Advancing knowledge on how emerging technologies can be leveraged to benefit Canadians

Insights and opportunities for knowledge mobilization and future research

November 2017


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Executive summary


As the transformational impacts of technologies continue to play an increasing role in our lives, a better understanding of the social, economic, legal and environmental impacts of emerging and digital technologies is critical to optimizing their use, and to ensuring equitable access to meet the needs of Canadians. These issues are explored in addressing the question “How can emerging technologies be leveraged to benefit Canadians? ”as one of six future challenge areas identified in the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council’s (SSHRC) Imagining Canada’s Future initiative.

In 2016, social sciences and humanities researchers from across Canada were invited to address this question through an open call for proposals, with a focus on identifying key strengths and gaps in current knowledge related to the impacts of emerging technologies across multiple sectors of society. This report draws on the findings of their 24 knowledge synthesis reports, as well as on insights from exchanges among researchers, graduate students and cross-sectoral leaders.

The findings are highlighted under the following five themes:



Scholarly insights bring to light several critical, emerging issues—from human, cultural and social perspectives—that may guide research agendas, practices and policies going forward. The insights presented do not, of course, cover all emerging technologies or their impacts. They also do not represent the views or policies of SSHRC.

The findings suggest that the rapid expansion of new technologies, ranging from 3D printing to automation to web-based applications, are dramatically impacting the way we live, work and learn. Digital literacy skills are deemed essential for success; however, barriers to necessary tools and training continue to impede individual, community, business and organizational development of these skills. Innovative practices in data collection, storage and analysis have the capacity to inform the decisions of policy-makers and community leaders, but only after proper consideration of ethical and privacy-related risks.


Following are a few of the key messages resonating across the thematic findings:


  • The potential benefits of emerging technologies are not shared by all Canadians, as various socio-economic, demographic and geographic factors continue to maintain a digital divide.
  • Little is known about the ethical implications of emerging technologies and what these mean for the privacy and safety of Canadians.
  • The hybridization of knowledge from different actors, including end users, across various disciplines is becoming increasingly important for the optimal use of new technologies.
  • Digital technologies can be leveraged to benefit Indigenous languages and revitalization efforts, but only with community involvement and support. 

Overall, the researchers’ findings call for future research to be increasingly interdisciplinary and longitudinal. Meaningful and inclusive dialogue about emerging and disruptive technologies among and across communities, individuals, researchers, industry and all levels of government is critical to building upon and applying resulting knowledge.

SSHRC invites researchers and stakeholders from all sectors to examine these and other social science and humanities insights, to help ensure that emerging technologies and disruptive technologies are leveraged in a relevant, sustainable and equitable manner for the benefit of all Canadians, now and in the future.




We live in an ever more complex and digital world, characterized by growing volumes of data and a rapid expansion of technologies. Canada is also addressing several current and near-future challenges and opportunities, including an aging population, reconciliation between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, changes in immigration patterns, and the preservation of Canada’s economic competitiveness. Emerging technologies hold incredible potential—some of it already being realized—to help us tackle these complex issues, and to build a resilient shared future. Yet emerging technologies also present new risks and uncertainties.

This report summarizes insights from a series of knowledge synthesis reports produced by social sciences and humanities researchers across Canada, and from dialogue among multisectoral stakeholders, focused on the question “How can emerging technologies be leveraged to benefit Canadians?” This question is one of six future challenge areas identified through SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future initiative, which seeks to enhance the contributions of humanities and social sciences to address the complex challenges facing Canadians over the next 20 years.

Broadly defined, emerging technologies are new tools and processes that are developing rapidly; are predicted to have significant and long-term impacts on economic, social and political life; and can create entire industries.Footnote 1 The scale, scope and pace of these new tools—including robotics, automation, wearables and 3D printing—are transforming how we work, live, interact and govern. For instance, we are seeing new assistive technologies, equipment and devices that increase or maintain the functional abilities of aging adults and people with disabilities.Footnote 2 Meanwhile, many emerging technologies are disruptive, meaning they significantly alter the way businesses and markets operate, by upsetting established networks and models.Footnote 3 Artificial intelligence is but one example.

Both the potential and uncertainty of emerging technologies call for better understanding of the economic, social, environmental, philosophical and legal implications of their development, adoption and use. These technologies provide opportunities for some, yet leave others behind. They create a source of wonder in the potential of science and innovation—and in human creativity and invention. Some, however, can also lead to anxiety, inequality, and perceived loss of control. As a result, we may wonder if we are evolving towards a technology-centred society, to the detriment of one that is human-centred and supported by technology.





Technology plays a significant role in our societies, but innovation itself is a human endeavour. Social sciences and humanities are uniquely positioned to build knowledge about the past, present and future human dimensions that influence the creation of technologies, their impacts and their possibilities. Research in these fields helps us understand, for instance, the opportunities and risks associated with investing in—and adopting—emerging and potentially disruptive technologies. It also helps address the need for effective participation, training and tools that would improve access to and use of these new tools. For instance, upgrades to both educational curricula and teacher training are needed across all subjects and disciplines, to increase understanding about and use of emerging technologies.

Dynamic new technologies are also enabling, accelerating and influencing deep conceptual changes in the research environment, the economy, industry and society. SSHRC’s Imagining Canada’s Future initiative illustrates how the social sciences and humanities research community can help to address complex challenges shaping the future. As shown in this report, it does so by encouraging research preparedness, informing decision-making, and expanding cross-sector collaboration and partnerships for research and training.



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The six future challenge areas are:




How emerging technologies can be leveraged to benefit Canadians is one of six future challenge areas identified as part of this initiative. To support the quest for insights into this question, SSHRC launched a funding opportunity to mobilize research knowledge related to promising policies and practices within the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Objectives of the knowledge syntheses included assessing and evaluating the overall quality, accuracy and rigour of existing research, and identifying knowledge gaps.

Twenty-four projects, awarded funding through rigorous merit review, covered a range of critical issues facing Canadians in the digital age. In their resulting synthesis reports, researchers drew on a variety of cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary sources, to present a critical assessment of the existing state of knowledge emerging over the last 10 years on their respective topics.

These topics, and by extension the findings summarized in this report, do not capture the whole range of technological developments impacting Canadians. Nevertheless, the researchers identified key gaps and strengths in what is known about the uses and impacts of several emerging technologies. These insights may help to inform future research agendas and strengthen the evidence base for practices and decision-making.




Knowledge Synthesis Grants: Selected areas of knowledge strengths and gaps


Knowledge strengths and emerging research:

  • A large body of worldwide studies links weak creativity development in the workplace and in school to unhealthy economic and societal outcomes.
  • A significant quantity of research is devoted to the impacts of technology on writing in postsecondary English language classes.
  • Canada is a leader among circumpolar nations in initiating and developing projects to digitally return Indigenous knowledge and artefacts to Indigenous communities.
  • The demographic variables associated with access to and use of information and communications technology are well established in the literature.
  • Innovative organizations are characterized as possessing a “culture of innovation” that allows them to advance and thrive in competitive markets.
  • The role of openness and collaboration in the innovation process has been extensively explored in the existing literature.

Where further research is needed:

  • What constitutes a culture of innovation in the Canadian context.
  • The ethical implications and risks of, and quality control for, new technologies like assistive devices and justice apps.
  • The needs, values and preferences of end users and consumers for the design and development of technology.
  • How digitization affects the values and meanings associated with cultural objects, in the eyes of Indigenous source communities.
  • The impacts of digital technologies on the revitalization of Indigenous languages and cultures.
  • How Canadians consume news.
  • The benefits of digital technologies for writing skills in French language courses, and among children and adolescents.
  • Knowledge about the new technologies being used by political parties to collect voter data post-2015.



The Knowledge Synthesis Grants funding opportunity was complemented by a range of activities. A knowledge workshop, held in May 2016, at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum, welcomed over 100 participants. Attendees included 24 Knowledge Synthesis Grants award holders and members of their research teams, as well as representatives from the government, industry, academic, not-for-profit and community sectors. Participants took part in rich discussions on project proposals, including the vast potential societal dimensions and impacts of the emerging technologies to be examined, critical research needs, the importance of data, and the need for timely and collaborative input on pressing policy issues.

The opportunity to collaborate, exchange and build on knowledge with colleagues from across the country allows for richer analysis for our own initiatives, and opportunities for future partnerships within and across sectors.Footnote 4

Insights from the Knowledge Synthesis Grants projects were later shared at the Imagining Canada’s Future forum, held in November 2016, in Ottawa, in conjunction with the SSHRC Impact Awards. Stéphane Bouchard, co-director of the Laboratoire de Cyberpsychologie at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, and Canada Research Chair in Clinical Cyberpsychology, gave the forum’s opening keynote address. He discussed the influence of immersive technologies, such as their positive impacts on individuals suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder.


Knowledge synthesis project findings were also highlighted throughout the forum in group discussions, which included leading researchers, as well as government, industry and not-for-profit sector representatives.



This summary report is also enriched with insights from graduate students. In 2015, SSHRC invited the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) to organize a national dialogue on the future challenges areas with students at postsecondary institutions. Over 300 graduate students, at 28 universities, participated in various roundtable discussions over an eight-week period, with students from different regions focusing on specific topics. Graduate students in Ontario and Quebec, for example, focused on how certain emerging technologies can be leveraged to benefit Canadians with respect to sustainable and resilient communities, creativity and innovation, inclusivity and cultural diversity, and governance and institutions. Participant views are available in reports prepared by CAGS and the host universities.


Roundtable discussions about the emerging technologies future challenge area took place at the Université Laval in April 2015.
Source: Imagining Canada’s Future: Summary of Roundtable Discussions with Graduate Student Researchers, p. 14.


We need to examine each technology as it fits within society, and remember to learn from the past. We have to think forward, and examine future technology through a critical lens.Footnote 5


In 2016, SSHRC also launched its 2016-20 strategic plan. Key priorities include enabling excellence in a changing research landscape, creating opportunities for research and training through collaboration, and connecting social sciences and humanities with Canadians.

This summary report illustrates how humanities and social sciences research is being mobilized to advance our understanding of a number of complex issues impacting Canadian society and Canada’s position on the world stage. Its contents reflect the insights of researchers and stakeholders who participated in the initiative, and do not represent the views or policies of SSHRC.

This report begins with key conclusions drawn from the 24 knowledge synthesis reports. Wide-ranging accounts of the findings—including the knowledge strengths and gaps identified, to help guide future work and decision-making—are detailed in the respective synthesis reports.

The current synthesis report also offers insights and identifies cross-cutting themes that emerged from the knowledge syntheses and the thematic stakeholder conversations convened by SSHRC on the forces shaping Canada’s evolving digital society and economy.

SSHRC invites you to connect with and participate in this and other future challenge areas. To find out more about the ways in which humanities and social sciences researchers are contributing their knowledge, talent and expertise to advance Canada’s prosperity and quality of life, visit www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/imagining.

Strengthening knowledge mobilization through partnership with Startup Canada and Google Canada

In support of the Imagining Canada’s Future goal of enhancing the contributions of social sciences and humanities research and training to critical issues facing Canadians, SSHRC, in collaboration with Startup Canada and Google Canada, organized the National Dialogue on Building a Creative and Entrepreneurial Canada.The dialogue explored how to best support and promote inclusive and diverse entrepreneurial cultures.The ideas of over 1,000 Canadians, including creative and innovative thought leaders from across sectors, were collected digitally, as well as in forums across the country. The need to build creative, entrepreneurial and digital skills for students of all ages was identified among the top ideas. See Building a Creative & Entrepreneurial Canada.


Participants at a workshop in Calgary in October 2016, part of the National Dialogue on Building a Creative and Entrepreneurial Canada. (Photo: Cyprian Szalankiewicz/Startup Canada)





The following list of emerging technologies knowledge synthesis projects is presented in alphabetical order, by principal investigator. Listings include researcher name and affiliation, and, where available, a link to the full report:


Emerging uses of big data in immigration research

William J. Ashton, Brandon University

A growing trend since 2007, the use of “big data” has great potential in immigration research. Once certain methodological and ethical challenges are addressed, settlement and community organizations will be able to fully benefit from this invaluable resource when designing and implementing policies and programs for newcomers to Canada. Full report



The preservation of self-image: Understanding the technology adoption patterns of older adults

Arlene J. Astell, University of Toronto

Technology plays an important role in achieving a good quality of life for Canada’s rapidly aging population, which is expected to reach 9.5 million by 2030. However, it is used by only a fraction of those who could benefit from it. Self-image directly impacts older adults’ decision-making about technology adoption, resulting in the rejection or abandonment of devices that are incongruent with their desired identity, such as those that portray incapacity, vulnerability or dependency. Full report



3D printing: From technical marvel to organizational, economic and social issues

Guillaume Blum, Université Laval

Additive technology has the capacity to drastically transform our current economic and social landscape, by appealing to both the Canadian consumer and industry. With 17 per cent of Canadian industries already using 3D printing as part of their manufacturing process, it is crucial to invest in more research to fully understand the social and economic effects of this innovative technology. Full report (in French only)



Digital inequalities: From socio-economic impacts to recommendations

Simon Collin, Université du Québec à Montréal

For continued economic productivity and success, digital competencies are becoming a necessity in the workforce. However, not all members of society have acquired these skills, and this has resulted in digital inequalities, particularly among those who are socio-economically disadvantaged. To remedy this, policies and initiatives are needed that aim to develop individuals’ digital competencies, both during their education and as part of life-long learning and professional development. Researcher’s website



Knowledge synthesis on Aboriginal housing in Canada and the contribution of information and communications technologies

Pierre Côté, Sylvie Daniel and Geneviève Vachon, Université Laval; and Huhua Cao, University of Ottawa

The planning, development, and construction of First Nations and Inuit housing can be greatly facilitated by the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs), but the rules and procedures surrounding their use should be established and controlled by the communities themselves. ICT education and training will ensure that the First Nations and Inuit communities maximize this technology’s potential benefits for housing development. Full report (in French only)



The impact of emerging technology on developing and accessing assistive technology

Theresa Claire Davies and Elizabeth Delarosa, Queen’s University

With 80 per cent of Canadians with disabilities requiring some form of assistive technology, 3D printing offers endless possibilities for designing and developing customizable products. However, a lack of awareness and skill in the use of this technology is inhibiting those who need assistive technology from fully benefiting. A collaborative effort involving all stakeholders, and with a primary focus on end users, will increase understanding of how 3D printing can better address the needs of Canadians. Full report



The design and development of digital return platforms for Northern Indigenous heritage

Peter Dawson, University of Calgary

Canada is a leader in initiating the digital repatriation of knowledge and objects in Indigenous communities. Digital return technologies have emerged as a way of rebuilding relationships between source communities and heritage institutions like museums, but they also challenge traditional beliefs surrounding how Indigenous knowledge and objects should be accessed, circulated, reproduced, and used online. As a result, they can be classified as “disruptive technologies.” Full report



The digital gap: Access, innovation and impact in Aboriginal communities

Isha DeCoito, Western University

New realities of the 21st century call for the development of new aptitudes, such as digital literacy. Many Aboriginal communities lack access and skills related to such technologies. This results in decreased access to social opportunities, and possible consequences to cultural, political and economic development. Reliable sources of funding, as well as teacher training in digital skills, can potentially narrow the “digital divide” in these communities. Researcher’s website



Technologies in first- and second-language classes: Knowledge synthesis on learning electronic writing

Pascal Grégoire and Maria Lourdes Lira Gonzales, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Digital technologies have given rise to new electronic forms of writing, which are rising in popularity and increasingly being integrated into primary and secondary school classrooms. Much of the available research points to digital tools promoting a wide range of positive impacts on writing skills amongst first- and second-language learners, including on the quality of the work and the level of motivation of the students. Researcher’s website (in French only)



The new information power-brokers: Gatekeeping in hybrid digital media

Alfred Hermida, The University of British Columbia

Established media sources have long served as filters that assess, validate and disseminate relevant information to Canadians. In the 21st century, there have been significant shifts in how Canadians get their news, resulting in a complex and contested media ecosystem in which established news outlets are competing for influence with new intermediaries. As a result, there is a need to rethink media literacy as a framework to effectively participate in media, and for policies that foster media infrastructures and information that enable Canadians to engage meaningfully with the news. Full report



Privacy and the electorate: Big data and the personalization of politics

Elizabeth F. Judge and Michael Pal, University of Ottawa

Big data and new technologies have transformed the collection and use of personal information in a variety of fields, including politics, with serious implications for privacy. Exempt from federal privacy legislation, Canadian political parties routinely collect, store and analyze large amounts of identifiable voter information. Alternative legal policies are needed to mitigate the risks to voter privacy posed by the parties’ opaque self-regulation policies. Full report



Teachers’ design knowledge of technology-enhanced learning environments in Canada: A knowledge synthesis

Mi Song Kim, Western University

Teacher learning and design work are of increasing importance in today’s educational landscape, where the newest generation of students is expected to learn in an environment that seamlessly integrates emerging technology. However, many teachers lack competencies and confidence in their abilities as designers of technology-enhanced learning environments. A better understanding of the expectations for K-12 science, technology, engineering and mathematics teachers in the design process will help in supporting them in this role. Researcher’s website



Blockchain technology for record-keeping: Help or hype?

Victoria L. Lemieux, The University of British Columbia

“Blockchain” technology, best known as the technology behind the digital currency Bitcoin, has the potential to dramatically alter recordkeeping practices outside of the value-transfer realm. Blockchain is a way of recording transactions in a secure, distributed ledger, meaning one that is shared and synchronized across multiple sites, countries, or institutions. Packages of tamper-proof transaction data, called “blocks,” are stored in a linear chain.Footnote 6 The use of blockchain could result in greater transparency and efficiency in the storage, use, and control of records. There are also risks to the integrity of records, and to the societal institutions that rely on records arising from the design of blockchain solutions. An enhanced relationship between the blockchain and archival science communities can help mitigate possible risks, including to the long-term authenticity and accessibility of trustworthy, digital records. Full report



Emerging technological solutions to access to justice problems: Opportunities and risks of mobile and web-based apps

Jena McGill, Amy Salyzyn and Suzanne Bouclin, University of Ottawa

There is a crisis in access to justice in Canada, one experienced most acutely by marginalized members of the community. Mobile and web-based apps present opportunities to create new pathways to justice, by facilitating the interactions of Canadians with the legal system; however, additional research and the creation of best practices guidelines are needed, to offset these technologies’ possible risks, including privacy issues and uncertain reliability of legal information. Full report



Ethical dilemmas during field studies of emerging and disruptive technologies—Is our current state of knowledge accurate?

Cosmin Munteanu, University of Toronto Mississauga; Stephanie Sadownik and Zhenhua Xu, University of Toronto

In Canada, consistency in the application of ethical principles in research involving human participants is reinforced by a national ethics policy. However, in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI), new ethical dilemmas have surfaced. HCI researchers, who typically lack training in the social sciences, are venturing into new physical spaces and confronting uncontrolled variables, without the assistance of multidisciplinary collaborators. Full report



Socio-cognitive influences on innovation

Luciara Nardon, Gerald Grant and Yun Wang, Carleton University

The emergence of new technologies may present both benefits and challenges to Canadians by changing the way individuals interact with each other, learn and conduct business. The creation, development and use of emerging technologies are the result of a process of innovation that is both fostered and constrained by specific sociocognitive factors, such as national culture, organizational culture and diversity. Full report



Supporting Indigenous language and cultural resurgence with digital technologies

David Perley, Susan O’Donnell, Chris George and Brian Beaton, University of New Brunswick; and Shaina Peter-Paul, Saint Thomas University

Digital technologies are supporting Indigenous languages and cultural resurgence in new and exciting ways around the world. A holistic, community-based approach will ensure the development of digital language resources that can effectively support the transfer, preservation, sharing and protection of Indigenous language and culture. Full report



Categorizing and understanding collaborative innovation approaches

Laurent Simon and Karl-Emanuel Dionne, HEC Montréal; and Juliana Alvarez, Université de Montréal

Canada faces a variety of increasingly complex challenges in the 21st century that require innovative solutions, such as interdisciplinary collaboration. However, the intersection of different actors with conflicting values can also present significant challenges. We need to move towards new ways of innovating, by doing more than “opening to” the crowd of actors coming from multiple domains. This report explores how to “collaborate with” these multiple actors in a meaningful way, to develop innovation capabilities and positive outcomes for all. Full report



Digital humanities in Canada: Leveraging new tools and training opportunities

Michael Sinatra, Université de Montréal

Digital humanities has a rich 50-year history in Canada. Today, new digital technologies show incredible potential for finding, visualizing, preserving and sharing materials of cultural and human heritage in new ways. Digital humanities centres have emerged, where scholars link information technology with humanities research, theorize digital humanities as a field, and produce digital resources. These centres are nodes in the web-based cyberinfrastructure that connects labs, data and people. The sustainability of this infrastructure will need ongoing investment in Canada. Digital humanities scholars will also need to be active curators to maintain and improve the quality of digitized data. Researcher’s website



Middle-aged and older adults’ information and communicative technology access: A realist review

Andrew Sixsmith, Lupin Battersby, Sarah Canham, Mei Lan Fang and Judith Sixsmith, Simon Fraser University

Despite the undisputed potential of ICTs to improve quality of life, not all members of society (in particular, middle-aged and older adults) have equitable access to or use of ICTs. Various social factors, including education, motivation and skills, contribute to these inequalities. Tailored training, universal designs and accessible alternatives are needed to support middle-aged and older adults in choosing to access and use ICTs. Full report



Towards the “enabling environment” concept: Using new technologies to improve the conditions in which aging Canadians carry out daily activities in private and public spaces

Pierre-Yves Therriault and Marie-Michèle Lord, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Increased aging of Canada’s population poses a significant challenge. Various technological solutions could be considered for increasing individuals’ self-sufficiency. The goal of this project is to provide a knowledge synthesis about the concepts of “technology” and an “enabling environment.” More specifically, it summarizes knowledge about the use of technology for improving the conditions for carrying out daily routines. The report shows a need for a continuum of uses of technologies involving all actors (decision-makers, designers, users, consumers). Full report (in French only)



Ways of contributing to open innovation: The contribution of technology-sharing models in the context of “third places:” Co-working, living labs and fab labs

Diane-Gabrielle Tremblay and Arnaud Scaillerez, Université TÉLUQ

The emergence of digital technologies has led to the creation of new, remote workspaces that foster creativity and collaboration. Such spaces have the capacity to attract salaried, as well as self-employed, workers, because of the possibilities to reduce travel time, and to develop exchanges and cooperation. They can also offer better working conditions, as well as more independence, more flexibility and better integration of work and family life. Full report (in French only)



Digital access for language and culture in First Nations communities

Mark Turin and Kim Lawson, The University of British Columbia; and Jennifer Carpenter, Heiltsuk Cultural Education Centre

Emerging technology is increasingly at the forefront of Canada’s effort to document and revitalize Indigenous languages and cultural knowledge. Historic funding models, and lack of funding, have resulted in a patchwork landscape of technology implementations, with little opportunity for systematic or rigorous assessment of their effectiveness. To ensure lasting and positive impacts on language revitalization, sustainable funding must be sought, and the efficacy of these tools must be evaluated using community-developed and -directed criteria. Full report



Dominant technological paradigms: Impacts for education systems and policy

Sean P. Wiebe, University of Prince Edward Island

In the 21st century, new digital technologies are replacing both traditional and knowledge-based human labour, resulting in fewer opportunities for Canada’s most skilled workers. A proactive approach to K-12 education is needed to prepare students for the realities of a perpetually evolving creative economy, including a reduction in standardized testing, the creation of district-wide learning portfolios, and a focus on the development of uniquely human skills. Full report





Building on the outcomes of the knowledge synthesis projects, the following five themes were identified as key areas of interest for stakeholder discussions on how emerging technologies can be leveraged to benefit Canadians.


Collectively, these themes illustrate the benefits of connecting social sciences and humanities researchers with potential users of their research, to exchange ideas and explore opportunities for future collaboration.

In what follows, we outline some of the main insights, preliminary policy and practice recommendations, knowledge strengths, and research gaps that emerged from the knowledge synthesis reports and dialogue with researchers, practitioners and policy-makers throughout 2016.

To obtain more information on the findings included in the reports, and details on both current and proposed knowledge mobilization activities, please contact the lead investigators. You may also contact SSHRC directly, or consult our awards search engine, to identify and connect with other SSHRC-funded researchers for insights on these critical issues.



Theme

Access, adoption and empowerment



The digital age has been marked by a stream of evolving and innovative technologies and while these offer numerous benefits to Canadians, not all members of society have equitable access to or use of these technologies.Footnote 7

Emerging, innovative technologies have led to the development of new products, services and infrastructure that have the potential to drastically improve quality of life for a diversity of Canadian communities. Such products include a constant evolution of ICTs, such as smart phones, tablets, and their applications; as well as the manufacturing technology of 3D printing.

The potential of these technologies to support the needs of a wide range of Canadians is not being fully realized. For instance, 3D printing is being used in Canada at the local community level to create assistive devices such as prostheses, yet neither 3D printing nor its end products are widely available to Canadians with disabilities.Footnote 8 Of Canadians with disabilities, 1.3 million report not having access to the assistive technology they need to help maintain their functional abilities.Footnote 9 In terms of ICTs, Statistics Canada reports that 47.5 per cent of Canadians over the age of 65 used the Internet in 2012, compared with 98.6 per cent of those aged 16-24.Footnote 10

Various knowledge syntheses have attributed these and similar patterns to the “digital divide” (i.e., the unequal and/or inequitable access to technology). The notion of the digital divide has evolved over the last two decades, to encompass a variety of complex variables, like motivation and capacity, in addition to physical or financial access.

The knowledge synthesis reports under this theme explore, from a sociocultural perspective, the access and adoption patterns of technology across a diversity of Canadian communities, particularly older and middle-aged adults, and people seeking access to the justice system. The results suggest that a variety of geographic, socio-economic and individual factors contribute to an individual’s decision to access, adopt or abandon a new technology.

A common theme found in four of the five reports discussed in this section was the importance of collaboration between stakeholders, including users, consumers, decision-makers and developers, in the design of technology. Participatory design approaches are crucial to empowering Canadians to benefit from the technologies that have the potential to facilitate day-to-day tasks, improve their quality of life, and ensure meaningful participation in society. Further research is needed to explore the social, ethical and legal risks of emerging technologies, including the role of Canadian policy-makers in mitigating these risks.



Insights:


  • Several studies confirm the link between digital inequalities and various socio-economic factors. In Canada, Internet access is correlated with income, education level, geographic location, migratory status and age. Levels of digital literacy, more generally, are tied to income, employment, and overall socio-economic status. Reduced income and low levels of education contribute to a vicious cycle of digital inequalities, by both contributing to their creation and then maintaining and reinforcing them. Importantly, the factors that contribute to digital inequalities are cumulative and, as such, affect each individual differently.

  • The decision of older adults to adopt or abandon assistive devices is directly related to self-image and a desire to preserve control and independence. In order to avoid perceived threats to self-image, many older adults resist using some newer technologies—like robotic aids or wireless body sensors—or only adopt them as a last resort. Aesthetics, including the look, feel, size and materials, can play an important role in positively associating a device with a user’s self-image and identity. Unintended consequences of their rejection include social isolation, physical deconditioning and an increased reliance on others.

    The heart of the issue is to use the robot when we begin to lose our independence .… For me, a robot is associated with an onset of dependence ….Footnote 11

    If you were, say, growing old and demented, then I could imagine this [assistive robot] being a good thing, but for me? You’d have to be a lonely old person, chained to your home with few contacts.Footnote 12


  • The potential of 3D printing to address assistive technology needs is hindered by significant barriers related to awareness, skills and access. Compared to traditional manufacturing techniques, additive manufacturing is more cost-effective and less complex, but these advantages are not sufficient for 3D printing to become widely used. Although some partnerships exist between academic, technology and/or manufacturing experts, and people seeking to use 3D printing for specific purposes, lack of awareness about the technology’s potential, plus limited access to 3D printers, and lack of technical and design skills and associated teaching and learning, have prevented 3D printing from infiltrating the mainstream market in Canada.
  • Resources, motivation and skill shape ICT access and use by middle-aged and older Canadians. Financial means, home-based access, and individual or cultural social support are each resources that make it easier for older people to use ICTs. Among individuals with the necessary resources, elements of motivation and interest—including social encouragement, training, a sense of efficacy, and perceived value—are also important. Privacy concerns and a lack of skills can, on the other hand, serve as detractors to using ICTs. Interestingly, lack of skills is not correlated with chronological age, but rather with lack of exposure to ICTs.

    One of the things we did was give her a tablet, taught her how to play one game and that has opened up a whole variety of applications, Internet access, and usage patterns that she didn’t have.Footnote 13


  • Collaborative spaces would help ensure a better match between how assistive technologies are designed and how older adults use them. The use of assistive technologies by elderly consumers or users may differ from the use anticipated by designers. The available literature reviewed reveals that three sets of actors intervene in the development and dissemination of assistive technologies: designers, third parties (e.g., caregivers, distributors) and the elderly end user. The concept of an “enabling environment,” where these various actors come together, would create a space to align the goals for assistive technologies to not just address or compensate for deficiencies, but, rather, to empower elderly Canadians and improve their capabilities and/or the conditions of their daily activities.

  • Canadians are using mobile technology to access new pathways to justice. Canada lags behind other developed nations in terms of safe and effective access to the justice system. Justice apps (i.e., mobile applications designed to provide access to legal information and services) can empower marginalized Canadians with a modern and easily accessible means to overcome many barriers, through a wide range of affordable legal self-help tools. However, people with low literacy levels may not fully benefit from and apply this legal information available. Further, people who live in supervised institutions, like jails and group homes, or in rural or remote communities, often lack regular access to the digital infrastructure they would need to use, and to potentially benefit from, these apps.

    It is clear that meaningful implementation of technologically driven access to justice initiatives requires consideration of socio-economic, geographic and other barriers to technology access in Canada.Footnote 14



State of knowledge:


  • There are significant knowledge gaps concerning the risks associated with new technologies. Researchers have noted an absence of regulatory and quality control measures to mitigate potential risks associated with the related products. For justice apps, these include significant risks to privacy, and to the reliability of the information provided. For people with disabilities, the absence of standardized quality control methods for producing prostheses using 3D printing may put them at risk of injury. This is especially true for devices produced using desktop printers at the local or community level. Research into the functional effectiveness and efficiency of these technologies is limited, resulting in a lack of knowledge about their safe and ethical use.

  • Most studies of ICT use by middle-aged and older adults tend to be access-driven instead of accessibility-driven. Much of the available research focuses on the causes of and potential solutions to the digital divide, such as cost reduction, training programs and public computers. Research on what informs a middle-aged or older adult’s choice to use ICTs is missing, but could help in developing programs and policies aimed at addressing the digital divide.

  • Some of the objectives that guide the end users of assistive technology are not explored in the literature to the same extent as those that guide the designers. The design focuses on safety, autonomy, comfort and communication. Users seek to improve, assist, compensate and stimulate singular and/or functional abilities. The development and optimization of people’s residual capacity through “improvement” and “stimulation” are rarely discussed in the scientific literature. Either many assistive technologies simply do not aim to empower aging Canadians, or existing literature about empowering elderly Canadians through assistive technologies has not yet been documented in the scientific literature.

  • A participatory design approach is crucial to ensuring that new technologies meet the needs of end users, in both private and public spaces. While there is no dearth of literature that focuses on the capacity of assistive technologies to improve the lives of older Canadians, researchers found very few studies that engaged older adults in the research, design and development of assistive devices. A clear misalignment in the stakeholders’ objectives, vocabulary, and perceptions about the identity of particular groups of end users was also noted.

    Collaborative practices can better identify and address the needs, requirements and functional goals by combining expertise and reducing the financial requirements for infrastructure.Footnote 15



Societal impacts and changing approaches to innovation




Emerging technologies have the potential to change the way individuals interact with each other, learn, and conduct business and have the potential to bring many benefits and challenges to Canadian citizens, governments and organizations. The creation, development, adoption, and use of emerging technologies are the result of a process of innovation, which is both fostered and constrained by social and cognitive factors that influence the nature and extent of innovative activities.Footnote 16


Today’s challenges, ranging from climate change to health care concerns, are complex, and require blending knowledge from a number of different domains. Many stakeholders have emphasized the importance of creativity and innovation in the new global economy.

To address these needs, there has been an increase in collaborative innovation approaches to foster and encourage the intersection of knowledge. These processes, themselves largely supported by digital technologies, are changing where and how individuals work, play and communicate. They also have great potential to strengthen technologies whose development thrives in collaborative organizational structures.

Yet, to meet the need for collaborative innovation, we also need to understand the human dimensions of this profoundly social process. The adoption of any advances in technology or innovation demands we consider their human and cultural elements. Key related lines of inquiry are sorely needed, yet are still in their infancy. These include how to define a “culture of innovation;” how to harness the strengths of diverse workforces; and how to convert individual knowledge into the ability to meet shared, group goals.

Addressing these human, social and organizational dimensions is crucial, because the future of Canada’s global competitiveness is closely linked not only to our adoption of new technologies, but also to our ability to innovate and adapt to new organizational challenges. Furthermore, stronger collaborative processes help ensure that social and economic goals are considered when new technologies are developed.

The knowledge synthesis reports under this theme focus on different types of collaborative innovation processes and their societal impacts. A common thread throughout all of the studies is the concept of “open innovation,” and the importance of considering the values, goals and opinions of multiple stakeholders in the innovation process.



Insights:


  • Current open innovation approaches need to move away from “opening to,” and toward “collaborating with” multiple actors. Today’s complex innovation challenges need open innovation approaches that focus on collaboration amongst multiple stakeholders. Currently, they tend to be focused on the organization’s needs, and how external actors and their ideas can help reach these goals. Organizations should adopt a more collaboration-centric vision that considers the values, visions and interests of all stakeholders, in order to ensure positive outcomes for all.

  • Innovation is a social process that is influenced by both national and organizational culture. The literature reviewed consistently identified certain cultural dimensions—such as individualism, low levels of family collectivism, and power distance—as occupying a clear role in supporting innovation. Ethnolinguistic and cultural diversity, taken together, were also found to support positive innovation outcomes, when diversity was well managed within organizations. This may be particularly relevant for Canada, given its diverse communities. National culture, meanwhile, can shape the practices of organizations, but these practices can and often do deviate from national cultural tendencies, especially in countries like Canada, where a wide range of behaviours are culturally accepted.

    Navigating the innovation cycle and transforming ideas into successful outcomes in the marketplace is a complex task dependent on multiple components. While Canada is relatively strong in idea generation and technology creation, it is weak in the capacity to commercialize those technologies on a global scale, suggesting that Canadian organizations need to foster a culture of innovation in order to support innovative practices not only in terms of new technologies but also innovative business and marketing strategies.Footnote 17

  • Digital technologies have impacted how and where we work, and the production of knowledge more generally. In the knowledge-based economy, workers are increasingly seeking more independence and flexibility from employers and hierarchical constraints. Growing steadily in popularity in recent years are “third places,” user-centric spaces outside the home and traditional workplace, such as living labs or fab labs. These spaces, usually made possible by digital technologies, foster collaboration, innovation and creativity, and have the potential to offer users a better balance between their work and their private lives.

  • The integration of 3D printing into traditional manufacturing processes is still in its infancy. Additive manufacturing only accounted for 1.9 per cent of industrial production in Canada in 2015. Despite its potential to reduce the manufacturing cycle and production time more generally, 3D printing is currently only a realistic option in small-to-medium-sized companies or small-scale, specialized industries, such as those in aeronautics or medical device manufacturing. Software complexity and extremely high costs are clear detractors when considering mass production of simple objects. As well, to build 3D skills, new, more collective pedagogical approaches are needed in the education system. The successful integration of 3D printing into the manufacturing cycle requires high levels of both technical and socio-organizational knowledge.


Comparison of production chains using traditional and additive manufacturing

Translated by Blum from French original. Source: Lefèvre, 2016.


Description of Image

Comparison of production chains using traditional and additive manufacturing

Production chain using traditional manufacturing

Design > Prototyping > Manufacturing > Storage > Final user


Production chain using additive manufacturing

Design > Prototyping > Manufacturing > Storage > Final user




State of knowledge:


  • Research focusing on culture and innovation is still in its initial stages. The current discourse suggests innovation can happen in any organization or environment, as long as it has specific, innovation-friendly values, practices and orientations; but, there is no clear evidence to support this claim. Even the definition of “a culture of innovation,” a concept that is often deemed an essential component of innovative organizations, remains elusive. Future research should investigate what processes and practices contribute to a culture of innovation, particularly in the Canadian context, as well as how this culture is cultivated and nourished across time and space.

  • The positive benefits of “third places” are amply outlined in the literature, but important knowledge gaps persist. There is a need to develop precise and uniform definitions that differentiate the various types of these emerging spaces of collaborative and creative work that are neither home nor conventional workplace. Similarly, there is a need for a clear typology of these spaces that better targets each one’s role, possible results, and potential impacts on society. Finally, we are missing crucial sociological information about the users of these spaces, including their demographic profiles, motivations and expectations.

  • More research is needed on the collaborative processes that facilitate innovation development and diffusion. Researchers are beginning to recognize the importance of meaningful collaboration in innovation ecosystems, but little is known about how to translate knowledge about various actors from different backgrounds in a way that supports shared goals. In addition, most research has focused on how multiple actors contribute to early stages of innovation, but less is known about how they support the later stages of implementation and diffusion.

  • Training is needed on the social, organizational and economic dynamics that support 3D printing. This technology is at the forefront of the 21st-century knowledge-based economy and, like many other digital technologies, it favours collaborative organizational structures. Training is needed on the human, social and organizational skills necessary to better understand how to use this technology. Training is also needed on how to create an environment that helps ensure 3D printing is used so Canadian companies and citizens fully benefit from its potential.

    Techniques of 3D printing are extraordinary tools for collaboration that will accelerate innovations and disruptions in production and the materials world the same way the Internet amplifies innovation, collaboration and disruption in the digital world.Footnote 18

Governance, privacy and security, and the rise of big data



The era of big data has brought with it a growing public concern about user privacy. Organizations—both public and private—now amass large quantities of sensitive personal information. Individuals have little or no control over the data that is stored about them and how it is used.Footnote 19


The complexities of the digital age have brought to the fore questions about security and privacy in an increasingly open world. This includes how Canadians might be affected by new developments in big data, data analytics, and information management. It has been reported that, in 2015, more data was produced than in all previous years of human civilization combined.Footnote 20

The increasing collection and storage of administrative data in large, digitized data sets may concern Canadians, who worry records of their regular activities, such as filing income tax or visiting a physician, could be used in the future for research purposes, without their knowledge. How this influx of data, originating from a wide array of sources, is stored, managed, analyzed and used to inform decision-making is of crucial importance to Canadians, and to people around the world. The digital age has also introduced a vibrant, competitive and diverse media landscape—including new players, platforms, practices and publics—which has reconfigured the tools and pathways of news.

The knowledge synthesis reports revealed that, while changes in the digital landscape have the potential to offer vast benefits for people and organizations—such as better assistance for refugees, prevention of fraud, and more robust audit trails—these developments may also pose significant challenges for the privacy and security of global citizens, and the accuracy and reliability of information. Identifying opportunities and potential risks, and working to address them through policy change, regulation and additional research, will lead to positive impacts for society, both in Canada and globally.



Insights:


Since 2007, big data’s use in immigration research has continued to grow, since these increasingly diverse and large quantities of data generated by humans are easier and faster to access. Geocoded data, social media and “open data” initiatives offer access to an abundance of data about various immigration-related issues, including international students, temporary work permit holders, refugee resettlement patterns, and more. Most immigration studies that analyze big data, however, tend to focus on labour market issues, and use Statistics Canada as the primary data source.


Major themes and subtopics of immigration studies (n=251) that use big data

(Ashton, 2016, p. 12)


Description of Image

In-depth examination of big data immigration topics


Themes and subtopics Number of immigration studies that use big data
Theme: Diversity
Multiculturalism and diversity 5
Theme: Health
Health 8
Health and language 2
Mental health 4
Theme: Others
Immigrant children 2
Migration flows 5
Other 18
Theme: Social Integration
Housing 3
Immigration and education 15
Integration 20
Settlement 4
Social capital 10
Immigrant attraction and retention 11
Theme: Labour Market
Human capital 6
Labour market 26
Labour market and health 2
Labour market and income 3
Labour market integration 105
Labour market and discrimination 2


  • Canada has great potential to be a leader in blockchain recordkeeping. Being able to ensure the reliability and long-term availability of records is crucial in today’s digital economy. A synthesis of the literature confirmed that blockchain is, by nature, a digital record-keeping technology, and could potentially be applied in a range of social and economic areas. However, it is not yet clear if blockchain can meet internationally defined recordkeeping requirements. To establish standards for this, additional research and industry-academia partnerships are needed, particularly with the archivists’ research community. The underlying conditions in Canada, namely a highly active blockchain technoscape and innovative start-ups, are well suited to leading this type of collaborative research.
  • Political parties use large amounts of voter data, sophisticated technologies, and big data analytics for electoral purposes. The collection, storage and analysis of these data are exempt, or likely to be excluded, from federal privacy legislation for private and public sectors. While self-regulation policies are in place, it is unclear what implications such policies and practices may have in the protection of personal information and privacy. The lack of information on how the data is collected, used, shared and accessed is particularly concerning.

    The current state of politics is fostering a bourgeoning industry that systematically collects, stores, and analyzes voter data. With its proliferating level of sophistication, labels such as ‘voter surveillance’ and political marketing are emerging to acutely describe these practices. Since the 1990s, scholars have cautioned the public about government and private organizations’ use of these data aggregators and the technology that supports them. Recent technological advances exacerbate these concerns.Footnote 21


  • The emergence of new gatekeepers in the media landscape is impacting where and how Canadians get their news. Established media outlets compete with new players and multiple platforms to provide relevance, meanings and interpretation of news. Digital technologies have altered news consumption habits, and traditional definitions of news are distorted. Canadians are most likely to “bump into” news that is widely shared on the Internet or through social media, regardless of whether it is relevant, current, or even accurate. In the current media landscape, Canadians are now more responsible than ever for evaluating the relevance and accuracy of information in order to distinguish fact from “fake news.”

    Canadians appear to be in a Golden Age of news where they have unlimited choice from a smorgasbord of sources, organisations, and platforms .… Effective participation in the knowledge economy requires Canadians who can create, manage, interrogate and make sense of digital information.Footnote 22


State of knowledge:


  • The use of big data and large data sets in immigration research poses many challenges. Large data sets often exhibit sample selection limitations and a sampling bias, because certain groups are underrepresented in the processes through which the data are collected. These biases raise questions about the credibility of claims made on the basis of these data sets, or result in certain groups of newcomers, for instance, being virtually ignored in research. Moreover, security, privacy and ethical concerns can emerge from current data storage, management and sharing practices. Rigorous security measures applied to personal administrative data, and restricted access, may disproportionately affect researchers outside of universities or government.

  • Interdisciplinary collaborations are a critical next step in information management. There is currently little awareness of the theories, principles and practices of archival science (i.e., the science of recordkeeping) in the blockchain community. Conversely, the record-keeping community is largely unaware of blockchain technology and its potential applications. Interdisciplinary research into blockchain recordkeeping—including legal, archival, forensics, economics and other researchers—will help ensure this technology is leveraged to its full potential for Canadians.

  • Substantial knowledge gaps surround the use of data by political parties. Little is known about what technologies are used, how internal privacy policies are enforced, or the role of private sector data companies in the collection and analysis of voter data. Research should be done on legal regimes to replace the self-regulation privacy policies used by political parties in their collection and use of voter data.

    Significant research remains to be done to develop alternative legal regimes and enforcement mechanisms in light of fair information principles and the best practices for the regulation of political parties. There is also significant work to be done to assess the broader implications for democracy of big data politics.Footnote 23

  • Further research is needed to understand how news is shared and consumed in new media spaces. More than 21 million Canadians are active users of social media, and share their experiences, news and/or perspectives online. The decision to share information on social media can be shaped by normative social influences, with some users abstaining from taking part in online discussions if they feel they could be ostracized for their views. Hence, there may be an underrepresentation of people who espouse views not in line with the majority. This could, in turn, skew policy-makers and media’s interpretations of public opinion and trends.


Revitalization of Indigenous languages and cultural heritage




With each generation of Indigenous learners forced into Euro-centric educational structures to learn European languages, Indigenous languages are fading away. Recovering and revitalizing Indigenous languages is an important first step on the journey towards Indigenous resurgence. Indigenous languages contain critical cultural knowledge that inform[s] Indigenous worldviews and values. Where Indigenous nations globally have overcome the intergenerational trauma of settler colonialism, recovering, storing, and revitalizing Indigenous languages was key to their success.Footnote 24

Modern Indigenous resurgence efforts focus on the transfer, preservation and revitalization of Indigenous languages, heritage and culture; and aim to ensure Indigenous ways of living are sustained from generation to generation. Digital technologies can provide many useful tools for regenerating traditional ways of living and the well-being of communities, but only when complemented by cultural knowledge and community support.

Many exciting initiatives have aimed to revitalize Indigenous languages and culture, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls to action have inspired even more. For example, some Indigenous communities are engaging in the indigenization of cyberspace, which involves generating their own sovereign spaces on their own terms, such as through cyber-powwows. The recent extension of Unicode standards has increased the online presence of Indigenous languages in both mainstream and specialized applications. In addition, the federal government in December 2016 announced its intention to enact an Indigenous Languages Act, aiming to ensure the preservation, protection and revitalization of First Nations, Métis and Inuit languages.

Fruitful collaborations between academics, policy-makers and Indigenous communities are also underway. In the Canadian Arctic, digital return projects, largely led and funded by academic and government groups, aim to repatriate objects and knowledge gathered through past colonial endeavours. As suggested in one paper, adoption of successful partnership models from Alaska, between industry and Indigenous communities, could help also increase industry involvement in the digital repatriation of cultural heritage in the Canadian Arctic.Footnote 25

It was acknowledged in several of the knowledge synthesis reports, using both western and Indigenous methodologies, that many Indigenous communities continue to lack equitable access to digital technologies. Additional funding is needed to support digital infrastructure in rural and remote northern communities, and to encourage meaningful collaborations between third parties and Indigenous communities, in order to determine how emerging technologies can be leveraged to best benefit language and culture revitalization in support of reconciliation between Canadian Indigenous and settler communities.



Insights:


  • Only a “speakers” and “whole-community” approach can support the resurgence of Indigenous languages and culture. The development and use of digital tools aimed at Indigenous language and culture revitalization, including repatriation of Indigenous knowledge and cultural artefacts, must be informed by an Indigenous worldview, the knowledge of the Elders, and immersive and intergenerational cultural underpinnings at both the individual and community levels.

    A holistic approach to digital technology can support Indigenous language and cultural resurgence (Perley, p. 7)

    Description of Image

    Community infrastructure (digital technology, energy, etc.)


    Community services (school, health, etc.) and other organizations

    Families and households

    Individuals



    Indigenous languages offer all of us an alternative way of seeing the world, rooted in deep respect and understanding of how to live in harmony with our planet. When considering significant threats to our environments and our social systems created by people using Western world views and practices, the wisdom offered by Indigenous languages and their inherent ways of understanding is a precious resource.Footnote 26

  • Digital technology development in Indigenous communities can benefit from the “first-mile” approach. As a result of underdeveloped government policy and lack of funding, many rural, remote, northern Indigenous communities face significant barriers in the adoption, access and sustainability of digital technologies and infrastructure. The first-mile approach refers to community-centred development, ownership and management of digital tools and infrastructures. This system empowers local communities with independent control over how technological resources are developed and used for language and culture revitalization, habitat development, or other community needs, while also supporting the local economy through the generation of new jobs.

    The goal should be for all communities to have equitable access to fibre infrastructure and to own and control their own local digital infrastructure.Footnote 27

  • Digital return systems are a prime example of disruptive technologies. While the main intention for digital return projects in (mostly) northern Canadian Indigenous communities is repatriation and archiving of knowledge and objects, and youth education, the projects also disrupt the storage, access and interpretation of heritage data for both institutional models and traditional Indigenous networks. For example, digital returns produce digital versions of objects and cultural knowledge that can be reproduced and stored online, thus challenging notions of physical repatriation. Similarly, documenting an alternate body of knowledge, insights and worldviews disrupts the western scientific approach to humans and their connection to other living beings and the world. However, these projects also disrupt the negative impacts of colonialism, by reinforcing the transmission of cultural knowledge within and outside of Indigenous communities.

  • Most digital return projects have narrow, largely parallel scopes, and appear to be guided by institutional agendas. The studies revealed that community-led heritage organizations identify the repatriation of artefacts and human remains as their top priority, yet digital return projects concentrating on archaeological and ethnographic collections remain vastly underrepresented. Instead, the majority of these digital return projects aim to repatriate local knowledge about the environment from Arctic Indigenous peoples.

State of knowledge:


  • Long-term case studies are needed in order to determine how digital technologies can best support the revitalization of Indigenous languages and culture. Community-grounded evaluations and impact assessments that are rooted in the experiences, cultural knowledge and goals of the Indigenous community will offer insights into the successes and shortcomings of these technologies in the revitalization processes.

  • The role and contribution of ICTs in the development, planning and construction of northern Aboriginal housing was seldom addressed in the literature reviewed. Many studies examined access to and use of ICTs by Indigenous peoples in the context of education, the economy, health, culture and infrastructure. There is, however, a significant gap in knowledge about their role in housing development, as well as about the use of participatory approaches, such as public participation geographic systems, participatory 3D modelling, and crowdsourcing applications. These technologies have the potential to play important and beneficial roles in Indigenous housing development, by encouraging collaborative, community-based decision-making.

  • A better understanding is needed about the impacts of digitization and open access, including intellectual property and ownership issues, on the value and meaning of cultural objects. A lack of comprehensive overviews of digital return projects has resulted in several knowledge gaps, including how online content is being managed, accessed and circulated. For example, what are the possible consequences of placing cultural objects and heritage knowledge into open source contexts for Arctic Indigenous communities? Who “owns” cultural content placed online, such as a video or recording of an Elder sharing local knowledge? How do we ensure that heritage assets are not used in ways that undermine traditional meanings and values?

    Different types of ‘open access’ will need to be negotiated to ensure that Indigenous communities retain some control over access, circulation, and use of heritage data that is placed online and in open source contexts.Footnote 28

  • Information about the effects trauma-based barriers have on language mobilization is all but absent from the available literature. In some Indigenous communities, language learners and teachers can have deep emotional responses to hearing, speaking and learning their language. This is largely a residual effect of the residential school system, which invoked feelings of distress and shame in Indigenous people in relation to their language.

    Why is evidence of the vibrant history of communities stewarding their language and culture unavailable outside of communities? In large part because it had to be hidden. The resilience of Canada’s Indigenous languages is despite—not because of—government policy.Footnote 29


Technology in research and education




Perpetual and proliferating, the impact and implications of new digital technologies for lives and livelihoods in the 21st century are far reaching, often remarkable, and primarily irreversible.Footnote 30


Canadians are facing new, complex realities as a result of a perpetually evolving technological landscape that emphasizes the importance of digital literacy skills for participation in the digital economy. Workers are both aided and threatened by new technologies in this evolving digital era, with digital literacy now topping the list of essential skills. Educators are expected to offer new millennial learners an environment that seamlessly integrates today’s emerging technologies, and encourages innovation and collaboration in order to best prepare students for the realities of the digital age. Both students and teachers are increasingly encouraged to become knowledge and technology producers, instead of merely consumers; however, many lack sufficient digital literacy training, experience and/or access to successfully navigate this paradigm shift.

The knowledge synthesis reports under this theme shed light on how technology is changing the way people communicate, collaborate, and produce and consume knowledge. In addition, the reports provide insights into both the intended and unintended outcomes of emerging technologies in research and education. The results point to the importance of anticipating and strategically addressing ethical and societal issues that may arise from the emergence of innovative technologies being used in research and education. The research also raises the need for changes to teacher training, so teachers have greater competence with the emerging technologies and design processes they increasingly need to both use and teach.



Insights:


  • Urgent upgrades are needed to the current educational curriculum, in order to foster knowledge and technology production. A review of relevant literature led to specific recommendations, including reducing the use of standardized testing, integrating social and emotional learning outcomes into the curriculum, and emphasizing soft skills and inter-/intrapersonal development. Students must be given the opportunity to practice meaningful engagement, creative expression and critical thinking in the classroom in order to ensure meaningful participation and success in the digital economy.

    The ability to effectively communicate, collaborate and create with and within digital media, while exercising autonomy and flexibility (Pegrum, 2009) will be broadly essential for success and well-being at individual, community and societal levels.Footnote 31

  • Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers are engaging in design work to meet the needs of the 21st century classroom. In response to the evolving digital and knowledge-based economy, teachers are increasingly expected to, through design work, produce innovative, technology-enhanced learning environments. Design efforts can take many forms, including designing-from-scratch, adapting existing technologies, or making real-time design decisions in response to classroom needs. In the Canadian context, almost half of this design work results from collaborative efforts between teachers, researchers and developers; while, in the other cases, it starts as part of course requirements or professional development activities, or independently.

  • Research on human-computer-interaction presents new ethical challenges for researchers as they venture out of the lab and into new contexts and physical spaces, and engage in multidisciplinary collaborations. These researchers often lack adequate experience or training in qualitative methods. For example, boundaries between researchers and participants are easily blurred, due to the emotional impacts and conflicts researchers encounter while working with vulnerable populations.

  • Digital technologies offer more pathways to success for students by improving their writing skills. Digital tools, such as laptops, word processors and corrective feedback programs, generally have a positive impact on students’ writing skills, and on their motivation to write, in both first- and second-language learning environments. The use of digital, multimodal media, such as blogs and wikis, also produces favourable effects on the quality and quantity of writing, encourages collaboration among peers, and supports more effective communication. These findings, based largely on postsecondary contexts, suggest that digital literacy training and access to digital writing tools should be fundamental components in all language classrooms.


State of knowledge:


  • Few studies examine the effects digital tools have on written expression in French, or at the primary or secondary school level. Only about five per cent of the studies analyzed focused on acquisition of writing skills in French. While most studies point to positive effects in English-language classrooms, the effects of technology on French writing skills must be examined independently to take into account the unique characteristics of each learning environment. Additional studies on the use of digital tools at the primary or secondary school level might provide more insights into writing competencies of children and youth.

  • Important aspects of the design process are underreported in the literature focused on technology-enhanced learning environments for STEM fields. Studies that position STEM teachers as codesigners in research partnerships tend to focus more on the implementation of an innovation, than on the identification of the problem that led to developing a technological innovation. It is crucial for researchers to report on the entire design process, including how evaluations and multiple design iterations inform the next. This knowledge will help enable teachers to develop the competences needed to support this paradigm shift.

  • Despite an increasing number of studies on digital literacy initiatives for K-12 Indigenous students, the studies tend to focus on funding gaps, rather than the achievements of funded projects. By highlighting the achievements of successful projects, the research, practice and policy communities can gain valuable insights into how to effectively tackle digital literacy issues that affect certain Indigenous communities.

    Improving digital literacy underpins not only a nation’s capacity to provide individuals and groups with equity of access to social opportunity; it is a necessity for participation in the digital economy.Footnote 32

SSHRC Storytellers 2016 Finalist, Ron Darvin
Social class and unequal digital literacies
The University of British Columbia

View video on YouTube





The sheer pace, scale and scope of emerging technologies are uniquely shaping our world. The collective impact of these drivers is creating unprecedented disruptions and opportunities in every facet of our lives. In this rapidly evolving global and technological context, the Imagining Canada’s Future foresight exercise identified a critical need to better understand how to leverage the benefits of emerging technologies for Canada.

While the knowledge syntheses and related discussions highlighted in this report address only a fraction of these technologies and their potential impacts, they bring to light several critical, emerging issues—from human, cultural and social perspectives—that may guide practices, policies and research agendas going forward.

The researchers illuminated the diversity of people designing, using and benefiting from emerging technologies, as well as those being left behind because of inequalities in access and skills. The reports showed how emerging and digital technologies are changing how we learn, communicate, consume news, and empower marginalized populations. These technologies are also changing the nature of work and increasing the need for collaborative innovation processes. Evident are both a need for new technical skills and knowledge, and a reaffirmation of human skills, including teamwork, storytelling and creativity.

Attention was drawn to gaps in what we know about the uses and users of the technologies examined through the synthesis projects, the needs and preferences of designers versus users, and how to build a culture of innovation. Moreover, these projects highlighted that, with opportunities and benefits, come risks and uncertainties, such as in data storage, privacy, and accuracy of information.

Concerns were also raised about insufficiency in society’s preparedness to handle ethical implications of certain new technologies, especially for vulnerable populations or when working across disciplines. More attention and research are needed on these issues which have implications for us all as our lives become ever more represented by the bits of data that feed the digital age.

As a whole, these knowledge synthesis projects seek to help meet the critical need to understand the human dimensions of the development, adoption and integration of technologies. These insights into human dimensions are critical to informing the design of technologies and the development of digital literacy skills that Canadians need so they can navigate through the transformational changes of the digital era. This understanding is also essential to sustaining an inclusive innovation agenda that supports social well-being and economic prosperity for all Canadians.

The nature of the knowledge synthesized in these projects and highlighted in this report serves to further reinforce the importance of social sciences and humanities research to building deeper understanding of the human condition, and of the driving forces shaping the world around us, now and in the future.

SSHRC invites all stakeholders and researchers to participate in our national dialogue on all six of the future challenge areas identified through the Imagining Canada’s Future initiative. Through partnerships and innovative collaborative efforts, we can leverage new and promising opportunities for research, training and knowledge mobilization. Together, we can build a better tomorrow for all Canadians.






Footnote 1

Harper, Tim. The Global Agenda Council on Emerging Technologies, “The Long Journey From Nanotechnology To Emerging Technologies,” Cientifica.com (2010).

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

Davies, Theresa Claire, et al. “The impact of emerging technology on developing and accessing assistive technology,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 1.

Return to footnote 2 referrer

Footnote 3

Dawson, Peter. “The design and development of digital return platforms for Northern Indigenous heritage,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 10.

Return to footnote 3 referrer

Footnote 4

Anonymous researcher comment from evaluation of first Knowledge Synthesis Grants workshop, May 2015, www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/society-societe/community-communite/ksg_workshop_may_2015-atelier_ssc_mai_2015-eng.aspx.

Return to footnote 4 referrer

Footnote 5

Canadian Association of Graduate Studies. Imagining Canada’s Future: Summary of Roundtable Discussions with Graduate Student Researchers, Western/Windsor Panel, p. 15, www.cags.ca/documents/publications/icf/FINAL ICF Oct 9(010616).pdf

Return to footnote 5 referrer

Footnote 6

Lemieux, Victoria. “Blockchain technology for record-keeping: Help or hype?” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 36; and “Blockchain Technology Explained,” BlockchainTechnologies.com.

Return to footnote 6 referrer

Footnote 7

Sixsmith, Andrew, et al. “Middle-aged and older adults’ information and communicative technology access: A realist review,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. iii.

Return to footnote 7 referrer

Footnote 8

Davies, Theresa Claire, et al., The impact of emerging technology, p. iii.

Return to footnote 8 referrer

Footnote 9

Davies, Theresa Claire, et al., The impact of emerging technology, p. iii.

Return to footnote 9 referrer

Footnote 10

www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=3580152&&pattern=&stByVal=1&p1=1&p2=-1&tabMode=dataTable&csid=

Return to footnote 10 referrer

Footnote 11

Wu, Y., et al. “Acceptance of an Assistive Robot in Older Adults: A Mixed-method Study of Human-robot Interaction over a 1-month Period in the Living Lab Setting,” Clinical Interventions in Aging (2014). Cited by Arlene Astell, The preservation of self-image, p. 12.

Return to footnote 11 referrer

Footnote 12

Neven, L. “‘But Obviously not for Me:’ Robots, Laboratories and the Defiant Identity of Elder Test Users,” Sociology of Health & Illness (2010). Cited by Arlene Astell, “The preservation of self-image: Understanding the technology adoption patterns of older adults,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 12.

Return to footnote 12 referrer

Footnote 13

World Café participant in Sixsmith, Andrew, et al. “Middle-aged and older adults’ information and communicative technology access: A realist review,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 16.

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Footnote 14

McGill, Jena, et al. “Emerging Technological Solutions to Access to Justice Problems: Opportunities and Risks of Mobile and Web-based Apps,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 19.

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Footnote 15

Davies, Theresa Claire, et al., The impact of emerging technology, p. iii.

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Footnote 16

Nardon, Luciara, et al. “Socio-cognitive influences on innovation,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 3.

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Footnote 17

Nardon, Luciara, et al., Socio-cognitive influences on innovation, p. 4.

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Footnote 18

Bouffaron, Pierrick. Impression 3D : Les prémisses d’une nouvelle (r)évolution industrielle ? (2014), p. 8. Cited by Blum, Guillaume, “3D printing: From technical marvel to economic and social issues,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 18.

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Footnote 19

Lemieux, Victoria. “Blockchain technology for record-keeping: Help or hype?” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 13.

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Footnote 20

Duarte, Fabio, and Carlo Ratti. “Smart cities, big data, and the internet of things,” IEEE Standards Education eZine, 6, 4 (November 10, 2016).

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Footnote 21

Judge, Elizabeth, et al. “Privacy and the electorate: Big data and the personalization of politics,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 15.

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Footnote 22

Hermida, Alfred. “The new information power-brokers: Gatekeeping in hybrid digital media,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 6.

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Footnote 23

Judge, Elizabeth, et al., Privacy and the electorate, p. 29.

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Footnote 24

Perley, David, et al. “Supporting Indigenous Language and Cultural Resurgence with Digital Technologies,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 23.

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Footnote 25

Dawson, Peter. “The design and development of digital return platforms for Northern Indigenous heritage,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016).

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Footnote 26

Perley, David, et al., Supporting Indigenous language and cultural resurgence, p. 10.

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Footnote 27

Perley, David, et al., Supporting Indigenous language and cultural resurgence, p. 10.

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Footnote 28

Dawson, Peter, The design and development of digital return platforms, p. 32.

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Footnote 29

Turin, Mark, et al. “Digital heritage access for language and culture in First Nations communities,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 2.

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Footnote 30

Wiebe, Sean, et al. “Dominant Technological Paradigms: Impacts for Education Systems and Policy,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 6.

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Footnote 31

Wiebe, Sean, et al. Dominant Technological Paradigms, p. 30, citing Mark Pegrum, From blogs to bombs: The future of digital technologies in education. Crawley, Australia: UWA Publishing (2009).

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Footnote 32

DeCoito, Isha. “The digital gap: Access, innovation, and impact in Aboriginal communities,” SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant Final Report (October 2016), p. 3.

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