Just Court ADR

Do you know the best ways to communicate with self-represented litigants (SRLs)? That’s the question we asked our newsletter readers and social media followers over the last two months through a short (four-question) quiz. Our initial answer is in: Most quiz takers have some understanding of how best to share information with SRLs, but they also have the space to learn more.

Our four questions — meant to be fun, engaging and educational — were based on the findings of our ODR Party Engagement (OPEN) Project. In prior research, RSI had observed the struggles SRLs can have navigating court processes, and we knew that court communications are not geared toward the 57% of the population that cannot read proficiently. So we set out to find out what SRLs need and want from court communications.  

With funding from the American Arbitration Association-International Centre for Dispute Resolution Foundation, we conducted focus groups across the U.S. to learn how to improve communications for SRLs. Using what we learned, we worked with an inclusive designer and an accessibility expert to create model communication materials. We conducted usability tests around the U.S. to get feedback on these new materials. Users gave our new Notice, website and video an average 4.8/5 rating for ease of understanding.

Now, we are committed to helping courts and other organizations better communicate with SRLs. Our quiz helps us achieve this goal by providing quiz takers with the best answers and explaining why they are the most effective options. If you would like to learn more about our findings, resources, guide and toolkit, check out the website we created (odr.aboutRSI.org) to share our knowledge with courts.

Before you continue with our article, we invite you to take our quiz and test your OPEN knowledge!

What the scores are and why they don’t matter.

As of the time of this writing, 33 people had responded to our quiz. Their average score was 42%. Though that’s a score that might feel demoralizing for some, we view it as an opportunity for quiz takers to gain essential knowledge about how to communicate with SRLs.

What we can learn from our hardest questions.

Two quiz questions stood out as particularly difficult, with less than half of the takers answering either question correctly. The questions focused on the best types of illustrations to use in documents and the best method for providing information on a webpage, respectively.

Best type of illustration to use

We asked quiz takers what type of illustration should accompany text about signing an agreement. We gave them four options, as seen in the table below. The response options included two photos and two illustrations. Despite photos making up half of the answer options, only 18% of quiz takers chose a photo as the best option. This suggests that court professionals might understand that photos are typically too complex to be used in instructive text. However, most quiz takers selected the complex illustration as the best option to accompany instructive text. Just over a quarter of quiz takers selected the correct answer: the simple illustration.

Quiz Question: What is the best visual to accompany text about signing an agreement?

Answer Choices	Percentage of Quiz Takers Selecting Answer
A. A complex illustration	55%
B. A simple photo	6%
C. A complex photo	12%
D. A simple illustration	27%

Any visuals used in communication materials for SRLs should highlight major concepts and draw the reader’s attention to them. They should not contain additional visual details that are not important to the core of your message, because excessive features can become distractions that pull your user’s focus from the relevant content.

Best method for providing information on a webpage

The question on webpage formatting got 32 responses. Quiz takers were asked if any of the following were good methods for providing information on a webpage. We gave them four options, as reflected in the table below, plus a “none of the above” option. While there was no majority agreement on this question, the largest segment of quiz takers indicated that it is a good idea to place many links on one page, and the smallest segment answered that it is best to fill both the left and right sides of the page with helpful information. A little under 20% of the quiz takers answered this question correctly, selecting “none of the above.”

Quiz Question: Which of the following is a good method for providing information on webpages?

Answer Choices	Percentage of Quiz Takers Selecting Answer
A. Place a list of links on one page, so that users can see all the resources available in one place	44%
B. Have a user-entered search box where SRLs are directed to find information	22%
C. Fill both the right and left sides of the page with helpful information	6%
D. Provide information to users via downloadable PDFs	9%
E. None of the above	19%

While any of these answers might sound like a good tip, you will want to avoid all of them. Unfortunately, it is not helpful to provide a long list of links because that can lead to “link-surfing,” where users jump around on your webpage without actually reading and absorbing any information. It is also not recommended to have a user-entered search box because sometimes users do not know the terminology for the help they seek; or, if they do know the term, they may have difficulty spelling it accurately.

Moreover, filling the whole page with information can lead your user to feel overwhelmed; instead, it is best to create white space on your webpage and keep the most important information to one side of your screen. It is also important to remember that many users are approaching your webpage via their phone or a borrowed computer and may not have access to a PDF reader, digital storage device or free printer. Thus, it is important to embed all important information within the text of your webpage itself so it is easily accessed by all your users.

Want to learn more?

This fall, RSI will present two free webinars for courts, ADR professionals and others. In our series — From Confusion to Clarity: Court Communications that Work — we will offer insights into barriers to program communication and participation and how you can address those barriers. We will provide practicable “good” and “bad” examples and actionable tips on making court communications that your users will understand, trust and use.

So if you took our quiz and it left you wanting to learn more, click on the links to learn more and sign up for our webinars! Webinar 1: Enhancing Understanding While Reducing Stress takes place Wednesday, October 15 from Noon to 1 p.m. Central. Webinar 2: Creating Trust and Addressing the Tech Gap will be on Wednesday, November 12, from Noon to 1.pm. Central.

While participation is free, registration is required.