Bioenergins pedagogiska utmaningar. : Utveckling av utbildningsmaterial inom bioenergi och hållbarhet för användning i extramurala lärandemiljöer

Sammanfattning: The aim of this project was to develop educational resources concerning bioenergy and sustainability. The initial purpose was to produce two sets of material: one suitable for children in their first years of Swedish compulsory school, and one designed for upper secondary students. In the report, however, the possibilities are discussed for this material to be used with even wider audiences. In the first phase of the process, literature (books, reports etc.) with relevance to bioenergy, sustainability and theories of learning were studied. This insight, along with the appropriate course curriculums, was used in the development stage to produce learning material for the targeted audiences. The development was followed by tests and evaluations carried out with high school students, upon which an analytical discussion is held regarding the consequences and possibilities that the results of this project pose. The content of the learning material is based on the curriculum and course requirements provided by Skolverket (The Swedish National Agency for Education) for lower elementary and high school students. The requirements that were aimed to be addressed concerned making use of the students’ natural curiosity for their environment, their ability to investigate and critically deduce conclusions from the results and, ultimately, their ability to make qualified decisions when faced with issues regarding the environment, climate change, energy and life style. The didactic theory on how this content was to be presented is based on research concerning learning based on discussion and previous experiences, case methodology, education in environments outside of school etc. References are presented supporting the view that learning is most substantial if discussed with peers and if relations are made to previous knowledge. Working problem-based and with case methodology can fulfill these aims, along with playing an out-of-school learning environment to its best advantages. As a result, a number of activities and sketches for exhibits, along with a 90 minute long school program (which can sometimes be given to students visiting a science center etc.) have been developed on the topic of bioenergy and sustainable development. Parts of the educational resources were evaluated through a series of tests with high school students during their visit at Kreativum, a science center in Karlshamn, Sweden. This evaluation consisted of a quantitative analysis of the students’ experiences and a qualitative interview with the educators which observed the tests. As an introduction, the students were asked to construct a mind map around the title "Bioenergy" with concepts and terms they associated with this subject. After taking part of the program the students were given back their mind maps, with the possibility of adding things they now knew in another color. This enabled a simplified analysis of what visitors have learned and also takes previous knowledge into consideration. The test runs resulted in some minor readjustments of the program, which mostly had to do with the execution rather than the material itself. These alterations were meant to result in further interaction with the exhibition and students feeling a higher sense of responsibility and capability to take action. The evaluation gave indications that the Wordcatcher game with its new theme "Sustainable energy" was a 2 prominent source of new vocabulary for the students and their mind maps. This theme will be kept in use by the science center, even outside the school program. The educators also showed interest in the mind map activity and saw it useful as an exercise in itself; therefore it is kept in the program even though it will not be used for evaluation purposes. In the concluding part of this report the result of the project is related to the difficulties, limitations, possibilities and the potential for education in the area of bioenergy. It has been revealed that course requirements concerning bioenergy are scarce in the Swedish curriculum, even though education in this field is considered invaluable in the progress towards sustainable living. The analysis also shows that the focus on methods (rather than facts) in the course requirements causes trouble in terms of what specific content should be covered, and what students of a certain age group can be expected to know. Bioenergy and sustainable development are therefore difficult, yet important, subjects for educators to handle today. II . KEYWORDS Bioenergy, sustainable development, education, out-of-school learning, science centers.