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Focus groups and writing artifacts show writing tools should combine transparent peer and automated feedback, semi-structured community discussion, guided review, and affective scaffolding to support diverse learners.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & 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University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada  \nCOSMIN MUNTEANU, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada  \nFor adult newcomers to countries such as Canada, learning language is more than an academic task. Language proficiency is their gateway to long-term economic and social stability, but limited access to resources contributes to systemic inequities which disproportionately place immigrants at socioeconomic disadvantages. Many new immigrants rely heavily on informal peer-networks to pursue avenues of success within an unfamiliar and inadequate system. To explore how we could leverage such a peer-based approach to meet their needs for feedback and support when learning to write in English, we deployed a peer-based writing app with 16 participants. Post-deployment focus groups and analysis of writing artifacts reveal that the design of writing support tools should present transparent feedback from both peers and automated sources, foster community through semi-structured discussions, incorporate guided review, and scaffold affective development. We discuss how incorporating these elements into the design of community learning platforms can address the language literacy needs of diverse immigrant learners and foster more positive experiences for newcomers as they negotiate their evolving identities.  \nCCS Concepts:  \n• Human-centered computing~Computer supported cooperative work • Human-centered computing~Empirical studies in HCI • Applied computing~Collaborative learning  \nKEYWORDS: Mature learners; older immigrants; language learning; ELL; peer feedback; participatory design  \nACM Reference format:  \nAmna Liaqat and Cosmin Munteanu. 2020. Leveraging Peer Support for Mature Immigrants Learning to Write in Informal Contexts. In Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Vol. 4, CSCW2, Article 106 (October 2020), 24 pages, [https://doi.org/10.1145/ 3415177](https://doi.org/10.1145/ 3415177)  \n1 Highly Educated Newcomers to Canada  \nConflict, crisis, and economic hardship are prompting the largest-scale international migrations seen to date [19] . Within this context, a large number of immigrants move to Canada every year, with almost a quarter of the population born outside the country [7] . For newcomers to a country where the official language is not their primary language, low literacy  \nThis work was supported by AGE-WELL NCE Inc., a member of the Networks of Centres of Excellence (NCE), a Government of Canada program supporting research, networking, commercialization, knowledge mobilization and capacity building activities in technology and ageing to improve the quality of lives of Canadians.  \nAuthor’s address: Amna Liaqat, [aliaqat@cs.toronto.edu](aliaqat@cs.toronto.edu)  \nPermission to make digital or hard copies of part or all of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for third-party components of this work must be honored. For all other uses, contact the owner/author(s).  \n2020 2573-0142/2020/October – Article\\# 106… $15.00  \nCopyright is held by the owner/author(s) . Publication rights licensed to ACM.  \n[https://doi.org/10.1145/ 3415177](https://doi.org/10.1145/ 3415177)  \nPACM on Human-Computer Interaction, Vol. 4, No. CSCW2, Article 106, Publication date: October 2020.  \n106  \nis a barrier to many economic, education and social opportunities [17] . This is the case with most immigrants to Canada. Canada accepts many immigrants under the Skilled Worker program, with the aim of meeting labour market demand. As a result, many newcomers to the country are highly educated and highly qualified in their field of work. This is reflected in additional employment-relevant indicators, such as (digital) technology proficiency, with i","cbCaihl9gjRkgSW6","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaihl9gjRkgSW6","pdf",1080944,24,"English","# Introduction\n## Peer networks and informal learning needs\n## Study approach: a peer-based writing app\n# Findings and design implications\n## Transparent peer and automated feedback\n## Community through semi-structured discussions\n## Guided review and affective scaffolding\n# Impact on immigrant language literacy","[{\"question\":\"Why is language learning critical for mature immigrants?\",\"answer\":\"Language proficiency enables long-term economic and social stability, but constrained resource access creates systemic inequities for newcomers.\"},{\"question\":\"How was the peer-based writing support study conducted?\",\"answer\":\"A peer-based writing app was deployed with 16 participants, followed by focus groups and analysis of participants’ writing artifacts.\"},{\"question\":\"What design elements improve writing support in community learning platforms?\",\"answer\":\"The findings support transparent feedback from peers and automated sources, semi-structured community discussions, guided review, and scaffolding affective development.\"}]","Leveraging Peer Support for Mature Immigrants Learning to Write in Informal Contexts | PDF"]