Assessing Awareness of Energy Consumption Among University Students: A Comparative Study Using Visual Interfaces

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of an interactive energy dashboard in enhancing energy awareness and promoting sustainable behaviours among university students. The dashboard visualized campus energy consumption, estimated CO2 emissions, and offset metrics through intuitive displays, enabling users to engage with real-world sustainability data. Two groups were studied—Sustainability Students and General Students—using pre- and post-surveys to assess knowledge and behavioural change. Both groups showed statistically significant improvements in knowledge scores, with the Sustainability Students Group (p = 0.0027, d = 0.275) and the General Students Group (p = 0.0291, d = 0.256) benefiting similarly from the intervention. Most participants, including ninety-eight percent of Sustainability Students and eighty-six percent of General Students, reported increased awareness, and over eighty percent of students expressed willingness to engage in future energy-saving initiatives. While the dashboard effectively raised awareness of campus energy use, gaps in personal energy knowledge remained, highlighting the need for future enhancements. These findings underscore the dashboard’s potential as a scalable educational tool for fostering energy literacy and sustainable behaviour in higher education.

Keywords: Sustainability, Energy Awareness, Data Visualization, Ecological Engagement