Settlement and integration is a key area of research for NorQuest College, highlighting our continued commitment to support newcomers’ success through both research and education. In addition to conducting extensive research on the experiences and outcomes of newcomers, NorQuest is one of the largest providers of Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) in Alberta and provides training through the Settlement Studies program to empower newcomers to Canada.
NorQuest researchers often collaborate with other postsecondary institutions and service provider organizations to design and execute various research projects aiming to address current data and knowledge gaps in the settlement sector. These projects help identify challenges and barriers that newcomers face in their settlement journey and inform programs and policies that facilitate social and labour market integration in Alberta and Canada.
Consistent with the college’s mission to foster inclusive and supportive learning environments, this research helps to inform best practices, support evidence-based decision-making, and tailor programs to meet the diverse needs of newcomers.
Below is a project example that studied how the outcome success of language instruction for newcomers can be affected by the selection of delivery modality.
Digital Literacy and Delivery Modalities: Understanding Factors Influencing Digital Skills Gains and Learning Progress in LINC
This initiative was supported by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.
- Funding lead: Ewa Esquivel, MEd
- Project lead: Mesay Tegegne, PhD
- Funding dates: 2023-2024
About the project
The increasing digitalization of services in the settlement sector has raised the importance of understanding the implications of various modalities for settlement outcomes and factors that determine modality choices among newcomers. Focusing on the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program, this research addressed several questions, including the role of digital literacy skills in students’ modality selection and factors that influenced participants’ modality selections, focusing on two of them: fully online and hybrid/blended.
Using data from pre- and post-assessments (digital literacy and language/PBLA) and an end-of-term survey, the study examined whether there were differences across modalities in learner outcomes, particularly digital skills acquisition, language learning progress, and satisfaction with the LINC program. The assessments focused on digital literacy and language/PBLA and included participants in CLB 5 & 6 level classes only and used a pre/post approach, to assess student progress and compare across modality. The end-of-term survey included CLB 5+ students and provided data on students’ satisfaction with the LINC program, which was also compared across modality.