This research explores the potential risks and ethical concerns associated with the use of general-purpose large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in the Newcomer-serving sector. It examines how these AI tools could impact immigrants and refugees if used without proper customization and safeguards.
Report abstract:
"The non-profit settlement sector in Canada supports newcomers in achieving successful integration. This sector faces increasing operational pressures amidst rising immigration targets, which highlights a need for enhanced efficiency and innovation, potentially through reliable AI solutions. The ad-hoc use of general-purpose generative AI, such as ChatGPT, might become a common practice among newcomers and service providers to address this need. However, these tools are not tailored for the settlement domain and can have detrimental implications for immigrants and refugees. We explore the risks that these tools might pose on newcomers to first, warn against the unguarded use of generative AI, and second, to incentivize further research and development in creating AI literacy programs as well as customized LLMs that are aligned with the preferences of the impacted communities. Crucially, such technologies should be designed to integrate seamlessly into the existing workflow of the settlement sector, ensuring human oversight, trustworthiness, and accountability."
What do you need to know?
The Canadian settlement sector, which supports newcomers in integrating into society, faces increasing demands due to rising immigration targets. While AI tools could potentially improve efficiency, using general-purpose LLMs without customization poses risks such as biases, misinformation, and vulnerability to malicious use.
What did the researchers do?
The researchers conducted experiments using ChatGPT to simulate scenarios relevant to newcomers, such as seeking employment information, accessing health data, and gathering details about banking services. They analyzed the outputs for biases, inaccuracies, and potential harms across different languages and user backgrounds.
What did the researchers find?
The study revealed several concerning issues:
Bias in employment suggestions based on national backgrounds
Performance disparities across languages, particularly in health information access
Stereotypical representations of immigrants and refugees
Instances of hallucinations and misinformation
Potential for malicious use through scams targeting newcomers
How can you use this research?
If you work in the settlement sector, this research highlights the need to:
Develop customized AI tools tailored specifically for newcomer needs, rather than relying on general-purpose LLMs
Implement safeguards and bias mitigation strategies in AI systems used for settlement services
Promote AI literacy among newcomers and service providers
Ensure human oversight and accountability when integrating AI into existing service structures
Invest in technologies to detect and combat AI-facilitated fraudulent activities targeting newcomers
Collaborate with policymakers, technologists, and newcomer communities to design fair and transparent AI solutions
Focus on enhancing areas where AI can be beneficial, such as language training, information dissemination, and employment support, while maintaining human-centered approaches for sensitive services like resettlement and community connections
This qualitative study examined the experiences of patients from equity-deserving populations (EDPs) who received care from a Virtual Emergency Department (ED) in Toronto, Canada. The researchers wanted to understand how virtual care compared to in-person care for EDPs and what aspects promoted or hindered equitable access and experiences.
Report abstract:
"Patients from equity-deserving populations, such as those who are from racialized communities, the 2SLGBTQI+ community, who are refugees or immigrants, and/or who have a disability, may experience a unique set of challenges accessing virtual models of care. The objective of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of patients from equity-deserving communities and their family members who received care from a Virtual Emergency Department (ED) in Toronto, Canada. Forty-three participants (36 patients and 7 family caregivers) with different and intersecting identities who used the Virtual ED participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore reasons for accessing the Virtual ED, barriers to access, and how the Virtual ED met their care needs and expectations, including ways their experience could have been improved. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes from the data. Patients from equity-deserving populations described negative past experiences with ED in-person care, which included recounts of discrimination or culturally insensitive care while waiting to see the ED physician or nurse. Conversely, participants found the Virtual ED to be a socially and culturally safe space since they could now by-pass the waiting room experience. However, virtual care could not replace in-person care for certain issues (e.g., physical exam), and there was a need for greater promotion of the service to specific communities that might benefit from having access to the Virtual ED. Targeted outreach to help raise awareness of the service to equity-deserving communities is an important future direction."
What do you need to know?
EDPs include racialized communities, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, refugees/immigrants, people with disabilities, and other underserved groups.
Virtual EDs were established during the COVID-19 pandemic to minimize in-person contact.
There are concerns about access and quality of care for EDPs using virtual models.
What did the researchers do?
Conducted semi-structured interviews with 43 participants (36 patients, 7 family caregivers) from diverse EDPs who used the Virtual ED.
Asked about reasons for accessing the Virtual ED, barriers, how it met care needs/expectations, and suggestions for improvement. Participants discussed their motivations for using the Virtual ED, barriers faced, and overall experiences with the service.
The researchers conducted an inductive qualitative study using Codebook Thematic Analysis (TA). They analyzed the interview data using thematic analysis to identify key themes.
What did the researchers find?
Three main themes emerged:
The Virtual ED was perceived as a safer, more controlled environment that bypassed some triggering issues associated with in-person care. EDPs reported negative past experiences with in-person ED care, including discrimination and culturally insensitive treatment.
Challenges using the Virtual ED included language barriers, lack of awareness about the Virtual ED, and technological difficulties (e.g., needing a computer with internet and Zoom access)
While the Virtual ED had benefits like convenience and flexibility, there were opportunities to enhance the service for EDPs, such as improving language support and technology accessibility. Participants suggested improvements like displaying pronouns, enhancing cultural sensitivity, and increasing awareness within EDP communities to make the Virtual ED more inclusive.
Participants described their experiences with the Virtual ED in several key ways:
Increased safety and control:
Many participants felt the Virtual ED provided a "safer" and more controlled environment compared to in-person ED visits.
They appreciated being able to bypass the waiting room experience, which was often associated with negative interactions in the past. Participants felt more in control of their care, with one noting "I felt safer doing it virtually than I would going in, especially with my mental health".
Improved accessibility and convenience:
Participants highlighted the ease, convenience and flexibility of the Virtual ED, including the online booking system.
They appreciated not having to travel to the ED or wait for long periods to see a physician. Some noted it allowed them to have family members present during the appointment, which was not always possible with in-person visits due to COVID-19 restrictions.
More equitable and culturally sensitive care:
Many participants felt they received more respectful and validating care through the Virtual ED compared to past in-person experiences.
One participant noted: "They did not cut me off when I was speaking. They did not say that I was incorrect for how I was feeling, so I was not invalidated in any way."
Some limitations of virtual care:
Participants recognized that virtual care could not fully replace in-person care for all issues, particularly those requiring physical examinations.
Some experienced technical challenges, especially if using smaller devices like smartphones instead of computers.
Suggestions for improvement:
Participants recommended increasing language support for non-English speakers.
They suggested displaying staff pronouns and using inclusive imagery to create a more welcoming environment for LGBTQ+ patients. Many emphasized the need for greater promotion of the Virtual ED service, particularly to specific equity-deserving communities
How can you use this research?
Recognize the potential of virtual care to provide a safer, more equitable experience for EDPs.
Provide assistance for those who may struggle with the technological requirements of virtual care, such as help lines or step-by-step guides.
Enhance virtual platforms to be more inclusive and accessible (e.g., multiple languages, accommodations for disabilities).
Provide cultural competency training for all staff interacting with patients. Implement multilingual support and ensure that information about the Virtual ED is widely disseminated within EDP communities. Consider displaying staff pronouns and using inclusive imagery in virtual care settings.
Develop partnerships with community organizations serving EDPs to improve service delivery and awareness. Implement targeted outreach to raise awareness of Virtual ED services among EDP communities, particularly in communities that might face discrimination in traditional ED settings.
This research examines the demand for digital skills in Canada's nonprofit sector compared to other sectors of the economy. It analyzes job postings data to understand skills demand trends within the nonprofit sector and compares them to jobs requiring similar education levels and tech jobs.
What do you need to know?
The nonprofit sector is vital to Canada's economy and society, employing 2.5 million people and generating almost $200 billion in GDP in 2021.
Digital skills are increasingly important across all sectors, including nonprofits.
There is limited research on the current skills and future demands for the nonprofit workforce in Canada.
Additional context from the report:
"The nonprofit sector is the cornerstone of community services in Canada, delivering invaluable support to people in every region of the country. But as in most sectors, nonprofits are responding to rapid changes to digital technology. A digitally skilled nonprofit workforce is increasingly essential to successfully serve the evolving needs of communities. However, there is limited research that assesses the current skills and future demands for the nonprofit workforce in Canada. What we do know is that there is a growing gap between the digital skillsets and capacity they have now and what they need to continue delivering services effectively."
This report is part of a 17-month project which has four strategic Phases:
Creating a scalable Digital Skills Plus (DS+) talent model
Understanding the current supply and future demand for DS+.
Analyzing the gaps in supply versus demand for DS+.
Co-designing and rapidly testing solutions to close this gap.
Project objectives:
reinforce the evidence base in Canada on current and future needs for DS+ in the nonprofit sector, informing the sector’s future training and talent strategies, increasing awareness of the forecasted demand for DS+ and enhancing the sector’s ability to articulate and close the most pressing skill gaps;
use this research to inform and test a prototype (or prototypes) of a scalable DS+ upskilling model that provides practical, tailored and broadly applicable training for the nonprofit workforce (in other words, to help them develop foundational and advanced digital competencies, fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation); and
mobilize findings and learnings via public reports, research briefs and recommendations to bring greater evidence-informed discussion to the nonprofit sector around its DS+ needs and paths forward.
What did the researchers do?
Researchers analyzed job postings from 2023, focusing on digital skills required in nonprofit jobs. They compared these skills to those demanded in jobs requiring a university or college degree and tech jobs. The analysis involved classifying job postings to identify those related to nonprofits and examining the prevalence of various digital skills across these postings. They used a text classifier model to identify nonprofit job postings from a sample of 300,000 job postings, categorizing digital skills into five sub-clusters based on their digital intensity. They compared the frequency and types of digital skills demanded across the three job categories.
What did the researchers find?
Key findings include:
Nonprofit jobs have a lower demand for digital skills compared to adjacent knowledge sector jobs and tech jobs. While digital needs for nonprofit jobs may not be as strong compared to other knowledge sector jobs, there is evidence that nonprofit jobs are keeping up with digital skills trends to some extent.
About 52% of unique skills demanded in nonprofit job postings are digital, compared to 48% for jobs requiring a university/college degree and over 70% for tech jobs.
The most demanded digital skills in nonprofit jobs are lower-intensity skills like Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft Office is the most demanded digital skill in nonprofit jobs, highlighting a reliance on basic digital tools rather than more advanced technologies.
63.3% of nonprofit job postings did not require any digital skills, similar to jobs requiring a university/college degree (63.4%), but much higher than tech jobs (13.8%).
Nonprofit jobs showed a 32.7% increase in demand for artificial intelligence skills in the second half of 2023, indicating some responsiveness to digital trends.
How can you use this research?
If you work in the nonprofit sector, you can use this research to:
Identify digital skill gaps in your organization and sector.
Prioritize digital upskilling initiatives for staff, focusing on both basic and more advanced digital skills.
Incorporate more digital processes into everyday activities to increase organizational efficiency and resilience.
Consider offering or encouraging participation in microcredential programs for specific digital skills.
Advocate for resources and support to enhance the sector's digital capacity.
Collaborate with government, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to develop training programs specifically catered to nonprofit workers' digital skill needs.
Use the findings to inform future hiring practices and job descriptions to attract candidates with relevant digital skills.
This study explores the digital learning needs and preferences of Arabic-speaking older immigrants in Canada, focusing on their experiences with information and communication technologies (ICTs) and digital literacy programs.
Report abstract:
"The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of digital inclusion for equitable and healthy aging. Older immigrants experience unique needs and challenges in using information and communication technologies compared to other older adults. Despite the proliferation of digital learning programs for older adults, there is minimal evidence of digital literacy learning needs and strategies relevant to older immigrants. The aim of this study is to explore learning approaches and digital engagement amongst Arabic-speaking older immigrants. This community-based qualitative descriptive study used codesigned group digital learning sessions. Two organizations supporting local ethnocultural communities in a municipality in Alberta, Canada recruited 31 older immigrants who spoke Arabic, Farsi, and Kurdish. Data collection included semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations of digital learning sessions. A total of seventeen learning sessions were completed with nineteen participants each attending five to six sessions. Findings highlight the iterative nature of the program sessions, the importance of catering to participants’ interests, the relevance of peer support, and language, sensory and digital variability barriers to learning. Digital literacy programs for immigrant older adults should adjust for language learning needs, maintain a flexible approach, tailor lessons to individual needs, foster social support, and address external factors such as limited digital access and transportation barriers."
What do you need to know?
Older immigrants face unique challenges in using ICTs compared to other older adults.
Digital literacy is crucial for social inclusion and well-being of older adults.
There is limited research on digital literacy learning needs and strategies for older immigrants.
What did the researchers do?
The researchers conducted a community-based qualitative study that involved co-designed group digital learning sessions. They recruited 31 older immigrants, focusing on those who spoke Arabic, Farsi, and Kurdish, through two organizations supporting ethnocultural communities in Alberta, Canada. Data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and observations of digital learning sessions over two phases. They analyzed data using thematic analysis guided by the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp 2.2).
What did the researchers find?
Digital competence is an important gateway to social participation.
Participants' interests and attitudes played a key role in their digital learning process.
Peer support was crucial both in and out of the classroom setting.
Key barriers included language difficulties, sensory limitations, and varying levels of prior digital experience. External barriers like limited digital access and transportation issues also impacted learning.
Social support systems and changing needs post-migration influenced digital engagement.
Barriers to digital competence were multi-faceted and intersectional. Internalized perceptions of ageism limit digital learning and enhance anxiety.
How can you use this research?
This research provides insights to help you design more effective digital literacy programs for older immigrants:
Design flexible, individualized digital literacy programs that cater to language needs.
Foster social support and peer learning in digital literacy initiatives.
Address technology and sensory barriers in program design.
Consider the intersection of digital competence with language fluency and other barriers.
Incorporate co-design approaches to ensure relevance to older immigrants' lives.
Engage or communicate with family members alongside participants.
Ensure instructors are patient, attentive, and empathetic to participants' needs.
Focus on a range of digital competencies to support full engagement in an increasingly digitized world.
The research investigates how newcomers to Canada use Reddit to find settlement information, which is also available through formal settlement service providers. The study aims to understand the extent to which informal online conversations on Reddit align with formal settlement service categories and to explore the potential for using this information to improve settlement services.
From the publication abstract: "Newcomers are using informal means to find settlement information that is also freely available through formal settlement service providers. Newcomers may seek settlement information on Reddit when the same information might be found through a settlement service provider. This study finds that several Reddit submissions can be categorized in at least one or more of the formal settlement service categories. There is some overlap between informal conversations on Reddit and formalized settlement services. However, informal spaces go beyond providing settlement information in formalized categories. These results suggest that there is scope for policymakers to take a closer look at online conversations to better understand the needs of newcomers when they are looking for information about settling in Canada before and after they arrive. There is the potential to use this information to identify service gaps and create new funded settlement service categories. There is also the potential to accurately train a machine learning model to classify new Reddit submissions and produce real-time advice to policymakers on newcomer information needs."
What do you need to know?
To understand this research, it is important to know:
The role of formal settlement service providers in Canada.
The types of settlement information newcomers seek.
How social media platforms, particularly Reddit, are used by newcomers for information.
The overlap between informal online discussions and formal settlement services.
What did the researchers do?
The researchers:
Extracted data from Reddit using specific keywords related to newcomers in Canada.
Manually categorized Reddit submissions into formal settlement service categories.
Trained a Naive Bayes classification model to test the feasibility of categorizing new Reddit submissions.
Analyzed the overlap between Reddit discussions and formal settlement service categories.
What did the researchers find?
The key findings include:
There is significant overlap between the information needs discussed informally on Reddit and the services provided formally.
32.16% of Reddit submissions could be categorized into formal settlement service categories, indicating some overlap.
21.04% of submissions included questions or queries that could have been addressed by settlement service providers but for which no comparable formal service exists.
Newcomers use Reddit to seek personalized information that may not be available through formal channels.
There is potential for policymakers to use online conversations to identify service gaps and create new settlement service categories.
How can you use this research?
If you work in the settlement services sector, you can use this research to:
Understand the types of information newcomers seek on social media. Enhance engagement by monitoring social media for real-time feedback and adapting services accordingly.
Identify gaps in current settlement services based on the questions and queries posted on Reddit.
Develop new services or improve existing ones to better meet the needs of newcomers.
Consider integrating social media monitoring into your service delivery to provide real-time support and information. Engage with online communities to better understand and address the unique needs of newcomers.
Train machine learning models to classify and respond to newcomer queries on social media platforms, enhancing service accessibility and responsiveness.
The research investigates how personal values influence the discourse on immigration, specifically regarding the closure of Roxham Road, an irregular border crossing between the United States and Canada. The study examines how the values of conservation (resistance to change) and self-transcendence (concern for others) are expressed in social media discussions, particularly on Twitter, and how these expressions correlate with sentiments about asylum seekers.
From the article introduction: "The world is witnessing an escalatingmigration crisis, and Canada, with its historically high immigration rates, is experiencing a rise in the number of asylum seekers entering the country as well. Despite generally positive Canadian attitudes toward newcomers, there is a notable division in opinions about welcoming them. Past studies suggest personal values significantly shape these attitudes, particularly conservation (resistance to change) and self-transcendence (concern for others). However, little research has examined if these values manifest in social media discussions about immigration, especially at times when policies change. This study examines how the discourse on immigration changes following the announcement of the closure of Roxham Road, a debated irregular border crossing between the US and Canada used by asylum seekers."
What do you need to know?
Context: Roxham Road was a significant entry point for asylum seekers into Canada, leading to polarized public opinions about its closure.
Personal Values: The study focuses on two primary values:
Conservation: Emphasizes security, tradition, and resistance to change.
Self-Transcendence: Emphasizes universalism and benevolence, focusing on the welfare of others.
Sentiment Analysis: The study uses sentiment analysis to determine the tone of the Tweets related to these values.
What did the researchers do?
Data Collection: The researchers collected 33,459 Tweets over a week, spanning the days before, during, and after the closure of Roxham Road.
Values Assessment: They used the Personal Values Dictionary to identify references to conservation and self-transcendence in the Tweets.
Sentiment Analysis: The Valence Aware Dictionary and Sentiment Reasoner (VADER) was used to analyze the sentiment of the Tweets.
What did the researchers find?
"The research highlights the interplay between personal values and policy change on immigration discourse and emphasizes the need for more analyses on how personal values are expressed in the public domain."
Prevalence of Values: Conservation and self-transcendence values were frequently expressed in the Tweets.
Sentiment Correlation:
Conservation: Tweets expressing conservation values had a negative tone.
Self-Transcendence: Tweets expressing self-transcendence values had a positive tone.
Temporal Changes:
After the closure announcement, Tweets expressing conservation became less negative.
Tweets expressing self-transcendence became more positive immediately after the closure.
Comparison with Moral Foundations Theory: The study found that personal values were more prevalent and distinct in explaining attitudes toward immigration compared to moral foundations.
How can you use this research?
If you work in immigration policy, social media analysis, or public relations, this research can help you:
Understand Public Sentiment: Gain insights into how different values shape public opinion on immigration-related issues.
Policy Development: Develop policies that consider the underlying values driving public sentiment, potentially leading to more effective and accepted immigration policies.
Communication Strategies: Tailor communication strategies to address the concerns and values of different segments of the population, improving public engagement and support.
Crisis Management: Use real-time social media analysis to monitor and respond to shifts in public sentiment during significant policy changes or events.
By leveraging the findings of this research, professionals can better navigate the complex and often polarized landscape of public opinion on immigration.
This research examined how racialized newcomers experience information and communication technologies (ICTs) during their settlement journey in Canada, focusing on digital equity and systemic racism. The study aimed to explore the intersection of systemic racism and digital inequity and to identify policies and practices that can support racialized newcomers more effectively.
Research infographic:
What do you need to know?
The project was conducted by the Centre for Community Based Research in partnership with Waterloo Region Immigration Partnership and Peel Newcomer Strategy Group.
It used a community-based research approach, involving stakeholders throughout the process.
The study focused on three main research questions related to newcomers' experiences with ICTs, current practices in the settlement sector, and strategies for improvement.
The main questions were:
How do racialized newcomers currently experience ICTs during their settlement journey, and to what extent is this experience equitable? (Lived experiences)
What policies and practices are currently implemented by settlement service providers, both IRCC-funded and non-IRCC-funded, to address digital (in)equities? and how effective are these efforts to tackle structural racism? (Current practices)
What strategies should be taken to improve policies and practices concerning ICTs, ensuring that racialized newcomers receive equitable support throughout their settlement journey? (Future directions)
What did the researchers do?
The research was conducted in three phases over ten months:
Phase 1: Formation of an advisory committee and development of study protocols.
Phase 2: Engagement with stakeholders through a literature review, key informant interviews, focus groups, and case studies.
Phase 3: Dissemination of findings through a report, an infographic, and community feedback sessions.
The researchers:
Conducted a literature review
Held focus groups with newcomers and service providers
Carried out key informant interviews
Developed case studies of exemplary organizations
Analyzed data using thematic analysis
Organized community feedback sessions to validate findings
What did the researchers find?
Key findings include:
Experiences with ICTs: Racialized newcomers face both empowerment and obstacles when using ICTs. Challenges include language barriers, digital literacy levels, financial constraints, and privacy concerns.
Current Policies and Practices: Settlement service providers are committed to addressing digital inequities through various programs. However, these efforts are often ad hoc and lack a systemic approach. There is a need for more client-centered, flexible approaches in service delivery.
Effectiveness of Initiatives: The effectiveness of current initiatives in combating structural racism is uncertain due to a lack of comprehensive evaluation strategies. Systemic racism intersects with digital equity issues, but its impact is not always clearly recognized or addressed.
Organizational Stories: Case studies from organizations like COMPASS, COSTI, and Achev illustrate best practices in supporting racialized newcomers, particularly in promoting digital equity.
How can you use this research?
If you work in the settlement sector, you can use this research to:
Adopt a Client-Centered Approach: Involve newcomers in program development and delivery to ensure services meet their needs.
Increase Flexibility in Service Delivery: Offer both in-person and online services to accommodate diverse preferences and needs.
Develop Tailored Digital Literacy Programs: Create programs that address the specific barriers faced by racialized newcomers, including language and cultural differences.
Enhance Language and Translation Support: Provide multilingual information and robust translation services to overcome language barriers.
Adopt a Trauma-Informed Approach: Ensure services are sensitive to the trauma and vulnerabilities of newcomers.
Strengthen Trust and Safety Measures: Build trust and ensure digital safety for vulnerable clients.
Foster Collaborative Partnerships: Work with other organizations to develop comprehensive and culturally responsive ICT solutions.
Commit to Ongoing Research and Evaluation: Continuously assess and improve policies and practices to ensure they remain effective and relevant.
"In August 2020 a new platform for adult newcomer language instruction was released by New Language Solutions (NLS) on Avenue.ca. NLS recognized the need for standards to support effective use of Avenue and technology-enhanced language learning (TELL) in online and blended classes. Concluding that existing technology standards from ISTE and TESOL were too broad for their purposes, NLS initiated a project to develop their own technology standards for Avenue stakeholders including instructors, programs, and learners. These would not be performance evaluation tools but rather best used for self-assessment and for guiding local innovation. Here we report on that initiative, which was introduced at TESL Ontario 2023, focusing on the instructor standards as they are currently the most fully developed."
What is this research about?
This research is about developing targeted technology standards for language instructors, programs, and learners using the Avenue platform for adult newcomer language instruction in Canada. It focuses on creating standards specific to the Canadian settlement language sector rather than using broader existing standards.
What do you need to know?
New Language Solutions (NLS) initiated this project to support effective use of technology in online and blended language classes on the Avenue platform. NLS has been providing a learning management solution for settlement language training since 2010, initially through EduLINC.org and later through Avenue.ca.The project aims to develop technology standards tailored to the specific needs of the Canadian settlement language sector, as existing standards from ISTE and TESOL were deemed too broad.
The standards are meant for self-assessment and guiding innovation, not as performance evaluation tools.
Standards were developed for instructors, programs, and learners, with the instructor standards being the most fully developed so far.
What did the researchers do?
A team of experts, including experts who developed the TESOL Technology Standards, collaborated online to develop the standards over several months in 2023.
They reviewed existing standards, generated principles, and drafted an initial set of standards and performance indicators.
The standards went through multiple revisions to make them clear, direct, and relevant to the specific context. They held over 30 online collaborative meetings to draft and refine the standards. Feedback was sought from Canadian university colleagues and other faculty in applied linguistics and language teacher education.
They created supporting materials like explanatory texts, reflection questions, and vignettes to illustrate the standards in practice. The standards are being integrated into Avenue's teacher training and leadership programs, with plans for widespread dissemination through various channels, including conferences, workshops, and online resources.
What did the researchers find?
They developed 7 instructor standards covering areas like using devices/systems, digital resources, technology-enhanced pedagogy, digital literacy, and professional connections.
Using devices and systems skillfully.
Utilizing tools and digital resources.
Implementing technology-enhanced pedagogy.
Promoting digital literacy and digital citizenship.
Supporting all learners with technology.
Communicating with learners and monitoring their progress.
Establishing professional connections online.
Each standard has multiple performance indicators with explanatory text and self-assessment tools.
Program standards and learner standards were also developed to complement the instructor standards.
The standards are designed to be achievable and relevant to the specific needs of the Canadian settlement language sector.
How can you use this research?
For Instructors: Use the standards for self-assessment to enhance your technology skills and integrate technology effectively into your teaching practices.
For Program Administrators: Implement the program standards to make informed decisions about technology use and to support continuous improvement in language training programs.
For Learners: Leverage the learner standards to build competence with digital tools, fostering greater autonomy in achieving language goals.
Professional Development: Participate in Avenue's training programs and leadership microcredentials to stay updated on best practices and integrate the standards into your teaching or administrative practices.
Community Building: Engage with the broader community of practice through conferences, workshops, and online forums to share experiences and strategies for implementing the standards.
The Avenue Instructor Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) incorporate the latest research and practices and are written in plain language. Every effort has been made to make them user-friendly and accessible to the adult ESL/FSL sector. While these standards are designed for language instructors, they can be helpful to program administrators as well.
The Avenue Program Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) are designed to help those in decision-making roles in a language program. They provide guidance to administrators, here defined to include both immediate and upper-level decision-makers such as funders, directors, deans, and school boards. Program administrators can use the can-do statements to determine how closely aligned their program is with the standards.
The Avenue Learner Standards for Technology-Enhanced Language Learning (TELL) are designed to give instructors and administrators a framework for providing lessons and course offerings that build learner competence with technology, primarily for language learning and use. These standards are meant to work in concert with Avenue Instructor Standards and Avenue Program Standards.
What is this research about?
The research examines the phenomenon of digital nomadism, a movement where workers, often from developed countries, adopt a mobile lifestyle enabled by technology, allowing them to work remotely from various international locations. The study explores the characteristics, motivations, and implications of digital nomadism, particularly for migration scholars, the future of work, and the social contract between citizens and the nation-state. The report provides a comprehensive overview of digital nomadism research to date and charts a course for future studies to better understand this growing phenomenon and its societal implications. It is relevant for migration researchers, policymakers, and business/tourism practitioners seeking to study or engage with the digital nomad community.
What do you need to know?
Definition and Demographics: Who are digital nomads, and what distinguishes them from other remote workers or lifestyle migrants? Digital nomads are hard to define but generally refer to highly mobile professionals whose work is location independent, allowing them to travel while working remotely.
Scale and Locations: How many digital nomads are there, and where do they typically reside? Estimates of digital nomad numbers vary widely from hundreds of thousands to projections of 1 billion by 2035. More research is needed to quantify the scale. Digital nomads tend to gravitate to peripheral urban centers in countries with touristic appeal and lower costs of living. Over 30 countries now offer digital nomad visas.
Employment Modalities: What kinds of jobs do digital nomads hold, and how do they engage with the gig economy? Are digital nomads necessarily freelancers or independent professionals? Or should full-time paid employees who live in a different country from their employer be considered digital nomads? There are significant implications that the employment relationship has for taxation, welfare, access to health and pension benefits and remain under researched.
Impact on Local Communities: What are the socio-economic effects of digital nomads on their temporary host communities? The relationship between digital nomads and their temporary host communities remains underexplored.
Policy and Regulation: What are the characteristics of digital nomad visas, and how do they reflect different countries' approaches to this trend? Many visas appear to be quick responses to a situation and not examples of pre-planned evidence-based policy.
What did the researchers do?
The researchers conducted a comprehensive literature review, analyzing existing academic and grey literature on digital nomadism from business, IT, tourism, leisure and lifestyle migration research.. They proposed a three-dimensional framework to analyze digital nomadism, encompassing spatial (location independence), temporal (mobility duration and frequency), and scope (profession, employment modality, work/leisure balance) dimensions. They also reviewed the emerging digital nomad visas and their implications for policy and practice.
What did the researchers find?
Diverse Motivations and Demographics: Digital nomads are primarily young, highly educated individuals from developed countries, motivated by professional, spatial, and personal freedoms.
Impact on Local Economies: Digital nomadism can lead to gentrification and increased competition for housing but may also bring economic benefits and innovation to host communities.
Policy Responses: Over 30 countries have introduced digital nomad visas since 2020, with varying requirements and motivations, reflecting different approaches to managing and benefiting from this trend. Digital nomadism has implications for the future of work (remote revolution or niche lifestyle), social contracts between citizens and states, and impacts on destination communities.
Future Research Needs: There is a need for interdisciplinary research to understand the long-term socio-economic impacts of digital nomadism, the effectiveness of digital nomad visas, and the broader implications for migration and employment policies.
How can you use this research?
By understanding the dynamics of digital nomadism, stakeholders in various sectors can better manage and benefit from this growing trend, ensuring sustainable and mutually beneficial outcomes for both digital nomads and host communities.
Policy Development: For policymakers, understanding the characteristics and needs of digital nomads can inform the design of effective visas and regulatory frameworks that attract skilled workers while mitigating potential negative impacts on local communities.
Urban Planning and Development: Urban planners and local governments can use insights from this research to manage the influx of digital nomads, ensuring that their presence benefits local economies without exacerbating housing shortages or social inequalities.
Tourism and Hospitality: The tourism sector can develop targeted services and infrastructure to cater to digital nomads, promoting destinations as attractive places for remote work and leisure.
Researchers: Researchers offer a systematic research agenda for future research, recommending multi-site and digital ethnography approaches, complemented by policy research and quantitative studies. This research agenda calls for multi-disciplinary perspectives that bring together business management and human resources, with migration studies, urban studies, tourism, and leisure approaches as well as social psychology and political science.
