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Oliveira, S and O’Flynn, P (2015) Towards an understanding of building energy management education – Users' expectations of a UK distance learning course. In: Raiden, A and Aboagye-Nimo, E (Eds.), Proceedings 31st Annual ARCOM Conference, 7-9 September 2015, Lincoln, UK. Association of Researchers in Construction Management, 979–988.
- Type: Conference Proceedings
- Keywords: building energy management, built environment education, distance learning, energy policy
- ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-9552390-9-0
- URL: http://www.arcom.ac.uk/-docs/proceedings/f980c711b0f1d1156fd6ad81d8c4beb9.pdf
- Abstract:
Recent EU policy and UK governmental guidance highlight the need for improving building managers' knowledge and competencies on energy issues in order to better manage the operation and use of buildings. Whereas scholarship on building energy management offers insights into potentially helpful tools and techniques for improving energy management practices, it focuses less on educational processes and methods. A study of a distance learning course as run by a professional institution, on building energy management reports on some of the students', tutors' and facilitators' expectations and concerns. The analysis draws on documentary evidence of the course background and content as well as 12 semi structured interviews with different stakeholders. Preliminary findings point to some of the conflicting and competing approaches to what constitutes 'building energy management' and more importantly how knowledge on the topic is obtained, assessed and disseminated through distance learning. The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, the study reflects upon some of the conflicting opinions of distance learning curriculum design on emerging topics in evolving vocational fields such as energy management. Second, there are opportunities for developing and connecting knowledge on educational practices to the field of energy management in the built environment. Third, the findings offer valuable insights for a fast developing energy policy agenda in defining the role and responsibilities of future building energy managers in the UK and more widely.