This paper, published in the journal Computers and Education, describes research into teenagers’ personal understandings of, and learning about, their energy use. The article focuses on indirect energy use and relative energy intensities of different behaviours as important areas for learning. The term ‘energy sustainability’ is prevalent in political and popular rhetoric, yet energy consumption is currently increasing. Teenagers are an important category of future energy consumers, but little is known of their conceptions about energy, energy saving, and energy-related problems.

The article reports a study undertaken with a group of 38 UK teenagers to explore their conceptions of energy and their skills in finding information about their personal energy consumption. The research focused on challenges associated with the use of Web technologies to support learning about complex real-world issues, including energy consumption. It used the ecology of resources design methodology (Luckin 2010), a key framework for developing technology-enhanced learning tools, grounded in user-centred design principles. Craft (and co-authors) designed the research plan and carried out the fieldwork and analysis and reporting of results.

The research underpinning the journal article was developed through the EPSRC-funded project Taking on the Teenagers: Using Adolescent Energy to Reduce Energy Use (2010–13). This £1.2m project, which involved eight UK consortium partners in academia and industry, was funded under the Transforming Energy Demand Through Digital Innovations scheme.