Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking
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Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking
This course is part of Futures Thinking Specialization
Instructor: Jane McGonigal
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What you'll learn
Define futures thinking and give examples of futures projects
Collect and analyze signals of change
Identify historical change in the past to predict new changes in the future
Learn how to avoid future shock - and help others avoid it, too!
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There are 4 modules in this course
Do you want to think about the future with more creativity and optimism? Do you want to see what’s coming faster, so you can be better prepared for disruptions and more in control of your future? Do you want to get better at changing what’s possible today – in your company, your industry, your community, and in your own life?
This course will introduce you to the practice of futures thinking, as developed and applied for the past 50 years by the Institute for the Future, a Silicon-Valley-based research and learning group founded in 1968. In this course, you’ll build your understanding of what futures thinking is and what you can do with it. You’ll master essential foresight techniques. You’ll meet some professional futurists. And you’ll choose one or more future topics you want to investigate with your new foresight skills. This course is for anyone who wants to spot opportunities for innovation and invention faster. You can gain the skills and confidence to help YOU become someone who makes the future, instead of letting the future happen to you. Many thanks to the Enlight Foundation and the Enlight Collaborative, which provided a grant to support the creation of this course.
The adventure begins! This week, you'll meet some professional futurists and learn: What is futures thinking? What are the benefits of futures thinking? Who hires futurists, and where can you put your new skills to use? By the end of this week, you'll be ready to choose your own future topics to explore throughout the rest of this course.
What's included
9 videos8 readings3 assignments1 peer review2 discussion prompts
9 videos•Total 42 minutes
- Are you ready to learn how to think like a futurist?•4 minutes
- Welcome to the course! Meet your professor Jane McGonigal•3 minutes
- Give me some examples of futures thinking!•3 minutes
- Meet some professional futurists•2 minutes
- What is futures thinking?•5 minutes
- Mini-Masterclass: The Future Belongs to Everyone•8 minutes
- When does the future start?•6 minutes
- What are the benefits of futures thinking?•7 minutes
- Choose your own future!•3 minutes
8 readings•Total 83 minutes
- Take our 2-minute survey about the future•2 minutes
- What is Futures Thinking?•10 minutes
- Who Hires Futurists?•5 minutes
- Important notice for Ready, Set, Future learners•1 minute
- How to think like a futurist: The 5 key principles•15 minutes
- Why Companies Work With Futurists•15 minutes
- Who Owns Your Future?•15 minutes
- Six Possible Futures of Food•20 minutes
3 assignments•Total 25 minutes
- What is futures thinking?•10 minutes
- When does the future start?•5 minutes
- What are the seven benefits of futures thinking?•10 minutes
1 peer review•Total 20 minutes
- Choose your own future•20 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 20 minutes
- Introduce yourself!•10 minutes
- Future of Food•10 minutes
This week, you'll learn how to collect and work with signals of change. Signals are the most important "raw material" of futures thinking. First, we'll show you some of our favorite signals and how we found them. Then, it's your turn: Collect and analyze signals related to your own future topic.
What's included
7 videos2 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
7 videos•Total 43 minutes
- Introduction to Signals•7 minutes
- Examples of Signals•10 minutes
- Five Minutes in the Future of Food•5 minutes
- Five Minutes in the Future of Economic Justice•6 minutes
- How to Interpret Signals•7 minutes
- Your Turn! Analyze a Signal•3 minutes
- Where do you look for signals? And other FAQ•6 minutes
2 readings•Total 40 minutes
- Future of Work in 2030 - Signals Report•30 minutes
- More Examples of Signals of Change•10 minutes
2 assignments•Total 15 minutes
- What's a signal of change?•5 minutes
- Future of Work - Signals of Change•10 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Collect and analyze a signal!•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 15 minutes
- Your turn to analyze a signal!•15 minutes
It's time to strengthen your futures thinking skills by thinking about the past. It sounds strange, but to be a good futurist, you have to be a good historian as well! This week, you'll learn how to use our most powerful tool for "looking back to look forward."
What's included
3 videos4 readings1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt
3 videos•Total 17 minutes
- Get Better at Noticing Change•5 minutes
- How to Look Back to Look Forward (Part I)•3 minutes
- How to Look Back to Look Forward (Part II)•9 minutes
4 readings•Total 50 minutes
- Excerpt: Hope in the Dark•10 minutes
- TOOL: Look Back to Look Forward•15 minutes
- The Future of Work is Task-Based, not Time-Based•10 minutes
- Who Invented Futures Thinking and Why?•15 minutes
1 assignment•Total 5 minutes
- Who invented futures thinking, and why?•5 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Look back at your future topic.•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
- How have YOU changed over the past 10 years?•10 minutes
This week, you'll learn: What are the four different types of futures thinking, and when should you use each type? You'll also try out a fun futures thinking tool: the "Future Four-Square" game. This tool will help you dig deeper on your own future topic.... whatever you're interested in exploring the future of! Finally, get ready to help a friend or colleague think about the future. After all, the best way to learn something new is to teach someone else!
What's included
7 videos4 readings2 assignments1 peer review2 discussion prompts
7 videos•Total 29 minutes
- What's Your Future State of Mind?•6 minutes
- The Four Types of Futures Thinking•9 minutes
- Why I Future with Youth•3 minutes
- Why I Future with Musicians•3 minutes
- Why I Future with Incarcerated People•3 minutes
- Why I Future with My City•3 minutes
- Congratulations! You've finished this course•1 minute
4 readings•Total 52 minutes
- The Future as a Way of Life•10 minutes
- A Guide to The Four Types of Futures Thinking•10 minutes
- How Professional Futurists Imagine the Future•30 minutes
- An invitation to join our free Alumni Network•2 minutes
2 assignments•Total 20 minutes
- Can you identify the four types of futures thinking?•10 minutes
- Why do people use futures thinking in their work?•10 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
- Help someone find their future!•60 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 25 minutes
- Share your results from the four-square game!•10 minutes
- What's your biggest "a ha" moment from this course?•15 minutes
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Reviewed on May 16, 2020
Excellent overview of foresight studies. Nothing in any of the follow-on courses is technically hard, but I suspect putting it into practice is a bit like the game of Go: the rules are the easy part.
Reviewed on Dec 17, 2019
Really interesting course about the tools of foresight- lightweight, lively and interesting, with clear and satisfying assignments. Looking forward to the next course!
Reviewed on Feb 20, 2021
Thinking systematically about the future it's a skill that is really required in the time being. The curriculum of this course applies to every discipline. I highly recommend this course.
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