Energy 101’s digital nature invites rapid and continual updating and evolution to maintain its timeliness and relevance despite changing market conditions. The traditional editing and publishing cycle means energy data in printed books is between 2 and 3 years old, rendering those books out-of-date as soon as they are published.

Since its launch in August 2014, Energy 101 has been updated with new data twice per year, new chapters on energy policy, and a new format to make it compatible with iPhones, tablets, and computers. Future chapters will be added on energy storage, the midstream sector, energy security, and energy geography.

Energy 101 came to life from an award-winning semester-long class offered at UT Austin titled Energy Technology & Policy. The class has been offered since 2007 to a mix of engineering, business, policy, and geosciences students.  In 2013, a team including DISCO’s founding members converted the class from a traditional direct-instruction format to a massive open online course (MOOC) through UT’s partnership with online course provider edX. More than 44,000 students from around the world enrolled, and nearly 5,000 of those finished the 10-week course, both of which are records for energy MOOCs. From February to August 2014, the DISCO team, still working through UT, converted the online course into a full-length, interactive reference that combined the multimedia and interactive components of the MOOC together with an original text.

Credit is not currently available from Disco Learning Media for the completion of Energy 101. The material has been adapted for a NASBA-compliant self-study course, which has been deployed effectively within organizations that offer continuing education credit for course completion.

Topics covered by Energy 101 are comprehensive. A detailed list of all the different topics, broken down by section, is available at the Table of Contents.

Section by section purchases will become available later in 2018. Sign up to join our mailing list by sending us a message with the form on this page to learn more about product development and new offerings in the future.

If you are purchasing Energy 101 for a university course or individual use, your “membership” or subscription period aligns with the period described on the product page. Purchasing on the Energy101.com website grants you full access for a desktop, laptop, or any browser enabled device.

The energy sector is a rapidly-evolving sector. To keep the Energy 101 app up-to-date, new data from each year will be added to charts and figures where appropriate/available.

We are constantly striving to make Energy 101 a better reference for our users. Please alert the Energy 101 support team about errors and omissions by sending an email to  energy101@getdis.co. Thank you in advance for helping us improve this living resource.

When logged out, use the “Lost Password” link on the login screen. This will send an email to your registered email address with a unique token that can be used to reset your password.

The State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) provides access to Energy 101 for zero cost to students and teachers at public schools in the state of Texas through the Watt Watchers of Texas program. If you are interested in obtaining subsidized access for students or teachers in your district reach out to contact@watt-watchers.com. Several of the chapters from Energy 101 are linked as external resources to activities and project-based learning opportunities created as part of Watt Watchers of Texas. You can see all of these projects online under the High School Activities section of the Watt Watchers website.

We value your satisfaction and want you to enjoy Energy 101. If you still have questions, please contact us at  energy101@getdis.co and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Energy literacy affects everything from our utility bills, to our government, to the future of our economy. Energy literacy affects public perception of energy topics and can shape the outcome of elections, business deals and consumer behaviors.

In order to have a country full of informed citizens and empowered consumers–as well as successful students–we must address the lack of energy literacy as a matter of urgency in both formal and informal learning environments.

Educators at all levels and leaders of companies involved with the energy industry need a resource that’s both budget-conscious and comprehensive.

Traditional resources for textbooks and professional development on the topic of energy are often prohibitively expensive, quickly rendered irrelevant or missing key design and content features that fully engage all types of learning styles.

When developed successfully, energy literacy can heighten engagement in key STEM subjects, providing real-world applications and context to lessons across academic disciplines and areas of industry.

So how can we increase energy literacy?

Fostering energy literacy might seem like a daunting endeavour because of the sheer amount of information and the relative complexity of the subject matter, but with some creativity and innovation, we can educate learners of all levels about this vital topic.

By focusing on the content, presentation and distribution of Energy 101, Dr. Michael Webber transformed his award-winning Massive Open Online Course into an innovative digital resource.

Dr. Webber calls Energy 101 a “grand survey of energy.” It covers the scientific and engineering principles of energy, the policy and economics affecting energy and teaches the “language of energy.” These core competencies set the foundation for informed citizenship, academic success and confident professional application of energy knowledge.

The content of Energy 101 is written by Dr. Webber, an energy expert with the professional experience and academic credentials to effectively execute the innovative tool that is Energy 101. He focused on breaking down fundamentals of energy while providing the tools to question, analyze and discern solutions from energy technology and policy.

Dr. Webber has identified learning opportunities for students and professionals that can be met head-on with his expertise, knowledge and experience as collected in Energy 101.

While having an expert like Dr. Webber virtually at your fingertips is a great way to promote energy literacy among learners, the presentation of that content is vital to the overall success of the resource.

By transforming Energy 101 from a MOOC to a digital resource, Dr. Webber has made his expertise accessible to students, instructors and professionals in a format that’s adaptable and practical.

Today’s learners are dynamic and digitally savvy, with a multitude of learning styles to accommodate in both academic and professional settings.

That’s why we built Energy 101 beyond the status quo of information delivery––it integrates facts, tables, video, interactive graphics, and animation, all in a responsive, easy-to-read site. These digital solutions create brand new learning experiences that are empathetic and engaging to better harness learning opportunities.

Distribution of energy-related content is key because the field moves so quickly and relevancy is vital to effective application of energy knowledge. Energy 101 lives on the web, where improvements and updates can be rolled out regularly and learners can connect to the content on their preferred devices.

Energy 101 is a great tool in the fight for energy literacy. We hope your learners find it informative, engaging and intuitive–no matter what learning environment they are in.

To learn more, check out a demo or get in touch today.

ACCORDING TO THE 2017 UT ENERGY POLL:

• • 61% find information on energy issues to be valuable.

• • 58% think the portion of their household budget spent on energy will increase.

• • 35% think we are headed in the right direction regarding the energy issues our nation faces.

• • 62% say that energy issues are relevant to them.

• • 65% say energy issues are important to them.

• 50% are interested in energy issues.