Executive Summary:
"This project on Settlement Programming through the Media analyzed selected mainstream, ethnic and neighbourhood media in Ottawa, GTA, Windsor and Sudbury. Ethnic media contents produced for Afghan, West African, Arab, Caribbean, Chinese, North Indian, Hispanic, Somali, Tamil, Portuguese and Russian communities were scrutinized. The team of researchers examined the contents of TV, radio, newspapers and websites according to the following settlement information categories: Employment, Housing, Immigration, Citizenship, Legal Services, Education, Health, Consumer Information, Community, Recreation and Politics. Extensive quantitative analyses were conducted of the collected data. The project also comprised focus group sessions in the four cities and in-depth interviews with media producers and editors.
A number of gaps were identified with respect to settlement information in Ontario. Newcomers have difficulty accessing relevant material with ease. Among the key barriers are linguistic and cultural as well as problems in using media technologies. Mainstream, ethnic and neighbourhood media also have specific tendencies that limit the amount and kinds of settlement information they carry. Immigrants in smaller locations have little access to appropriate materials.
If settlement information is to be useful, it has to be accessible and reliable. Primary design considerations should include newcomer diversity, informational needs, and abilities in accessing material. Content development has to consider language, culture, local conditions, settlement needs and dissemination barriers. These efforts should build on the strengths of mainstream media in reporting politics, of ethnic media in covering consumer information, housing and community, and of neighbourhood media in addressing education, recreation and community.
The initiatives to be considered for pilot projects can include:
Abstract:
"Past studies on technology-use in Canada’s settlement sector during the COVID-19 pandemic have provided varying results on the usage and effectiveness of online platforms for communications and service delivery. This has made it difficult for stakeholders to accurately assess how the sector is performing in terms of its technology adoption and adaptation to the pandemic. This study establishes a Canada-wide baseline for online platform usage, effectiveness and inclusiveness during the pandemic, with a particular focus on social media platforms.
We found that only about half of Settlement Service Provider Organizations were using social media to communicate and deliver services to newcomers. Similarly, only about half found that the platforms were effective in meeting the needs of their clients. There is evidence of inclusiveness for those who were not able to use online services, but access to services among newcomers living in rural areas only moderately improved, and there is no evidence of improved access for pre-arrival newcomers.
We also gathered detailed information from 30 agencies on their use of social media in the delivery of services and communicating with new and existing clients. We found that social media platform usage and effectiveness was much higher than the Canada-wide average. But the inclusiveness of pre-arrival newcomers and rural dwellers was lower. Only about half the agencies were using a social media platform for service delivery and much fewer are using it for the delivery of pre-arrival services."
Summary
"This report examines outcomes in Canadian immigration decisions and in the Canadian immigration system that may systematically and unjustifiably disadvantage certain populations based on characteristics such as race and country of origin. It follows a 22 March 2022 to 4 May 2022 study on differential outcomes in Canadian immigration decisions by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration (the Committee).
This report is organized largely by what types of outcomes immigration decisions may affect. Chapter One draws from testimony on the differential outcomes for applicants caused by, and based on the application of, law and policy. This includes addressing different processing times and inventories for different streams and populations. Chapter Two explores potential effects of decisions about processing technology, the location and funding of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) visa offices and global network, and settlement funding on applicants or newcomers. Chapter Three examines potential outcomes of conscious and unconscious bias or racism for IRCC employees—outcomes that ultimately also affect refusals, processing times, and infrastructure for applicants."
Among the various recommendations are two specific to technology:
Requiring an Independent Assessment of Chinook, E-Tools and Artificial Intelligence
Recommendation 19
That the Government of Canada require an independent assessment and oversight by IT security experts of Chinook, e-tools and the expansion of the use of artificial intelligence in immigration on a mandatory basis; aim for greater transparency with respect to algorithmic impact assessments, privacy assessments and consultations on fairness concerns for using these technologies; and study the cases of the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, which have both in the last two years suspended the use of algorithmic systems because these systems have discriminatory biases.
Addressing the Recommendations on Artificial Intelligence and E-Tools in Report 8
Recommendation 20
That Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada address the recommendations related to the use of artificial intelligence and E-tools at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada contained in Report 8—Differential Treatment in Recruitment and Acceptance Rates of Foreign Students in Quebec and the Rest of Canada."
Abstract
"The drive for innovation, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness has seen governments increasingly turn to artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their operations. The significant growth in the use of AI mechanisms in the areas of migration and border control makes the potential for its application to the process of refugee status determination (RSD), which is burdened by delay and heavy caseloads, a very real possibility. AI may have a role to play
in supporting decision makers to assess the credibility of asylum seekers, as long as it is understood as a component of the humanitarian context. This article argues that AI will only benefit refugees if it does not replicate the problems of the current system. Credibility assessments, a central element of RSD, are flawed because the bipartite standard of a ‘wellfounded fear of being persecuted’ involves consideration of a claimant’s subjective fearfulness and the objective validation of that fear. Subjective fear imposes an additional burden on the refugee, and the ‘objective’ language of credibility indicators does not prevent the challenges decision makers face in assessing the credibility of other humans when external, but largely unseen, factors such as memory, trauma, and bias, are present.
Viewing the use of AI in RSD as part of the digital transformation of the refugee regime forces us to consider how it may affect decision-making efficiencies, as well as its impact(s) on refugees. Assessments of harm and benefit cannot be disentangled from the challenges AI is being tasked to address. Through an analysis of algorithmic decision making, predictive analysis, biometrics, automated credibility assessments, and digital forensics, this article reveals the risks and opportunities involved in the application of AI in RSD. On the one hand, AI’s potential to produce greater standardization, to mine and parse large amounts of data, and to address bias, holds significant possibility for increased consistency, improved fact-finding, and corroboration. On the other hand, machines may end up replicating and manifesting the unconscious biases and assumptions of their human developers, and AI has a limited ability to read emotions and process impacts on memory. The prospective nature of a well-founded fear is counter-intuitive if algorithms learn based on training data that is historical, and an increased ability to corroborate facts may shift the burden of proof to the asylum seeker. Breaches of data protection regulations and human rights loom large. The potential application of AI to RSD reveals flaws in refugee credibility assessments that stem from the need to assess subjective fear. If the use of AI in RSD is to become an effective and ethical form of humanitarian tech, the ‘well-founded fear of being persecuted’ standard should be based on objective risk only."
This report chronicles "the digitization of work over the last 15 years by examining the rise of
digital skills through job classification frameworks, primarily by using the National Occupational
Classification (NOC) and its American equivalent, O*NET. Their analysis confirms what many of us have already experienced one way or another - jobs that involve more repetitive or routine tasks saw the highest gains in digital advancements and integrations. However, the volume of these same jobs that experienced high digitization usually reached a plateau over time. This report
also investigates how even non-repetitive jobs are increasingly demanding digital knowledge and skills, indicating that the most sought-after skills are constantly changing over time...
Jobs that once required little to no digital skills are increasingly requiring workers to adopt them
into their day-to-day work tasks. Production outputs, resource needs and labour patterns are
perpetually changing, and these changes require new thinking on how we prepare Canadians for
the future of work.
This report offers a comprehensive look into how technology has impacted jobs and workers in the last 15 years. This information is designed to serve as a tool to understand the projected impact of technology on worker outcomes in Canada to ensure that we get the best and avoid the worst of technology-driven innovation."
Some key findings
"In the last 15 years, occupations associated with routine work saw the highest rates of digitalization. Jobs with the highest rates of digitalization were those that managed data, i.e., property managers, health information management, railway conductors, and scheduling coordinators.
In the last five years, however, jobs most associated with non-routine work are the top movers in digitalization. The top occupations identified were photographic and film processors, physicians, and engineering inspectors.
Digital technologies assist workers with carrying out work requiring a high level of reasoning and analytical skills. Workers who used technology to perform routine tasks saw more independence and autonomy in how they carried out their work, leaving them to focus on tasks that required more analytical thinking and higher reasoning.
Pilots and translators were leading occupations for digital adoption between 2006 to 2016. During the 2016 to 2021 period, however, their pace of digitalization fell so significantly that compared to other occupations across the total (15 year) period examined, they present as digital adoption laggards.
Digital skills in highest demand are constantly changing over the years, which has implications for worker training and risks of hyper-specialization. Malleability, critical thinking, and general knowledge across skills are vital to ensuring workers can adapt to the jobs of tomorrow."
"This report introduces a measurement framework to assist local coalitions in their efforts to grow and sustain healthy digital equity ecosystems. Digital equity ecosystems are interactions between individuals, populations, communities, and their larger environments that all play a role in shaping the work in local communities to advance more equitable access to technology and social, economic, and racial justice.
The Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement (DEEM) framework assumes that local coalitions play a key role in this work. Through local coordination of digital inclusion services, information and resource sharing, networking, data collection, and advocacy, local coalitions have mobilized individuals and organizations across their communities to take action. While these local coalitions continue to address their communities’ digital equity challenges, many lack the conceptual frameworks and measurement tools needed to gather data for planning, improvement, and argumentation purposes.
In response, this report presents findings from a participatory design research project with 32 digital equity and digital justice coalition leaders and members who came together for two workshops in June 2022. The DEEM framework presented in this report is the result of a synthesis of data gathered from these two workshops, as well as from a series of stakeholder interviews with local coalition leaders and a literature review conducted before the workshops began.
The DEEM framework introduced in Table 1 and further detailed in this report is meant to represent the ideas and contributions from our research participants and introduce these concepts to a broader group of coalition leaders, members, and stakeholders. Ultimately, the DEEM framework should be useful to any local coalition working to understand and evaluate their work to grow and sustain healthy digital equity ecosystems."
The Need For A Measurement Framework
"While recent academic studies and practitioner reports have sought to understand the impacts of the pandemic on those without computers, broadband, and digital literacy training, few reports have laid out what local coalitions might need to assess their efforts and themselves in this work to advance digital inclusion, equity, and justice. The Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement (DEEM) framework presented in this report attempts to address this gap in both academic and practitioner spaces by providing local coalitions with a way to both understand and measure the health, strength, and impacts of their efforts alongside their communities."
"The DEEM framework is meant to be a starting point to encourage deeper engagement around the ongoing efforts, as well as the broader outcomes and impacts, of local coalitions. This work is also timely as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration begins to release billions of dollars in federal funding to advance broadband and digital equity over the next five years.2 Now and in the coming years, there will be a growing need to better conceptualize and measure the impact of this public funding and to use data to improve coalition efforts even after these federal programs have completed. Furthermore, while philanthropic and other stakeholders might understand why digital equity matters, these same entities may lack the conceptual frameworks needed to grasp the internal and external evidence of the need for and impacts of coalitions in particular. A clearly articulated, rigorous, and accessible framework to measure the efforts led by local coalitions can further support initiatives to promote universal broadband, deliver new opportunities, and strengthen digital equity ecosystems...
The measurement levels included in the DEEM framework are rooted in a general theory of change around how digital equity coalitions operate and how they approach the process of advancing goals of digital inclusion, equity, and justice. This theory of change focuses on how the backbone layer of the coalition, including individual organizations serving in this role, creates new opportunities for various forms of coordination and capacity building among previously uncoordinated organizations that are working to advance digital equity with their local communities. This coordination and capacity building, in turn, then supports these organizations to develop new or improve existing work they are engaged in. These new or improved efforts on the part of coalition member organizations then positively impact the lives of individuals and communities on the whole vis-a-vis valued outcomes around digital inclusion, equity, and justice."
Abstract
"As it becomes increasingly clear how central digital transformation is to development, the need for accurately measuring digital inclusion and understanding its relationship to socio-economic factors, becomes more urgent.
Focusing on the internet as a foundational technology, this paper begins by summarising recent developments in digital inclusion theory, particularly as this relates to developing countries. It sets out a framework of core components of digital inclusion - including access/use, quality of access/use, affordability, and digital skills - and briefly considers policy implications.
The paper then surveys the ways these components are currently measured in household and firm surveys and by international organisations, highlighting some of the often-overlooked weaknesses of current measures, and suggesting possible improvements. The paper also reflects on potential applications of (and risks associated with) new ways of measuring digital inclusion using big data.
Lastly, building on the framework developed, the paper reviews the empirical literature on ‘digital divides’ in developing countries, and makes suggestions for how future research could become more rigorous and useful."
Factors affecting digital inclusion
"Clearly, thinking of digital inclusion only in terms of access is insufficient, and important theoretical contributions have been made to extend this concept to consider additional barriers to meaningful usage, and outcomes as well as opportunities. For the purposes of goal-setting and policy-making to tackle digital divides, it is necessary to focus on certain core indicators of digital inclusion, and efforts should be made to improve their sophistication and reliability, and to disaggregate them. While there have been many commentators who have questioned the importance of the internet in developing countries, there is now wide acceptance of the internet being a key enabler for development, which has been aided by recent robust economics research on the topic."
Some conclusions
"Related to digital skills, current measurement efforts take an outdated approach that focuses on computer skills, which is not suitable for measuring digital skills in developing countries. Also questionable is the usefulness of basic proxies that equate attainment of education with attainment of digital skills. International organisations should develop survey questions which focus on digital skills related to mobile phones, and reassess their proxy measures...
Digital inclusion indices, which sacrifice important detail for arbitrarily defined summary measures, are of limited value. Digital inclusion is multi-faceted, and a plethora of indicators cannot be aggregated to form a clear conclusion."
What is this research about?
The report explores digital inclusion, focusing on how access to digital technologies, particularly the internet, varies across different socio-economic groups in developing countries. It aims to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding digital inclusion, assess current measurement methods, and suggest improvements. The paper emphasizes the importance of digital inclusion as a foundational element for development, driven by the rapid pace of digital transformation globally. It also reviews recent empirical studies on digital divides and proposes how future research can be more effective. It explores the evolution of digital inclusion theory, the current methodologies for measuring digital inclusion, and the empirical research on the digital divides affecting various socio-economic factors in developing countries.
What do you need to know?
Digital inclusion involves more than just access to digital technologies; it encompasses the quality of access, affordability, and digital skills necessary to effectively utilize these technologies. The paper highlights the shift from focusing solely on access to considering a broader framework that includes these additional components. It also discusses the role of government interventions and the need for improved measurement techniques to better inform policy and address within-country inequalities in digital access.
It is important to understand:
What did the researchers do?
The researchers conducted a comprehensive review of existing literature and theories related to digital inclusion, and summarized recent developments in digital inclusion theory focusing on developing countries. They analyzed how digital inclusion is currently measured in household and specialized surveys and by international organizations. The paper also evaluates the empirical literature on digital divides, identifying gaps in research and suggesting future directions. They created a framework defining core components of digital inclusion. Additionally, researchers discussed the potential uses of big data in measuring digital inclusion and the risks associated with such approaches.
What did the researchers find?
The findings reveal significant weaknesses in the current measures of digital inclusion, such as issues with reliability, validity, and the lack of attention to the quality of access and digital skills. The paper suggests that while efforts have been made to standardize measurements, more needs to be done to capture the specific ways the internet is used in developing countries. It also finds that empirical studies often provide an unreliable picture of how socio-economic factors like gender, education, income, and location affect digital inclusion. The paper recommends steps to improve research and measurement practices to provide a more accurate and useful framework for policymakers.
Key findings include:
How can you use this research?
This research provides valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of digital inclusion and the importance of comprehensive measurement strategies. You can use the findings to advocate for and implement policies that address not only the digital access but also the quality of access, affordability, and enhancement of digital skills. The recommendations for improving measurement practices can guide the development of more effective surveys and data collection methods, ultimately leading to better-informed decisions that can drive digital inclusion forward. Additionally, understanding the potential and limitations of using big data for measuring digital inclusion can help in designing projects that leverage these technologies while mitigating associated risks.
Additional ways this research can help:
"Abstract:
The proliferation of mobile devices in everyday life since the end of the 20th century has led to mobile applications for educational purposes and the creation of the research field of mobile learning. Despite the extended research interest on the effectiveness of this field, there is limited research on mobile learning for various social groups, such as refugees, students with learning difficulties and disabilities. Due to the unprecedented number (over one hundred million) of refugees during the second decade of the 21st century worldwide, many NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) and UN (United Nations) initiatives have proposed leveraging mobile learning for refugee educational needs. This research article focuses on mobile learning for refugee education.
Namely, the present systematic literature review results from 2015 to 2020 will give a concrete picture of the recently existing mobile learning apps for refugees and their characteristics. According to the research findings, 15 characteristics were collected out of 14 applications. According to prior literature, areas of agreement or discrepancies in the field were found. Two new -to previous literature-characteristics were revealed: interwoven psychological and educational features and refugees’ cultural features in the apps. The summarization and categorization of the app’s characteristics aim to contribute to mobile learning research and impact game developers, educators, and NGOs according to refugee needs. . The limitations of this study and issues for further exploration will also be discussed in the last sections."
The authors sought to answer two questions about mobile learning for refugees:
Key findings
"As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, societies are witnessing first-hand how digitalization can help confront the crisis and keep migrants, their families and communities connected. Against this context, this digest explores the multi-faceted opportunities and risks that digital innovation can bring to social connections and community cohesion among migrants and host communities.
Migrants have been a key part of countries’ pandemic response, as both a population at risk and as frontline workers or volunteers. In the face of lockdowns and physical distancing measures, governments and organizations across the world have turned towards innovative digital solutions to address the social isolation, loneliness and anxiety that pandemic-related restrictions and measures can bring. Despite measures that limit mobility and physical interactions, the pandemic has stimulated digital innovation on a global scale, connecting millions of migrants with their families and communities around the world.
However, the pandemic has also brought to the fore the increased risk of excluding already marginalized groups. While digital innovation has enabled access to services for those who were previously hard to reach, the benefits of digital innovation are not equally distributed. Migrants who lack access to online connectivity, digital devices and skills have been further isolated.
Policies and interventions that do not take adequate measures to address 'digital poverty' run the risk of worsening social isolation and broaden disparities within society. At the same time, physical distancing measures and the lack of moderating influence of face-to-face peer discussions have exposed a growing population to an echo chamber of targeted online campaigns of disinformation, hostility and out right hate speech against marginalized groups.
Migrants have been disproportionately impacted by both developments.
Recognizing these immediate challenges, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has developed and adapted its interventions in the field to harness the opportunities but also address the risks digitalization can bring to migrant inclusion and social cohesion.
In the framework of the Joint Global Initiative on Diversity, Inclusion and Social Cohesion (DISC), this fourth edition of the global DISC Digest highlights the various initiatives that both IOM and other organizations have taken, to provide resources and guidance for those looking to transition their activities online in the areas of migrant training, integration and social cohesion. It also presents some knowledge products and reports, and online campaigns that are particularly geared towards combatting hate
speech towards migrants and misinformation on COVID-19."
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