Interactive Institute employs interdisciplinary research with user-oriented methodology. By combining a variety of approaches – both qualitative and quantitative research methods – we can tackle the problem area from various directions that provide mutual stimulus and add depth to the research. A project of this kind requires technical experts, behavioural scientists and designers to pool their efforts. In the Young Energy project, three different research perspectives will predominate: (1) the user perspective, (2) behavioural science approaches in the persuasive technology tradition, and (3) situated cognition.

(1) A user perspective implies that the user’s requirements, experiences and knowledge are deemed important and taken into account. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews, participative observation, and workshop and scenario methods are used, depending on the situation and the knowledge targets. This project will include user participation, especially in the introductory workshop component, in which young people will be involved in designing the game concept.
(2) In YE2 we shall also focus particularly on user behaviour [8], using as our basis the persuasive computing tradition developed at Stanford University. This perspective focuses on the methods used in computer systems to inform, influence and persuade users in order to bring about changes in behaviour.
(3) The situated cognitive perspective emphasises the importance of problem solving in situ as opposed to the abstract, de-situated learning methodology of the classroom. The working hypothesis here is that changes in behaviour that come about in the context of normal domestic activities have a greater chance of enduring than those learned from books or authoritative instruction.