Primary Investigator — Kashif Raza, PhD
This project aims to investigate and document the use of digital technologies in supporting immigrant learning in British Columbia. It aligns with the ELVLC/UBC strategic goals of leveraging technology for inclusive education. As Canada continues to welcome immigrants, the need to facilitate their integration through effective educational support systems and pedagogies is paramount. Digital technologies offer scalable, flexible, and accessible solutions to meet these needs.
This project seeks to explore and evaluate the variety of technologies and their efficacy in enhancing immigrants’ learning experiences and outcomes. There are three primary objectives of this project:
- Identify and document various digital technologies currently used to support immigrant learning in British Columbia;
- Identify and document pedagogies and programming principles in the use of digital technologies;
- Evaluate the effectiveness of these technologies, pedagogies, and programming practices in improving language proficiency and other integration goals from the perspectives of the educators.
Working within the interpretivist paradigm, this research employs a qualitative research approach to document and evaluate the use of digital technologies used in immigrant training and learning. Data collection and analysis will include reports from governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations as well as interviews with the representatives of immigrant services organizations in British Columbia. In addition, researchers will connect with immigrants who have made use of these programs to further investigate the efficacy of digital technologies employed. Finally, they will ask for access to the learning platforms or devices being used, and when possible will directly assess the accessibility of the technologies.
The interviews and assessments will lead to the refinement of the typologies developed through the analysis of related reports on digital use in the settlement sector. The project will provide recommendations for policymakers, trainers, educators, and technology developers on good practices and areas for improvement.
Â
