Canadian Academic Research Articles

Fostering Pragmatic Proficiency: The Influence of Explicit Instruction on Plurilingual EFL Learners’ Mastery of Hedging Devices in Canadian Academic Writing Context

Hedging academic claims is a crucial aspect of scholarly writing that presents challenges for many non-native English-speaking academic authors. Scholars, such as Hyland (2021), have emphasized the vital role of explicit instructional interventions in raising awareness about hedging devices among Plurilingual non-native English writers. This is particularly relevant considering the nuanced nature of certain hedging devices, characterized by polysemy and polypragmatics. This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of explicit instruction in enhancing the pragmatic competence of non-native English-speaking learners, with a specific focus on the acquisition and application of English modal auxiliaries as hedging mechanisms within an academic context. In this study, a group of 37 non-native English-speaking College students, representing various academic disciplines, were purposefully selected from Sommet College located in Greater Montreal area, and divided into two groups: a control group and an experimental group. The control group received conventional academic writing instruction, while the experimental group underwent explicit instruction on the use of modal auxiliaries for hedging in their academic writing. Both groups completed pretests and post-tests as part of the evaluation process. Analysis of the test scores and t-test results revealed a significant improvement in linguistic and pragmatic proficiency concerning the use of modal auxiliaries for hedging within the experimental group. Moreover, the findings demonstrated the superior performance of the experimental group in employing modal verbs for hedging purposes. The findings of this study have broader implications that reach beyond pedagogical practice, resonating with educational program administrators and curriculum developers. These results underscore the importance of including explicit instruction on hedging devices, particularly modal auxiliaries, to bolster the academic writing skills of non-native plurilingual English-speaking learners.

Prevalence of diagnosed pulmonary embolism in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation presenting at the emergency department of a large North American academic hospital center

Background The real prevalence of pulmonary embolism (PE) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation (COPDe) remains largely unknown, especially in North America. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence of PE in patients with COPDe at a large academic Canadian hospital. Methods This is a retrospective cohort study of all adult patients with COPDe seen at the emergency department (ED) of The Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada (June 2019-January 2022). The primary outcome was the prevalence of PE during the initial assessment and at 3 months. Secondary outcomes included prevalence of venous thromboembolism and mortality. Subgroup analyses based on the type of COPDe and the post-ED clinical setting were conducted. Results Of 1158 patients seen in the ED with COPDe, PE was diagnosed in 13 patients (1.1%; 95%CI 0.6%-1.9%). Five patients (5/1158; 0.4%) had a diagnosis of PE during initial assessment and 8/1141 (0.7%) patients were diagnosed with PE during the 3-month follow-up. The prevalence of PE did not differ based on the type of COPDe (p = 0.27) and was higher in patients admitted to the hospital compared to patients discharged from the ED (1.1% vs 0.0%; p = 0.01). Mortality was clinically but not statistically higher in patients with PE compared to patients without PE (15.4% vs 6.0%; p = 0.19). Conclusion Among patients with COPDe evaluated in the ED, the prevalence of diagnosed PE was low, but more than 60% of the PE were diagnosed during the 3-month follow-up. Further studies are needed to determine an appropriate diagnostic algorithm in this population.

Industry Peer Information and the Equity Valuation Accuracy of Firms Emerging from Chapter 11

Valuation plays a central role in determining Chapter 11 reorganization outcomes. However, obtaining accurate valuation estimates of reorganized firms is challenging because of limited firm-specific market-based information and the oft-conflicting incentives of claimholders. We examine the role of industry peer information in reducing misvaluations and its implications for unintended interclaimant wealth transfers and postreorganization performance. First, we find that the availability of relevant industry peer information is negatively associated with equity valuation errors for firms emerging from Chapter 11. Cross-sectional results suggest that the relation between industry peer information and valuation errors varies substantially with debtors’ information environment and case characteristics. Second, we find that industry peer information quality is associated with better ex post financial performance of emerged firms because of lower overvaluation. Finally, we document the role of industry peer information in substantially reducing the frequency and magnitude of unintended wealth transfers between claimants arising from equity valuation errors. This paper was accepted by Suraj Srinivasan, accounting. Funding: The authors appreciate financial support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Grant 435-2020-0583] and the Canadian Academic Accounting Association. B. Fang acknowledges financial support from the Della Suantio Fellowship. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.01233 .

Examining Performance on an Integrated Writing Task from a Canadian English Language Proficiency Test

Many English language proficiency (ELP) tests used for university admissions and placement now include integrated writing tasks that require examinees to use external sources when writing. Integrated writing tasks improve test authenticity and impact, but they raise several validity questions, such as what academic language skills they engage and whether performance on these tasks varies with examinee ELP level. This study addresses these questions with reference to an integrated writing task from the Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) Test that involves reading, listening, and writing in academic contexts. Responses by 59 students to one of the CAEL integrated writing tasks are analyzed in terms of various grammatical, discourse, sociolinguistic, strategic, content, and source use aspects and compared across ELP levels (high and low) and score levels. The findings indicate that both ELP level and score level had significant effects on most writing features examined in the study, except for syntactic complexity. Additionally, except for syntactic complexity, all writing dimensions examined in the study were significantly associated with writing scores. The findings and their implications for the validity argument of source-based writing tasks are discussed.

Gender and Racial Diversity Among Obstetrics and Gynecology Departments and Gynecologic Oncology Divisions in Canada: Are We There Yet?

ObjectivesGender and racial diversity in academic Canadian departments of obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN) have not been previously described. We examined gender representation in leadership in academic OBGYN departments and gynecologic oncology (GO) divisions, and determined factors predictive of leadership and promotion including racialized status. MethodsThis cross-sectional study of Canadian residency-affiliated academic OBGYN departments queried institutional websites in January 2021 to compile a list of academic faculty. Subjective gender was assessed using photographs and pronouns, and racialized status was determined using photographs. Logistic regression analyses determined predictive factors for leadership roles. Fassiotto et al. rank equity indices (REI) and Hofler et al. representation ratios were calculated. ResultsWithin 16 Canadian institutions there were 354 (33.6%) men and 699 (66.4%) women, with 18.3% racialized faculty. Men were more likely to reach full professorship (P < 0.00001) and leadership positions of department chair, vice-chair or division head (P = 0.01). Representation ratios for women in OBGYN were <1 for all administrative leadership positions, and pairwise comparisons of the probability of promotion for women OBGYNs using REI reveal significant disparities between senior and junior administrative leadership and professorial ranks. Racialized physicians were less likely to have attained full professorship (P = 0.002). Ninety-seven academic GOs were identified: 68 (70.1%) were women, 17 (17.5%) racialized. Seven GO divisions (44%) had no racialized members. On multivariate analysis, only year of completion of fellowship was predictive of leadership. ConclusionIn academic Canadian OBGYN departments women are underrepresented in leadership and full professor positions. Racialized faculty are underrepresented in full professorship.

Evaluating the Reliability of a Remote Acuity Prediction Tool in a Canadian Academic Emergency Department

There is increasing interest in harnessing artificial intelligence to virtually triage patients seeking care. The objective was to examine the reliability of a virtual machine learning algorithm to remotely predict acuity scores for patients seeking emergency department (ED) care by applying the algorithm to retrospective ED data. This was a retrospective review of adult patients conducted at an academic tertiary care ED (annual census 65,000) from January 2021 to August 2022. Data including ED visit date and time, patient age, sex, reason for visit, presenting complaint and patient-reported pain score were used by the machine learning algorithm to predict acuity scores. The algorithm was designed to up-triage high-risk complaints to promote safety for remote use. The predicted scores were then compared to nurse-led triage scores previously derived in real time using the electronic Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (eCTAS), an electronic triage decision-support tool used in the ED. Interrater reliability was estimated using kappa statistics with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In total, 21,469 unique ED patient encounters were included. Exact modal agreement was achieved for 10,396 (48.4%) patient encounters. Interrater reliability ranged from poor to fair, as estimated using unweighted kappa (0.18, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.19), linear-weighted kappa (0.25, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.26), and quadratic-weighted kappa (0.36, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.37) statistics. Using the nurse-led eCTAS score as the reference, the machine learning algorithm overtriaged 9,897 (46.1%) and undertriaged 1,176 (5.5%) cases. Some of the presenting complaints under-triaged were conditions generally requiring further probing to delineate their nature, including abnormal lab/imaging results, visual disturbance, and fever. This machine learning algorithm needs further refinement before being safely implemented for patient use.

What is happening where? An evaluation of social sciences research trends in Nunavut (2004–2019)

Research licensing administered by the Nunavut Research Institute (NRI) affords Nunavummiut (people of Nunavut) an opportunity to engage in research. The NRI partnered with researchers at McMaster and Carleton Universities to investigate social sciences research licensed between 2004 and 2019. This partnership aimed to understand the scope of research trends in Nunavut. Thematic content analysis was used to (i) identify research topics in social sciences and Inuit knowledge projects; (ii) determine frequency and diversity of topics according to leadership, location, and timeframe; (iii) develop metrics to improve tracking of research; and (iv) contribute to the development of a Nunavut research portal making NRI research applications and reports public. Social sciences research increased during the 16-year study period. Projects were predominantly led by Canadian academics. The highest intensity of research occurred in Iqaluit, and the lowest intensity in Grise Fiord. Social sciences research was mainly focused on topics related to Inuit culture and knowledge. Social scientists most often conducted research using interviews and shared their work via peer-reviewed journal articles. This project is a starting point in raising awareness about research trends for Nunavummiut. This work aims to contribute to broader efforts in developing Nunavut-specific approaches to achieving Inuit self-determination in research.

Reference Chatbots in Canadian Academic Libraries

Chatbots are “computer agents that can interact with the user” in a way that feels like human-to-human conversation. While the use of chatbots for reference service in academic libraries is a topic of interest for both library professionals and researchers, little is known about how they are used in library reference service, especially in academic libraries in Canada. This article aims to fill this gap by conducting a web-based survey of 106 academic library websites in Canada and analyzing the prevalence and characteristics of chatbot and live chat services offered by these libraries. The authors found that only two libraries were using chatbots for reference service. For live chat services, the authors found that 78 libraries provided this service. The article discusses possible reasons for the low adoption of chatbots in academic libraries, such as accessibility, privacy, cost, and professional identity issues. The article also provides a case study of the authors’ institution, the University of Calgary, which integrated a chatbot service in 2021. The article concludes with suggestions for future research on chatbot use in libraries.

Factors affecting Family Physician follow-up 30 days post-discharge from a Canadian Academic Emergency Department.

Close outpatient follow-up of patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) has been associated with improved antimicrobial stewardship, medication compliance, and decreased mortality. Despite these clear benefits, studies have shown most patients do not receive follow-up from specialists or Family Physicians (FP). While age, race and insurance status may be factors in Australia and the United States, there remains a paucity of Canadian studies investigating potential factors that influence follow-up. This retrospective cohort study aimed to elucidate factors associated with Family Physician follow up within 30 days at two urban, academic Family Medicine clinics. Our study included patients aged 18 or older who have an academic Family Physician and visited a London Health Sciences Centre ED between January 1, 2021 and June 1, 2021. A binary logistic regression was used to determine if a specific patient or provider factor was associated with follow-up. Of the 367 cases that met criteria, 220 (60%) patients received Family Physician follow-up within 30 days. Additionally, 51 patients (23%) received specialist follow-up within 30 days. A higher number of medications (OR 1.12 p=0.003) and a Family Physician appointment within the 90 days preceding the ED visit (OR 2.51, p<0.001) were significantly predictive of Family Physician follow-up. The use of a Family Physician referral form, documented discharge instructions, and increasing comorbidity (as documented by the Charlson Comorbidity Index) were not associated with a higher odds of follow-up. These data suggest that patients on numerous medications may require close follow-up for monitoring, dose adjustments, and reassessment. Additionally, those patients with recent Family Physician visits may have stronger relationships with their provider, increasing their likelihood of follow-up. Based on this study, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that documented discharge instructions nor the use of a FP referral form impact the rate of follow-up. Future work should focus on an optimal mechanism to ensure Family Physician follow-up, when required, in urban centres. The impact of mental health and substance use disorders on the rate of follow-up should also be evaluated.

10593 Quality and Content of Preoperative Patient-Facing Resources for Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A Canadian Academic Centre Review

10593 Quality and Content of Preoperative Patient-Facing Resources for Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A Canadian Academic Centre Review

Autistic Employees in Canadian Academic Libraries

There is little research on the employment of autistic librarians and library support staff, and yet there are many ways in which libraries are a good fit for autistic individuals. As the prevalence of autism grows, academic libraries represent a viable option for meaningful and inclusive employment for autistic employees, provided library managers and administrators create environments that value diversity and inclusion. The main purpose of this study was to obtain information from autistic staff currently or recently employed in academic libraries in Canada about the current difficulties and barriers they experience in the workplace, the opportunities that working in a library gives to autistic employees, and potential accommodations they feel would allow them to excel and thrive in their workplaces. A questionnaire was developed to collect the data, designed to respond to our research questions. Through qualitative analysis we identified the following themes in the survey results: library as unsafe space, social difficulties in the workplace, difficulties requesting accommodations, and a need for improved understanding of autism.

The Outcomes of Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy versus Conventional 2D Radiotherapy in Patients with Oropharyngeal or Hypopharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma. A Case-Control Study

"Introduction: Head and neck cancers’ radiotherapy (RT) is challenging due to the irregular target volumes and the proximity of multiple organs at risk. The purpose of this study is to compare the toxicity, loco-regional control and the pattern of tumour recurrence after intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or conventional 2D radiotherapy (2D CRT) in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cancers. Material and method: We retrospectively compared the outcomes of SCC oropharyngeal or hypopharyngeal cases treated by IMRT or 2D CRT from 1998 to 2010 in a Canadian Academic Hospital. We matched the patients in the two groups according to primary tumour location and clinical stage. The information on treatment, toxicity and outcomes was retrieved from patients’ medical records. For the patients having a recurrence after IMRT, the CT scan at relapse was fused with the planning CT. For the patients recurring after 2D CRT, we matched the CT images with the relative position of the radiotherapy fields. Statistical analysis was made using GraphPad Prism software. Results: We included a total of 50 patients in the IMRT group and 50 in the 2D CRT group. The median age was 62 and 58 years, respectively, and the median follow-up was 18 and 22.6 months, respectively. Some of the side effects were less frequent on the IMRT group compared to the 2D CRT: xerostomia (16% vs 64%, P=0.0036), mucositis (70% vs 74% P=0.5451), weight loss (18% vs 46% P= 0.0027), radionecrosis/mandibular fracture (0 % vs 2%), fibrosis (0% vs 10%), and telangiectasia (0% vs 4%). However, acute dermatitis and late dysphagia were more frequent in the IMRT group (44% vs 28% P=0.0042; and 14% vs 2% P=0.028; respectively). The overall survival at 2 years was for 74.03% for IMRT and 60% for 2D CRT (P&lt; 0.001) and the 5 years actuarial locoregional control was 89.54 % for IMRT group, and 62.48% for the 2DCRT group (P&lt; 0.001). Three patients from the IMRT group had a local recurrence (2 in-field and 1 marginal), while in the 2D-CRT group, there were 10 patients with a local recurrence (6 in-field and 4 marginal). Conclusion: SCC oropharyngeal and hypopharyngeal patients treated with IMRT and concurrent cisplatin had better outcomes and fewer side effects, when compared to similar cases treated with 2D CRT. The local recurrence had a similar pattern for both techniques."

What Attributes Matter Most in Physicians? Exploratory Findings from a Single-Centre Survey of Stakeholder Priorities in Cancer Care at a Canadian Academic Cancer Centre.

Limited research exists regarding how healthcare stakeholders prioritize the importance of differing physician attributes in oncologists. Identifying these priorities can help ensure that Canadian cancer care continues to meet the needs of its patients. In our previous research, compassion and empathy were identified as important physician attributes, with answers like knowledge, professionalism or communication less common. We hypothesized that respondents may have been assuming other, underlying qualities in their oncologists when they prioritized "compassion" and "empathy". To test this, the current study asks respondents to rank important physician attributes. With ethics approval, we asked healthcare stakeholders (physicians, nurses, patients, caregivers, medical students, and allied healthcare providers) to rank the eight most popular qualities or attributes. We identified differences between which characteristics each group valued most in physicians. 375 respondents participated in the survey. "Knowledge" and "competence" were the most popular answers in the current study among all groups except medical students. Previously, we identified compassion as a highly valued attribute; however, this survey suggests that this may be with the assumption that a physician is knowledgeable and competent. Future research will use semi-structured interviews to investigate respondents' rationales for making their choices and help interpret our findings in this study.

The “Palestine Test” Revisited: Faculty, Students and Activists Talk about Their Experiences of Harassment, Intimidation and Suppression of Speech on Palestine

This article acknowledges the prescience of MJ Nadeau and Alan Sears’ 2009 article “The Palestine Test, Countering the Silencing Campaign”. It introduces recent research with Canadian academics and activists about their experiences of suppression of speech on Palestine. These include political interventions in academic hiring, threats of violence, harassment by pro-Israel advocates and media outlets and classroom surveillance by pro-Israel campus groups, all of which are violations of academic freedom and grave impediments to the production of knowledge.

Indigenous artefacts and oral stories

This article presents the results of studies conducted by Canadian academics in collaboration with Sturgeon Lake and Pelican Narrows First Nations communities (Saskatchewan, Canada). The objectives of the project were: (1) developing a research ethics protocol for collecting, studying, and preserving indigenous artefacts; (2) measurements of chemical compositions of artefacts; (3) collecting oral stories of Elders. Within the project, two workshops were organized in Pelican Narrows and Sturgeon Lake. Post-secondary students were trained to work on the project. The laboratory measurements of chemical compositions of artefacts were conducted at the Scanning Electron Microscope Laboratory (University of Alberta), and the Saskatchewan Isotope Laboratory (University of Saskatchewan). The carbon-dating measurements were carried out at André E. Lalonde Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (University of Ottawa). The statistical analysis of chemical compositions was conducted in order to test the provenance similarities of artefacts. The project was supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Freezing out: Legacy media's shaping of AI as a cold controversy

Mainstream coverage of artificial intelligence often appears to emphasise the technologies’ benefit and economic potential over its growing downsides. How does a technology poised to be so disruptive become so uncritically embraced? Why is it, simply put, that artificial intelligence's representations in legacy media do not normally convey the controversialities otherwise found in research or policy debates? We introduce the concept of ‘freezing out’ to describe processes of translation that cool down debates over the merits of technology. Freezing out looks at the other side of controversy studies to study the production of uncontroversies or cold controversies rather than hot topics and debates. We use the coverage of artificial intelligence in Canadian national news outlets to analyse how controversiality becomes ‘frozen out’. Since Canadian academics won the prestigious ImageNet prize in 2012 introducing the modern turn toward machine learning approaches, Canada has promoted itself as a global leader. Using in-depth interviews with Francophone and Anglophone journalists as well as topic modelling on data collected from five major newspapers, we find that routine news making processes between journalists, experts, entrepreneurs, and governments build, maintain, and promote Canada's artificial intelligence ecosystem. Freezing out contributes to a broader interest in how heterogeneous actors traverse their domain of expertise across policy, media, and research circles to cool down artificial intelligence controversies.

Chilly Climate 2.0: Women’s Experiences of Harassment and Discrimination in Canadian Higher Education

This research examines the extent to which issues identified in Breaking Anonymity (The Chilly Collective, 1995) are still salient despite new EDI mandates/programs which support increased research excellence through EDI principles. We present survey results for Canadian academics who identify as women (n = 244) regarding their experiences with gender-based harassment and discrimination. Our analysis identified three categories of patriarchal gendered control: (1) overt practices, (2) covert practices, and (3) a systematic effort to silence the reporting of these experiences. We highlight the voices of women academics as they provide personal insights into the continuing barriers through their experiences. Through their stories, the implications of existing overt and covert harassment and discrimination practices are discussed. Our study provides an overview of women academics’ experiences with oppression by their male colleagues and contributes to research exploring equity and inclusion in higher education and the continued need to work toward gender equity.

Understanding treatment toxicity patterns through remote symptom monitoring and examining the effect of frailty in older men with metastatic prostate cancer.

12054 Background: Advancements in metastatic prostate cancer (mPC) treatments have increased survival, but using multiple lines of therapy has increased the prevalence and severity of toxicities. Older men and those living with frailty experience higher symptom burden associated with treatment. Although toxicities have been described in previous trials, much of the focus has been on pain and fatigue among fit and younger men, and only a few trials have examined the effects of frailty on toxicity. Thus, the aims of this study were to (1) understand the prevalence, duration, and changes in symptom severity among older men receiving mPC treatments; and (2) examine differences among frail and non-frail men. Methods: Men aged 65+ with mPC starting chemotherapy (chemo), androgen receptor-axis-targeted (ARAT) therapies, or radium-223 (Rad223) from two academic Canadian cancer centres were enrolled in a prospective cohort study. Participants self-reported symptoms daily using the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) for the first treatment cycle via internet or telephone. Frailty status was determined using the Vulnerable Elders Survey (VES-13). Study outcomes were the development of moderate-to-severe symptoms (ESAS≥4), their duration, and the proportion of participants who had improvements in symptom severity (ESAS&lt;4) after reporting moderate-to-severe symptoms at baseline. Outcomes were determined using descriptive statistics. Associations between symptom prevalence, duration, and frailty were assessed using t-tests and chi-square tests. Results: 90 men (mean age=77 +/- 6.1 years, 58% frail (VES-13≥3)) starting chemo (n=34), an ARAT (n=43), or Rad223 (n=13) were included. The most common moderate-to-severe symptoms across cohorts were fatigue (46.8%), insomnia (42.9%), poor wellbeing (41.2%), decreased appetite (37.1%), and pain (35.9%). These symptoms were numerically higher in frail men, but differences between frail and non-frail were only statistically significant for poor wellbeing (62.5% in frail vs. 31.4% in non-frail, p=0.039). On average, poor wellbeing lasted 6.5 days (SD=7.6) days, decreased appetite lasted 5.5 days (SD=4.9), fatigue lasted 5.1 days (SD=7.3), pain lasted 4.7 days (SD=5.6), and insomnia lasted 4.6 days (SD=6.2) across cohorts. Fatigue and pain lasted numerically longer in frail men whereas insomnia, poor wellbeing, and decreased appetite lasted numerically longer in non-frail men, but these differences were not statistically significant. Among participants who reported moderate-to-severe symptoms at baseline, 15.4%, 10.7%, 7.7%, 5.3% and 3.6% had improvements in pain, appetite, wellbeing, insomnia, and fatigue, respectively. Conclusions: Understanding temporal patterns of symptoms and the impact of frailty in older men receiving mPC treatments may help inform supportive care approaches. Clinical trial information: NCT04193657 .

An Exploration of Dietetic Students' Experiences in a Noncourse-based Service-Learning Opportunity in a Canadian Academic Setting.

Purpose: To investigate the experiences of dietetic students in a faculty-supervised, noncourse-based service-learning (NSL) opportunity called Nutrition Ignition! (NI!) to understand how NSL activities contribute to dietetic education.Methods: This study used focus group methodology. A convenience sample was recruited from current members of NI!. Participants completed a brief demographic questionnaire and then engaged in a focus group discussion led by a trained moderator who followed a semi-structured guide. Six focus group discussions were transcribed, and a common theme template was developed by researchers.Results: Out of 46 eligible members of NI!, 33 agreed to participate. The main reasons participants joined NI! were to develop professional skills and to help children in the community. Participants discussed many outcomes from their participation in NI!, including enhanced communication skills, especially in terms of knowledge translation; increased ability to be flexible and adapt to "real-world" situations; deeper awareness of the research process; and expanded world view.Conclusion: This study suggests that NSL is an effective way to build dietetic students' personal and professional skills and provide an additional opportunity in academic settings to prepare dietetic students for entry-level practice.

The Impact of Academic Acculturation and Language Proficiency on International Students’ University Experience and Academic Success: A Longitudinal Study

The Canadian Academic English Language (CAEL) assessment is a proficiency test for university admission. Most research has focused on the paper edition, not the recent computer edition (CE). Validity research on other proficiency tests found that relationships between proficiency scores and academic achievement measures can be tenuous because other factors intervene in students’ chances of success. Research on academic success has examined academic acculturation as one factor. However, the impact of acculturation on academic achievement has not been examined alongside language proficiency test scores. The current study investigated this issue by focusing on students with a range of CAEL scores and examining the relationship between CAEL-CE scores, academic achievement, and academic acculturation. Forty-four students at a Canadian English-medium university participated in the study. Students’ grade point averages were obtained, and an academic acculturation questionnaire was administered. A subset of participants took part in focus groups. The findings and their implications are discussed.