q : How many themes will you develop?
Development costs being very high, we are waiting to see the community response before we undergo this project. Of course, if a corportion would be interested in sponsoring this project, we would then be able to develop other themes.
Q : Need complementary help?
If you need complementary assistance, read carefully the other help sections. You will probably find a page answering your question. If you don't find an answer on our website, please submit us your question.
There are different ways to use the InfoVisual. We can just browse to increase our knowledge. We can also look for a specific element of an image. If we would like to see an image related to a known word, the search function of the InfoVisual should be used. If we have an idea of an image to search, the panorama tool will allow to quickly locate the image. Also look for the site map, the pages of the site are filed by subject. If you think you know where is the information you need, follow the links from a page to another to access it. The search tools of the InfoVisual are versatile.
The use at house :
The InfoVisual consists of a structured information source. Its images are clear and are presented on a website easy to use. It will become quickly an essential reference tool. By its organized information, the InvoVisual gives a quick answer to questions from everyone.
The use at school :
Used as a reference tool, the InfoVisual complements the traditional means of teaching. Because it is all in images, it can become the center of interest for the group and provides a lot of information about the topics under study.
The students will be interested to consult the InfoVisual to prepare their shcool work.
The InfoVisual allows the students to better understand the knowledge and at the same time, help them develop habilities to structure and search for information. Its hierarchical content allows to establish relations between the spheres of knowledge.
The communication by image allows a quick transmission of complex elements. At the opposite of a hypertext system, the relation between a detail and an entire illustration is immediate and constantly apparent. This way, the information is transmitted in numeric mode (conceptual units) and also in analogical mode (relations between units). With the help of an image, it is easy to agree quickly in a common reference structure, whatever the culture or language level.
In the learning area, the InfoVisual allows the individual to see various shcematics and explore various approaches. For cognitive applications, the visual metaphor can be used more efficiently than the verbal representation of a notion. For children having concentration problems, the InfoVisual pick up their attention and allows interaction with them. The teacher can work on enhancing the child motivation to participate in a learning project.
The use of the InfoVisual provides a learning environment integrating a new vision of information technologies. We have made every effort to provide the information in a way that is accessible and user-friendly without compromising its richness; the comments we have received from our visitors strongly indicate that our efforts have been worthwhile.
Use in an educational environment
The InfoVisual provides to students a better understanding of general knowledge and helps them to develop structural abilities and information search. Its structured content allows establishing links between the knowledge spheres.
The communication by way of images allows a quick transmission of complex elements. As opposed to a hypertext-type system, the relation between a detail and a global picture is immediate and constantly noticeable. This way, the information is transmitted both in numeric mode (conceptual units) and analog (relation between units). With an image, it is easy to agree quickly on a common frame of reference, whatever the level of culture or language is.
In the learning area, the InfoVisual allows someone to see different schematics and explore many opinions. For cognitive applications, the visual metaphor can be use more efficiently than the verbal representation of a notion. For children having attention and concentration difficulties, the InfoVisual captures the attention and allows interactions with the child. The teacher can work on enhancing the child motivation to participate to a learning project.
The use of the InfoVisual provides a learning environment integrating a new aspect of information technologies. The students who consult the InfoVisual on a regular basis will be able to develop particular abilities to communicate concepts.
Elementary education level
A large amount of learning activities can be conceived with the help of the InfoVisual. We present here 3 different strategies in order to reach the same objectives.
Viewing written forms
Classification into subgroups
Activity: Make a vegetable soup recipe by identifying about 10 vegetables. Begin by making search the vegetables in the dictionary and write down the names on a piece of paper. Students more familiar with the computer can copy the vegetables into a graphic software (with the help of the Selection graphic tool) and paste them in an illustrated recipe (material: Volume 1: Vegetal Biology). We can also do this exercise by making a fruit salad recipe.
Creation of subgroups
Students can work in team. They make a list of 5 animals for each of the 3 following groups: Those who move on earth, in water and in the air. They prepare a graphic illustrating their favorite animal in each of the categories by pasting the picture of these 3 animals (material: Volume 2: Animal Biology). We can also make this exercise with terrestrial, maritime and aerial means of transportation.
Images to be completed
Prepare 3 files containing an image of a harbor, a station, a bridge or a road. Ask the students to complete each image by pasting the images of 2 vehicles using these places (material: Volume 5: Transportation.
High school education level
Objective: Usage of the image as a mean of communication
Activity: The images of the InfoVisual make up nice illustrations for a classroom diary. All you have to do is copy the images, without the terms into the clipboard.
Objective: Study of the anatomy of plant species
Activity: Trace the evolution of the digestive system according to the complexity of an animal (earthworm to monkey, for example) (material: Volume 2: Animal biology).
Compare each type of fruit shells by illustrating each one with an example from the Vegetal Biology dictionary. We can also do this exercise with the different means of locomotion of terrestrial or marine animals (material: Volume 2: Animal Biology).
Study the different usages of human cartilage (material: Volume 1: Human Body). Use the search function to identify all pages where this term occurs.
Objective: English language. English vocabulary acquisition
Activity: Ask students to prepare a small English presentation about something simple. The aerial means of transportation, the vegetables, the trains, etc… The students familiarize with the English vocabulary using the display of the terms in this language. The images without the terms can be showed with a projector or printed.
High school, Collegial and University education levels
The pages of the dictionary can be used as illustrations for course notes, presentations or exams. After choosing interesting terms for the group, the teacher can print the pages on transparencies and project them in class. Printed without terms, these pages can be used as questionnaires.