Taking on the Teenagers - Using Adolescent Energy to Reduce Energy Use

Lead Research Organisation: University College London
Department Name: Culture, Communication and Media

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Publications

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Avramides K (2014) A method for teacher inquiry in cross-curricular projects: Lessons from a case study in British Journal of Educational Technology

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Avramides K. (2013) Teenagers re-design a collaborative mobile app to kindle motivation for learning about energy consumption in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL

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Avramides K. (2012) Working with teenagers to design technology that supports learning about energy in informal contexts in 10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences: The Future of Learning, ICLS 2012 - Proceedings

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Du Boulay B (2015) Modelling Human Teaching Tactics and Strategies for Tutoring Systems: 14 Years On in International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education

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Grandbastien M (2016) Preface to the IJAIED 25th Anniversary Issue in International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education

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Mavrikis M. (2015) Preface in CEUR Workshop Proceedings

 
Description Implications for technology enhanced learning design for teenagers learning about energy.
• What energy consumption to focus on (that is relevant to teenagers). Direct energy consumption: energy consumed individually through use of electronic devices, particularly computers and phones. Indirect energy consumption: food (and drink), personal care products, and buying electronic devices.
• What conceptual issues to focus on (the critical issues about which there appears to be a lack of awareness amongst teenagers): the potential impact of energy related problems, the energy consumption involved in products (indirect energy consumption), and how much energy is required by different electronic devices.
• What resources are already available: our findings suggest teachers are best informed to mediate learning about energy, but parents may be better placed to influence behaviour (at least in relation to energy consumption that parents are conscious of, such as switching off lights). Online and other media resources are available, but their impact on teenagers' awareness and behaviour does not appear to be significant. Learning technologies must actively support teenagers translate the information from media resources to their personal context, that is, the implications the information has for their actions.
• How to motivate learning. Critically for the design of any learning technology, motivation to engage in learning about energy cannot be assumed. One motivation that we could tap into, which emerged from our findings with this cohort of teenagers, might be the concern they show for how their choices impact on people in other countries (for example, their concern for workers' conditions in clothing manufacture). The impact of energy related problems on the rest of the world might motivate them to learn more about energy and how they can reduce their consumption.
Exploitation Route Technology designers and educators could take forward the findings from this research particularly if working together
Sectors Education

 
Description During this project we worked closely with groups of school students and their teachers. Some of these teachers continued to use the activities we developed as part of an ongoing programme of science education. One group of students who helped us to develop a lo-tech prototype in the shape of a mobile phone application further developed their prototyping skills by taking part in an educational HackFest at the London Knowledge Lab.
Sector Education
Impact Types Societal