Output details

concrete2cookers

The project, concrete2cookers, was funded by an EPSRC grant of £127k. It was developed to study and research effective methods of transferring an understanding of carbon emissions and energy use to school children. It drew from an earlier project on carbon emissions, Tarbase, also funded by the EPSRC (and the Carbon Trust). The research involved mapping the necessary information with the requirements of the new pedagogical structure for education in Scotland,' The Curriculum for Excellence'. The research involved direct interaction with schools and pupils through workshops and evaluation studies. The resulting output was based on the use of 'gamification' as a teaching method appropriate to pupils. Further work was then undertaken to develop the structure and content of the game, through workshops with teachers and pupils from four separate schools.

To date the game has been used in over 70 schools, played by over 2000 people and featured at the Edinburgh International Science Festival. The work with energy and schools has prompted further research including a Knowledge Transfer Partnership with FES-FM Ltd, facility managers, to reduce carbon emissions in their large portfolio of schools, and a recently awarded EPSRC grant under the 'Research in the Wild' call to research interactive learning energy environments in schools and will work closely with a number of schools to evaluate user response and effectiveness in energy performance.