Development of an electric energy literacy survey

Abstract

The phrase “scientific literacy” is commonly used to describe what professional scientists think the general public should know about science to support a variety of aims: informed decision making, contributions to dialogue on public policy, recognition of the importance of science education and research, and enhancement of national security and economic development amongst others. Although no exact definition exists, a scientifically literate person can be thought of as one who possesses an understanding of the nature of science and its role in society and can apply this understanding to answer questions and solve challenges. Such literacy is especially germane to the electric power industry, as radical changes are currently taking place that can be significantly influenced by public opinion. This paper explores in depth the issue of electric energy literacy, i.e. the application of the concept of scientific literacy specifically to the electric power industry, including: basic physics, energy sources, transduction methods, efficiency, and end-use. Published literature in scientific and energy literacy is surveyed and synthesized to present a thorough understanding of the factors that contribute to and measurement of scientific literacy. Based on this review, the initial development of an electric energy literacy survey is presented as a measure of electric energy related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, with thorough justification for both the choice and range of survey questions. Additionally, we present a feedback form, by which conference attendees will serve as an expert validity panel, helping to review the survey and provide feedback. Through such a collaborative method, the survey can be utilized as the gold standard in assessment methodologies, establishing a formal set of criteria against which electric energy literacy can be objectively measured. Once developed, the survey will be distributed via a Human Intelligence Tasks service to measure electric energy literacy of the U.S. population aged 18+. The goal is to assess the sophistication of energy literacy in the U.S. as a gauge of how well our society is positioned to make informed decisions about the future of our electrical infrastructure