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Researching for Impact: Preliminary Results: Ontario community workers on what PLE formats & delivery channels are effective for their communities. Sarah Rimmington, Consultant, Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) Public Legal Education in Canada (PLEAC) Conference
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Researching for Impact: Preliminary Results: Ontario community workers on what PLE formats & delivery channels are effective for their communities Sarah Rimmington, Consultant, Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) Public Legal Education in Canada (PLEAC) Conference Friday, October 26, 2012
Project Background • Purpose: Talking to Ontario community workers in a variety of sectors to find out what PLE formats and delivery options are effective for the diverse, low-income communities they work in. • Methodology: Literature review, online survey (completed), and limited number of in-person interviews on select issues suggested by the online survey (in progress) • Final product: Publicly available report summarizing literature and findings
Online Survey Respondent Characteristics I Service Area of Respondents Toronto and area 29.5% Eastern/Central Ontario 27.6% Southwestern Ontario 24.3% Northern Ontario 10.5% Province-wide 8.1%
Respondent Characteristics II Top Five Organization Types • Domestic Violence/ Women’s issues • Community Legal Clinic • Multi-issue organization • Community Information Services • Ethno-cultural/ Immigrant Services/ Settlement Agency
Usefulness of PLEI Formats/Delivery Channels for Service Providers
Recent changes in how clients access problem-solving information • The most frequently cited change was the increased use or availability of the internet or online resources, reported by about 2/3 of respondents • Caveat: several reported many or most clients still do not have access to, or have challenges accessing, computers, the internet or online information
Exploring Printed Materials I: Client preferences re type of printed materials
Exploring Printed Materials II: Client preferences re delivery channels for PLEI in print formats
Exploring Online PLEI I: Online formats & delivery channels to which service providers refer clients
Exploring Online PLEI I: Reasons for online format & delivery channel referral preferences Top line message: It is risky to rely on Online PLEI alone in order to reach low-income communities. • Around 1/3 of the respondents indicated that their clients experience difficulties accessing computers and/or the internet. • Close to 1/3 of respondents noted specific online information formats and why they do or do not refer clients to that format. • Around 1/4 indicated their clients prefer other, non-online formats/delivery channels. • 1/20 gave reasons why they do not refer their clients to any online information formats.
Exploring Online PLEI II: Ability of clients to find and make use of online information
Exploring Online PLEI II: Obstacles clients experience accessing online information • Access to computers/other devices and/or access to the internet (cited by 2/3 of respondents) • Printing (just over 1/4 of respondents) • Privacy/ Safety (1/4 of respondents) • Computer/Internet Literacy (1/5 of respondents) • Language Barrier (1/7 of respondents) • Weak Internet research skills (1/10 of respondents) • General Literacy (just under 1/10 of respondents)
Exploring Online PLEI III: Practices and suggestions for improving accessibility or usefulness of online information for clients • About 1/4 respondents suggested the need for more resources to improve the problem of client access to computers and/or the internet. • About 1/3 made specific substantive or procedural suggestions that focus on if and how clients find and understand online information. • About 1/7 indicated need for a wide variety of online formats and delivery channels both to improve clients’ access to online info, and to optimize the usefulness of the info found. • 1/7 mentioned the importance of providing training to both clients and service providers • Almost 1/7 mentioned the importance of online information being available in multiple languages • About 1/10 suggested that clients need direct support
Stay Tuned For The Final Report! Sarah Rimmington, LLB, MA Consultant, Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) Tel: (416) 908-7273 Email: srimmington@gmail.com