Advanced Digital Technologies in Newcomer Employment Programs: Understanding the Role of Metacognitive Skills and other Individual Differences
Project Lead
Team Members
Pelin Tanberg, Shawn Newman, Fiona Thomas
Cluster: ADTs for Immigrant Labour Market Integration and (Re)Training
Objective
Little is known about how GenAI is being adopted by newcomers entering the workforce, whose lower familiarity with Canadian culture and possible language barriers increase the risks it poses, from algorithmic bias to overreliance on digital tools.
This project investigates the impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) within newcomer employment programs in Canada. The project is a collaboration between research psychologists at 果酱视频 and Skills for Change (SfC), a leading workforce development training provider in Ontario. Phase 1 of the project will use a mixed-methods approach to understand newcomers' positive and negative experiences with GenAI in the employment context. Phase 2 will use an experimental approach to test whether educational modules designed to boost GenAI knowledge and metacognitive skills enhance GenAI use and employment outcomes in newcomers.
Research Question(s)
- What are newcomers鈥� experiences with, and attitudes toward, GenAI in the employment context, and which individual factors (e.g., language, education, digital competency, metacognitive or 鈥渢hinking about thinking鈥� skills, personality traits) play a role?
- Can GenAI training with focus on GenAI knowledge building and metacognitive skills training improve newcomers鈥� GenAI usage, learning, motivation, and employment outcomes?
Methodology
The project adopts a psychological lens to understand the impact of ADTs on newcomer employment programs. A particular focus will be on the role of metacognition 鈥� a set of modifiable cognitive skills that enable individuals to be aware of, and regulate, their own thinking 鈥� that has been identified as a critical predictor of successful human-ADT collaboration in educational settings.
The research design includes a two-phase approach.
Partners
Status
This project has commenced and data collection for Phase 1 is currently ongoing.
Expected completion date: March 2027
Keywords
Immigrant employment; artificial intelligence; advanced digital technologies; job search tools; human-AI interaction; digital literacy; metacognitive skills
In the "ADTs for Immigrant Labour Market Integration and (Re)Training" Research Cluster
- Employers鈥� Use of Advanced Digital Technologies in Recruitment and Selection of Immigrants and Broader Tech-Based Supports for Labour Market Integration (Sub-Theme: Transforming Immigrant Employment Pathways)
- Advanced Digital Technologies in Pathways to Employment (Sub-Theme: Transforming Immigrant Employment Pathways)
- The Use of Advanced Digital Technologies for Job Search by Newcomers to Canada (Sub-Theme: Transforming Immigrant Employment Pathways)
- Immigrer et apprendre le fran莽ais 脿 l'猫re de l'intelligence artificielle : 茅tude interr茅gionale sur les enjeux de la francisation au Qu茅bec (Sub-Theme: Transforming Immigrant Employment Pathways)
- Game Jams as Learning Tools for Up/Re-Skilling in Interactive Digital Technologies (Sub-Theme: Transforming Immigrant Employment Pathways)
- Digital Upskilling and Reskilling Newcomers: Effective Design and Implementation of Competency-Based Programs and Wraparound Supports for Newcomers
- AI Empowerment Initiative: Bridging Immigrants with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Nonprofits through Tailored AI Training Programs
- Advanced Digital Technologies in Newcomer Employment Programs: Understanding the Role of Metacognitive Skills and other Individual Differences
- Evaluating the Effectiveness of Advanced Digital Technologies to Support Immigrant Professionals鈥� Integration into the Canadian Labour Market
- Leveraging Digital Capital in the Canadian Labour Market