Online and in the Know? Public Legal Education, Young People and the Internet
Computers & Education, Vol. 92-93, pp. 204-220, 2016
54 Pages Posted: 7 Jan 2016
Date Written: January 5, 2016
Abstract
Over the last decade the Internet has played a growing role in the resolution strategies of many of those who face civil justice problems. Drawing on data from a novel experiment capturing the online information-seeking behaviours of 208 students, this paper explores how young people in England use the Internet when faced with a hypothetical civil justice problem relating to housing or employment law. The study finds that while the Internet holds potential as a Public Legal Education (PLE) tool, exposure to online legal information does not directly equate to improved knowledge of rights or knowledge of how to handle a civil justice problem. The Internet's utility in this respect, continues to be constrained by the quality of information provided and the public's capacity to use it and apply it in a meaningful way.
Keywords: Access to Justice, Internet, Young People, Technology, Public Legal Education, Methodology, Legal Aid, Legal Services, Online Information
JEL Classification: K10, K30
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation