Building energy and children: Theme-oriented and experience-based course development and educational effects

Abstract

To cope with the crisis of frequent occurrences of extreme weather, various sectors are striving to find a way to ease climate change. A common consensus indicates that to reverse this crisis, we should reduce fossil fuel consumption, rely more on renewable energy, conserve energy, improve energy efficiency, and protect the forests. To enable these measures to achieve full effect, the implementation of energy education is a topic that demands immediate attention. In Taiwan, the building energy sector is closely related to people's lives, and the energy consumption of building industries accounts for 12% of the total national energy consumption. Based on intuitive daily experiences, an energy-saving and carbon-reduction curriculum on the building sector (Green Building) is deemed a feasible approach for elementary school students to promote their capacities of energy cognition, attitude and practice. In this study, the "building sector (Green Building)" was used as a research topic for energy education to be integrated within the energy education context, experiential learning activities, and effective transformation into the curriculum. Participating university faculty and elementary school teachers engaged in collaborative action research concerning development of a curriculum, including identifying suitable study materials, course development (course planning, curricula, teaching module innovation, trial teaching), and assessments.