This research report provides a review and analysis of online and distance education language training in Canada. The report provides a set of recommendations for the implementation of online and distance education language training, including the need for increased access to online and blended learning opportunities, the need to address integrating culture in language learning, the need to provide robust learner orientation and professional development for instructors, ongoing and multi-modal communications, technical support and the development of a centralized repository of learning objects.

What is this research about?

This research examines the evolving landscape of online and distance education for language training, with a focus on the implications for newcomers to Canada, particularly those in English as a Second Language (ESL) and immigrant integration contexts. The report aims to analyze how emerging digital tools and Web 2.0 technologies influence language learning, and to identify effective practices and challenges in delivering online language education1.

Guiding questions and central objectives:

What do you need to know? (Context and background)

What did the researchers find? (Key highlights, themes, and outliers)

Interesting Themes and Outlier Findings

How can you use this research?

What did the researchers do? (Methodology)

Summary Table: Key Points

AspectKey Findings/Recommendations
Web 2.0 ToolsBlogs, wikis, podcasts enhance interactivity and engagement
Instructor RoleRequires ongoing professional development
Learner RoleSelf-motivation and digital literacy are critical
Cultural SensitivityContent must be culturally relevant
FlexibilityOnline learning supports refugees and newcomers
Best PracticesFocus on usability, learner readiness, and LMS integration
Fast Forward - An Analysis of Online and Distance Education Language Training (2007)Download

What is this research about?

This environmental scan provides a detailed, sector-specific overview of AI adoption in Canadian settlement services, highlighting both the promise and the challenges of integrating AI in a human-centered, ethical, and collaborative manner. It provides actionable recommendations for organizations, policymakers, and researchers, and sets the stage for future work in this evolving area.

The report analyzes current AI tools, use cases, costs, strengths, limitations, and offers considerations for organizations implementing AI. Researchers examined the current landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) tools and applications in the settlement services sector, focusing on how AI can support Newcomer service delivery. The report summarizes that AI technology should supplement but not replace human interaction and staff positions, emphasizing the sector’s commitment to human-centered service.

What do you need to know?

The guiding questions were:

Context and Relevance:

What did the researchers find?

Key Highlights:

What are some particularly interesting themes and outlier findings?

How can you use this research?

For Service Provider Organizations:

For Policymakers and Funders:

For Academics and Researchers:

What did the researchers do?

Methods and Activities:

In summary:

    Environmental-Scan_-Application-of-AI-in-Settlement-Services (2024)Download

    What is this research about?

    The research explores ongoing and emerging digital literacy gaps among newcomers in the Toronto South area, with a focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the sector’s shift to online and hybrid service delivery. Researchers focused on how these changes have impacted newcomer access to essential services, what barriers remain, and what promising practices and supports are needed to address digital literacy deficiencies.

    What do you need to know?

    The digital divide for newcomers was exacerbated by the pandemic’s push toward digital service delivery. Newcomers, particularly older adults, those with limited language proficiency, and less technologically skilled individuals, face compounded barriers to accessing essential services. The report highlights how pre-existing inequities intensified and how the sector’s rapid transition to digital platforms left significant gaps in support for digital literacy. Researchers discuss how digital literacy fits within broader social and economic participation, recognizing that digital skills are foundational for integration and access to services.

    What did the researchers find?

    Key findings include:

    Summary Table: Key Recommendations

    Recommendation AreaDetails
    Funding & ResourcesDedicated funding for digital literacy, devices, and instructor hiring
    PartnershipsIncrease public-private and community partnerships
    AccessibilityOpen eligibility for all newcomers, regardless of status
    Professional DevelopmentTraining for staff and community members supporting newcomers
    Centralized ProgrammingPartner with public libraries/school boards for centralized services
    Information SharingBuild and replicate promising practices among organizations

    Interesting themes and outlier findings:

    How can you use this research?

    The report also recommends future research and ongoing evaluation to ensure that interventions are effective and responsive to the evolving needs of newcomers.

    What did the researchers do?

    Digital-Literacy-Gaps-in-the-Newcomer-Serving-Sector-Toronto-South-Local-Immigration-Partnership-TSLIPDownload

    What is this research about?

    This article examines the use of artificial intelligence (AI), including generative AI, in the management of international migration. It explores the legal and practical considerations for responsible AI implementation by governments, focusing on transparency, regulatory frameworks, and the protection of migrants’ rights.

    The author argues that States should be more transparent about their use of AI in international migration management to increase trust, strengthen the rule of law, and ensure accountability. She reviews current advances in AI regulation and highlights the importance of adhering to international human rights law and introduces a framework to support States with the responsible implementation of AI in international migration management.

    This research provides a timely, principled roadmap for governments and organizations seeking to implement AI responsibly in international migration management. Its emphasis on transparency, risk assessment, and human rights offers actionable guidance for a range of stakeholders.

    This article is extracted from the IOM's Migration Policy Practice (Vol. XIV, Number 2, June 2025).

    What do you need to know?

    AI and generative AI are increasingly used by governments to streamline migration processing, detect fraud, and manage identity verification. Examples include Australia (fraud detection, document analysis), Canada (visa triage), and Germany (identity management, name transliteration, mobile data analysis). Not all States are transparent about their AI use, raising concerns about trust and accountability.

    This article provides a legal and ethical analysis, linking practical AI deployment with international human rights obligations. It also offers a structured framework for responsible AI use, emphasizing the “do no harm” principle, risk assessment, and the need for transparency.

    What did the researcher find?

    Key Highlights:

    What are some particularly interesting themes and outlier findings?

    How can you use this research?

    For Policymakers:

    For Practitioners (Migration Authorities, NGOs):

    For Academics and Researchers:

    For International Organizations:

    What did the researchers do?

    Methods and Approach:

    Stakeholders Consulted:


    Responsible artificial intelligence in international migration management (2025)Download

      What is this research about?

      This report looked at the state of evidence for the use of communication apps (specifically cultural-language translation apps) with immigrant seniors in long-term care (LTC) and community settings. The study focused on understanding the acceptability, accessibility, and utility of these digital resources for older immigrant adults who have limited English proficiency, and how these tools impact health equity and care quality.

      Cultural-language translation apps are digital applications designed to translate spoken or written language, often incorporating cultural context to enhance communication and understanding, particularly for individuals with limited proficiency in the dominant language of their environment

      What do you need to know?

      Many older adults revert to their first language as they age, increasing language barriers, creating communication challenges in care settings and potentially leading to poorer health outcomes.

      Cultural-language translation apps are relevant in healthcare, where effective communication is essential for safe, person-centered care, informed consent, and daily interactions. They are seen as potential solutions to address shortages in interpretation services and to support staff and caregivers in multicultural environments. While digital translation apps (like Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, Amazon SayHi) are widely available, there is little empirical research on their use, acceptability, and impact in long-term care and community settings for immigrant seniors. There is also a lack of evidence on whether these apps improve health equity or inadvertently widen disparities.

      Researchers incorporated a digital health equity framework, explicitly analyzing how these technologies address or reinforce issues like ageism, ableism, and the digital divide in geriatric care.

      What did the researchers find?

      Researchers highlighted several key points from the background literature and rationale:

      What are some particularly interesting themes or outlier findings?

      How can you use this research?

      For Practitioners (LTC staff, community care providers):

      For Policymakers and Administrators:

      For Researchers and Academics:

      For Technology Developers:

      Recommendations for Future Research:

      What did the researchers do?

      This protocol set out to systematically map and critically analyze the evidence on the use of communication apps for immigrant seniors in care settings, with a strong focus on health equity and digital inclusion.

      Methods & Activities:

      What is the state of evidence for the use of communication apps with immigrant seniors in long-term care and community settingsDownload

        What is this research about?

        This is an evaluation report for a year-long digital literacy initiative conducted by Cecil Community Centre in Kensington-Chinatown. Multilingual seniors attended weekly classes, workshops, and optional drop-in sessions to build foundational digital skills. The project focused on Mandarin and Cantonese speakers. The evaluation asked:

        1. To what extent has the program improved participants’ digital literacy and confidence in using technology?
        2. How effectively has the program reduced social isolation among multilingual seniors?
        3. How does the program impact participants’ long-term digital engagement and access to online resources?1

        What do you need to know?

        Multilingual and non-English-speaking seniors face significant barriers to digital inclusion. This impacts social isolation and can limit access to services they need. This project targeted seniors in a diverse, urban neighbourhood by offering translated instruction and culturally relevant support.

        The project provides an important lesson about the need to tailor and customize digital literacy training for specific audiences. Two cohorts of twenty seniors attended 14 weeks of digital literacy classes, with half of the participants
        attending classes that were translated by a volunteer into Mandarin and Cantonese. Multilingual delivery (Mandarin and Cantonese translation), a community-driven needs assessment and the integration of both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods, including participant interviews and satisfaction surveys, were important to determine what worked.

        The project demonstrates how tailored digital literacy programs can both improve technical skills and foster social connection among marginalized senior populations. The program's structure, combining group workshops, one-on-one support, and community celebration, offers a replicable model for similar communities. This project mirrors the findings of the WESO project's client digital literacy experiment which answered a simple but complex question: what is the bare minimum training for Newcomers that would improve the likelihood that they might access online services?

        What did the researchers find?

        Key Themes:

        Participant Quotes:

        Outlier Findings & Themes:

        How can you use this research?

        For Community Organizations:

        For Policymakers and Funders:

        For Practitioners and Educators:

        For Researchers:

        Recommendations for Future Research:

        What did the researchers do?

        Methods & Activities:

        Impact-Evaluation-Report_Bridging-the-Digital-Divide-for-Multilingual-Seniors (2025)Download

        This research report details the Josoor Project, an Arab Community Centre of Toronto (ACCT) project aimed at improving settlement services for vulnerable newcomer and refugee women in Ontario. The project identified four key barriers hindering their integration:

        1. language
        2. socio-economic status
        3. geographic location
        4. digital skills

        To address these challenges, ACCT developed a prototype service delivery model which includes providing hardware (laptops) and internet connectivity, offering digital literacy training in English and Arabic, and establishing a digital service protocol for service providers.

        Main Themes and Key Ideas

        Addressing Barriers to Digital Integration: The central theme of the report is the identification and analysis of the significant barriers that prevent newcomer refugee women from effectively using technology to access settlement services and information.

        The report provides in-depth findings on each of the four barriers, supported by quantitative data from surveys and qualitative insights from focus groups:

          Service Provider Capacity and Digital Transformation: The report also examines the digital capacity of settlement service providers, noting a lack of standardized frameworks and resources for digital service provision. While some agencies are experimenting with digital tools, there is a need for adequate resourcing, professional development, and clear guidelines for remote and hybrid service delivery. The report highlights the emergence of "Digital Navigators" as a crucial support role in the sector.

          Development and Testing of a New Approach (Josoor's Prototype): Based on the research findings, the Josoor project developed a multi-component prototype designed to address the identified barriers and improve Newcomer women's access to settlement services and information.

          How can you use this research?

          The findings of this report have significant implications for settlement service design and delivery in Canada. Addressing the interconnected digital barriers is crucial for promoting equitable access to information and services for vulnerable Newcomer populations. The Josoor prototype offers a potential model for a more client-centred and technologically-enabled approach to settlement support. The results of the ongoing pilot study will provide valuable evidence to inform future policy and practice in the settlement sector.

          Other immigrant and refugee-serving organizations can use the research from the Josoor project in several significant ways to improve their service delivery, particularly in leveraging technology to support Newcomer and refugee women:

          Understand the Barriers: The report identifies and details four primary barriers that hinder Newcomer refugee women from digitally integrating into Canada: language, socio-economic status, geographic location, and digital skills.

          Learn from the Josoor Prototype: The report presents Josoor's prototype as a "new approach" designed to mitigate the identified barriers. Other organizations can review and potentially adopt or adapt components of this prototype for their own service delivery models.

          Build Sector Capacity: The research explicitly aims to build the settlement sector's capacity to serve vulnerable populations remotely or through a hybrid approach. By sharing what has been learned, the project contributes to the "knowledge base of what does and does not work in remote service delivery". The report highlights the challenges settlement agencies face, such as limited resources, lack of staff training, and the difficulty in quickly transitioning to remote services. Other organizations can use this information to understand common challenges and advocate for necessary support and funding.

          Josoor Research Report 2023Download
          AI transparency statement

          Strategy, strategy, strategy. That's what you'll hear when you read any good social media or technology in human service article. It's an essential piece of getting started, doing it well, learning from your forays into technology use, and refining your approach.

          This a great, practical read about how your human service organization can approach technology as a community engagement and community development tool. The research highlights that social media is a tool, not a universal solution. Its effectiveness requires strategic planning, organizational capacity, and understanding the diverse ways communities interact online. The report provides a framework and recommendations for nonprofits to consider when using social media to connect with vulnerable groups.

          It gets nicely beyond the hype and gives you a solid grounding in the strategic approach you and your organization need to take to move forward successfully with technology in your service delivery toolkit.

          “Social media has become a new buzzword in nonprofits and other organizations – heralded by many as a new way to reach and engage marginalized populations and to support significant progress in community development, mobilization and social change.

          This report explores the role and function of social media as a tool for community engagement, in order to uncover enabling social media strategies and interventions that can be used to engage low-income and marginalized populations. Drawing on an extensive literature review and community interviews, this report highlights the usefulness and challenges of social media as a potential strategy and tool for engagement. It highlights key considerations and approaches for utilizing social media for community development and for engaging with low-income populations.

          This research finds that utilizing social media – or any other communication and engagement strategy – requires careful planning and consideration related to mission, strategy and capacity. In particular, this research finds that social media is no silver bullet, highlighting the importance both of nonprofit capacity in developing and running any social media strategy and of understanding how diverse communities access, use and engage on social media.”

          Key recommendations:

          Social-Media-as-Strategy-Lowe_Carleton_2014Download

          What is this research about?

          This research examines the potential impacts, both positive and negative, of Generative AI (GenAI) on Black communities in Canada. The study aims to provide business and policy leaders with guidance for creating an AI-powered future that mitigates potential negative impacts and creates inclusive opportunities for Black communities.

          From the report home page:

          "In the rapidly evolving digital landscape, Generative AI (GenAI) emerges as a pivotal technology with the potential to redefine industries and societal norms. Our latest report, The future is equitable: Balancing the impact of GenAI on Canada's Black communities delves into the profound implications of GenAI for equity, inclusion, and the socio-economic advancement of Black communities in Canada.

          Explore the full report to discover how strategic, ethical, and inclusive approaches to GenAI can open new opportunities for equity, prosperity, and growth for Canadian organizations and Black communities across Canada. Organizations have an economic imperative to deploy equitable solutions: by embracing GenAI with a focus on strategic planning, ethics, and inclusivity, businesses can bridge equity gaps while unlocking new avenues for growth. These technologies can revolutionize sectors like healthcare, education, and business, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic advancement."

          What do you need to know?

          What did the researchers do?

          Inclusive AI framework included in the report outlining 8 key areas

          What did the researchers find?

          Key findings include:

          Specific mentions of Black immigrants:

          1. The report uses an example of "Jennett, a new immigrant who has English as a second language, impeccable academic credentials, and promising career prospects" to illustrate how GenAI could help overcome barriers that new immigrants face in navigating financial landscapes and building generational wealth.
          2. In discussing workforce representation, the report notes that "Black Canadians and new immigrants comprised just 2.6% of Canada's tech workers, compared with 4.3% of the country's population."
          3. The report mentions that "Black immigrants and Black Canadians face additional barriers in the workplace, stemming from a lack of recognition for achievements and credentials, limited access to career advancement, and systemic racism."
          4. There is a mention of a case study about LIFT Impact Partners, a national non-profit organization that helps newcomers find meaningful employment. The organization is working with Deloitte to develop "a multilingual enhanced technology solution that leverages GenAI to help social purpose organizations aid newcomers in finding jobs that better reflect their skills, experiences, and expertise."
          5. The report mentions that GenAI solutions could be used to "recognize and translate dialects, idioms, and cultural nuances specific to Black communities and new immigrants."

          Broad themes:

          1. Leveraging GenAI with a focus on diversity and inclusion is more than a social responsibility—it's a strategic imperative that can drive economic growth and deliver a competitive advantage. For instance, the Black consumer market in the US is projected to reach $1.8 trillion in 2024, illustrating the vast potential of inclusive market strategies. By applying a similar approach in Canada, businesses can unlock new markets, foster innovation, and enhance financial performance, positioning themselves as leaders in a rapidly evolving landscape.
          2. GenAI systems that lack diversity risk perpetuating biases and alienating equity-seeking users, leading to negative experiences, reduced trust, and decreased engagement. To ensure broader adoption and long-term success, organizations must develop GenAI tools that reflect the diversity of their user base.
          3. There is an urgent need for robust policy frameworks and ethical guidelines to govern the deployment of GenAI solutions. Only 1 in 20 leaders surveyed were confident that current organizational AI and ethical frameworks could address issues related to bias and discrimination. While 78% of leaders surveyed believed that GenAI systems should undergo regular audits for bias and fairness. To mitigate risks and build trust, it is crucial for organizations to prioritize AI model transparency and accountability. By implementing clear guidelines for AI usage, ensuring explain-ability, and regularly auditing AI models, businesses can reduce the risk of bias, enhance decision-making, and demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices.
          4. Diverse perspectives enhance problem-solving, innovation, and ethical decision-making, leading to better-performing AI systems and more equitable solutions across various sectors. Over 60% of survey respondents believed that diverse AI teams could be the key to mitigating bias in AI systems.
          5. Black professionals and Equity Seeking Groups (ESGs) who upskill now and embrace the current wave of AI innovation will position themselves for future success. With fewer than 25% of Canadian businesses actively using GenAI solutions regularly, those who grasp the potential of these technologies early will gain a significant competitive advantage.

          How can you use this research?

          For Business Leaders:

          For Policy Makers:

          For Practitioners:

          Future Research Recommendations:

          ca-GenAI-Black-Communities-Canada-Final-EN-AODADownload
          AI Transparency statement - A research snapshot was generated using Perplexity.ai which was fact checked and edited.

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