From Chile to Lethbridge: Carolina Castillo's research stay at ULethbridge

An anthropologist and PhD student from Santiago, Chile, Carolina Castillo is researching fairness in writing assessments. Studying at the Universidad Católica de Chile, her work explores how students from varying socioeconomic statuses are measured for their writing proficiency. Last year, Carolina was awarded a scholarship by Chile’s National Agency of Research and Development to complete a research stay at any institution in the world. Her choice: the University of Lethbridge.

“During my research stay at the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Education, I found my place as a researcher in the field of writing assessments. I deepened my knowledge of a different research environment and met brilliant, kind colleagues. It was a wonderful learning experience, also because of the deer on campus!” 

This decision was driven by her desire to expand her research alongside Dr. David Slomp, associate dean of graduate studies and research in the Faculty of Education, whose work she discovered while reviewing a writing assessment journal of which Dr. Slomp was the editor.

"As the Faculty of Education was working to relaunch its PhD program, Carolina’s presence was a wonderful reminder of how PhD students invigorate and expand our thinking and our research," says Dr. Slomp. "Carolina’s perspectives as a scholar from South America were instrumental in expanding my own conceptions of fairness as applied to the design of the next generation of writing assessments. Her multidisciplinary and cross-cultural perspectives truly represent the future of writing assessment."

Along with the local wildlife, the people, weather and environment confirmed for Carolina that she had made the right choice.

“Life in Lethbridge is peaceful and quiet. I loved coming to my office, being on campus and enjoying my everyday routine. PhD students need our own space to concentrate and read, and in Lethbridge, I really had what I needed to immerse myself in my research.”

Upon her arrival, Carolina’s three main objectives for her research stay were to strengthen her project’s theoretical aspect, improve her English and make connections within the educational community.

“From the beginning, my PhD topic has focused on writing. At the same time, I am an anthropologist with a master’s degree in Sociology, so my experience was more related to methods, research and social topics related to education; writing assessments were always something that I didn’t know a lot about. The theoretical work I did with Dr. Slomp helped me feel like I was becoming an expert in this area and could talk to those who studied linguistics or languages. I now feel confident using my arguments and points of view when speaking about writing. Dr. Slomp has really helped me map this topic out in my head, looking at cognitive and other perspectives on educational assessments and giving me a panoramic view of the field that is really helpful when doing research.”

While Carolina was able to successfully expand her research topic, she believes the biggest lesson she learned during her research stay was overcoming her fear of speaking English. She largely attributed her growth to the professors who invited her into their homes, her landlord and others who provided her with opportunities to speak, listen and practice while making mistakes.

“Ten years ago, English was a really difficult barrier for me. I felt really insecure, and it was horrible. I hated speaking and studying English, but at the same time, I always wanted to learn so that I could travel and go to another university where it is spoken."

Overcoming her fear of speaking English has left Carolina feeling inspired to conquer other fears in her life, with her sights set on obtaining her driver’s license next. Her newfound confidence additionally helped her connect with others in the educational community during her time at ULethbridge.

“One of my favorite moments during my stay was giving a research presentation. I felt happy and proud because I could speak and answer questions that professors had and receive their feedback. Five years ago, I could not imagine presenting about academic topics in English.”

Carolina now looks to pursue academic and career opportunities in other countries following the completion of her PhD. She also hopes to teach about writing or writing assessments and methods at a post-secondary institution one day.