Feel the energy! Tactile learning about everyday energy use
About the project
The project explores how people's knowledge and engagement with everyday energy issues is affected if they can actually physically "feel" the energy. An educational exhibit will be developed where participants can experience quantities such as energy, power and carbon footprint in terms of other quantities such as weight, length and volume of physical objects.
Understanding of our own role in the energy system and how we can influence it is generally very low. Energy issues are perceived as boring, abstract and complicated. Research shows that traditional learning about energy consumption is quickly forgotten and has little impact on individuals' choices and behaviours.
The project will develop a flexible concept for portable exhibits with accompanying educational instructions that can be used, for example, in classrooms, foyers, at festivals and other exhibitions. Using the content of the exhibition materials, participants will be able to playfully interact with models of real objects and situations. Abstract quantities such as energy, power and carbon footprint will be represented by weight and volume of physical objects.
The overall aim of the project is to develop and test new methods and tools to get individuals and groups more interested, engaged and knowledgeable about energy issues, by getting them more emotionally involved. The aim is that the methods and tools developed will be more successful in bringing about actual behavioural change than the more traditional methods used to convey knowledge and feedback in the energy field, often through figures or diagrams.
The materials produced will be freely available for others to extend, modify and disseminate further.
Read more and get the latest news here Känn på energin! (In Swedish only)
Contact
The project is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency read more here Design for Design for Energy-Efficient Everyday life