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URL: https://www.coursera.org/learn/futuresthinking

⇱ Futures Thinking | Coursera


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Futures Thinking

8,386 already enrolled

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Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.5

58 reviews

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
4.5

58 reviews

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Strategic Thinking for Everyone Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 6 modules in this course

You can’t always know what’s coming, but you can imagine it. You have the ability to embrace new ideas and stay hopeful about the future. That’s what futures thinking is all about. By exiting your default frame and asking the right questions, you can start to imagine new scenarios and use those to inform your decisions. For anyone trying to think ahead and act strategically, this kind of thinking is a must.

With the expertise of Dr. Timiebi Aganaba from the ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society, the Futures Thinking course will put the tools, knowledge and strategies for imagining possible futures directly into your hands. You’ll learn the fundamentals and get acquainted with your futures thinking toolkit. Then, you’ll directly apply them in hands-on scenarios. Relying on your usual framework will not produce every possible future. Instead, you need to open your mind and remain hopeful. You also need to learn which questions to ask. By the end of your process, you should be able to exit your usual frame of mind and imagine new scenarios that you can plan for — skills that anyone can learn and apply anywhere. Jump-start your futures thinking journey today!

What's included

1 reading2 plugins

1 readingTotal 5 minutes
  • Welcome to Futures Thinking!5 minutes
2 pluginsTotal 7 minutes
  • Introduction to Futures Thinking!2 minutes
  • Story: Bigger questions for Vitória5 minutes

What's included

3 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt3 plugins

3 readingsTotal 13 minutes
  • Practice the solution: Mental exercises to open your mind1 minute
  • Infographic: The forms a frame can take10 minutes
  • Opening your mind: Key Takeaways2 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Apply the solution: Simplify an issue60 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes
  • Reflect on the solution: Imagining the future with a frame10 minutes
3 pluginsTotal 24 minutes
  • Imagining the future with a frame: Causes and resources3 minutes
  • Imagining the future with a frame: Escaping your frame of thinking6 minutes
  • Practice the solution: Mental exercises to open your mind15 minutes

What's included

3 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt3 plugins

3 readingsTotal 13 minutes
  • Practice the solution: Blind spots in core questions1 minute
  • Infographic: Question Productivity Index10 minutes
  • Improving your questions: Key Takeaways2 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Apply the solution: Evaluate your question60 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes
  • Reflect on the solution: Asking the right questions10 minutes
3 pluginsTotal 22 minutes
  • Asking the right questions: Causes and resources3 minutes
  • Asking the right questions: Evaluating questions for quality4 minutes
  • Practice the solution: Blind spots in core questions15 minutes

What's included

2 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt3 plugins

2 readingsTotal 12 minutes
  • Infographic: Brainstorming10 minutes
  • Thinking of the future: Key Takeaways2 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Apply the solution: Building a scenario60 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes
  • Reflect on the solution: Harnessing imagination in scenarios10 minutes
3 pluginsTotal 21 minutes
  • Harnessing imagination in scenarios: Causes and resources2 minutes
  • Harnessing imagination in scenarios: Building a possible scenario4 minutes
  • Practice the solution: Helpful scenarios and rational responses15 minutes

What's included

3 readings1 peer review1 discussion prompt3 plugins

3 readingsTotal 13 minutes
  • Practice the solution: Controlling Vee’s fear of the future1 minute
  • Infographic: Use a futures triangle10 minutes
  • Don’t fear the future: Key Takeaways2 minutes
1 peer reviewTotal 60 minutes
  • Apply the solution: Regaining power over the future60 minutes
1 discussion promptTotal 10 minutes
  • Reflect on the solution: Regaining power over the future10 minutes
3 pluginsTotal 20 minutes
  • Regaining power over the future: Causes and resources2 minutes
  • Regaining power over the future: Controlling your fear of the future3 minutes
  • Practice the solution: Controlling Vee’s fear of the future15 minutes

What's included

1 reading1 plugin

1 readingTotal 1 minute
  • Final Thoughts1 minute
1 pluginTotal 2 minutes
  • Final Thoughts2 minutes

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Instructor

Instructor ratings
4.6 (23 ratings)
Arizona State University
29 Courses124,312 learners

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LD
·

Reviewed on Feb 16, 2025

Good course. It's short but very powerful. My only complaint is regarding the exercises' instructions, they weren't very clear to me.

CK
·

Reviewed on Sep 11, 2024

This course is very helpful and useful for my job. Very nice.

ON
·

Reviewed on Jan 28, 2024

Thanks for your wonderful, powerful and effective course!

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