Category: research

Spambots and botnets

Michael ChalkLeave a commentresearch, technology

When spammers attacked our “English at the Beach” website, on both the Guestbooks and the Feedback Survey pages, we were experiencing the “New Chicago-style Web”. “We used to call the Internet a sort of Wild West. Now it’s more like Chicago in the 1920s with Al Capone,” says Prolexic President Keith Laslop. Writing up my research on the web usage server logs, i needed a definition of ‘botnet’. While searching, i came across an intriguing article in Wired late last year, which outlines an attack on Six Apart’s Type Pad Read More …

"Multimodality", literacy and technology

Michael ChalkLeave a commentadult literacy, research, technology

Have found the book i’ve been looking for: Carey Jewitt’s “Technology, Literacy and Learning: a multimodal approach“. Dr Jewitt, an Academic Fellow funded by the UK Research Council, has a complex take on literacies, involving social semiotics, ‘activity theory’, and the potential for multimodality to have a big impact on the way people learn. I’m looking forward to finding out more about how “image, sound, writing and movement on screen contributes to the construction of school knowledge and potentials for learning.” Her focus is on schools, rather than adult education, Read More …

Play the Game

Michael ChalkLeave a commentadult literacy, classroom, professional development, research

This year (’05) at PRACE, we were very fortunate to have the opportunity to research computer games in a learning environment. Our group of adults studying literacies with Margery seemed to enjoy playing games in their computer session, so we went off to discover what other games might be useful in a literacy-learning environment. My favourite game was AddemUp, from Blue Bug Games – a number game that really challenged people in the group. We found using the data projector very useful, for making this into a group activity. You Read More …

Publications and interviews

Michael ChalkLeave a commentresearch

“Open Source, Language and Literacy” It’s been an exciting couple of months for me, as i’ve been asked to write a few articles. One for the coming Journal “Australian Language and Literacy Matters”, a new project emerging from Australian Language Matters and the ARIS Resources Bulletin. [“Open Source, Language & Literacy” @ ALLM : ms word doc 180k] Current Directions in Flexible Learning Another for Literacy Link, the Australian Council for Adult Literacy magazine, about current happenings in the Australian Flexible Learning Community. [FlexiLearni @ LitLink : ms word doc Read More …

how to sum up open source?

Michael ChalkLeave a commentresearch

Updating slows Hello i haven’t updated here for a while – yes i’ve become a ‘blogger who doesn’t blog’ .. and i’m still working on my final report – “How on Earth do i Encapsulate or Sum Up Open Source?” It’s so big! Updates will be rare from now on .. also working on more accessible presentation, categorisation and description of all the links listed in the blog section. Phew. Currently what i’m finding interesting is the economic and business models that are put forward by Eric Raymond in his Read More …