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There are 5 modules in this course
You’ll never have a complete picture of what's possible in the future if you look at it from just one point of view. The best way to expand your vision? Engage as many people as you can, and “game out” the possibilities together.
In this course, you’ll learn how to use collaborative gaming techniques to go beyond your own thinking and see many, many different sides of the same future. Over the past decade, the Institute for the Future has pioneered new methods in “massively-multiplayer foresight.” You’ll learn how to adapt these methods to get diverse, surprising views of what’s possible, build your empathy for other people’s futures, and reduce your risk of being “blindsided” by the future.
This course features content from the Ethical Operating System, a tool created by the Institute in collaboration with Omidyar Networks’ Tech and Society Lab. It’s designed to help technology companies anticipate risks and prevent unwanted consequences of the things they build. Whether or not you work in tech, the Ethical Operating System will give you the chance to participate right now in an urgent future forecasting game. The stakes of the game are the future of truth, privacy, democracy, security, and our collective well-being. It’s a unique opportunity to join creative and strategic forces with people who are making the tech that’s inventing the future, and with fellow futures thinkers like you.
Many thanks to the Enlight Foundation and the Enlight Collaborative, which provided a grant to support the creation of this course.
Welcome to Collaborative Foresight. Shall we play a game? This week, you'll learn the basics: What is a future forecasting game? How do you run one? And who should you invite to play? At the end of the week, you'll choose your own future scenario that you think would make for a great game.
Welcome to this course - Meet your professor, Jane McGonigal•2 minutes
Why the Future is Like a Game•6 minutes
Expert Gaming Versus Everyone Gaming•15 minutes
Example of a Massively Multiplayer Forecasting Game•11 minutes
7 readings•Total 68 minutes
Take a two-minute survey about the future!•2 minutes
Collaborative Foresight Skills Brief: Your "cheat sheet" for this course•15 minutes
Important notice for Collaborative Foresight learners•1 minute
Asteroid Scenario: Day 1 Press Release•5 minutes
Asteroid Scenario: Day 5 Press Release•5 minutes
Asteroid Scenario: Day 5 Briefing/Results•15 minutes
Forecasting Games (Excerpt from Reality is Broken)•25 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
Create a scenario for your own game•60 minutes
2 discussion prompts•Total 30 minutes
Introduce yourself!•10 minutes
Asteroid Incoming! What would YOU do?•20 minutes
How to Game Out Surprising Consequences
Module 2•3 hours to complete
Module details
How can you spin up a new forecasting game, fast? This week, you'll learn how to use a future wheel to collect lots of surprising ideas from many different people. You'll be challenged to game out five different scenarios using the future wheel platform. And, of course, you'll have the chance to design your own future wheel! Let's play!
Play a Future Wheel and Share Your Results•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 10 minutes
What change or event would you put at the center of YOUR future wheel?•10 minutes
Positive and Shadow Imagination
Module 3•3 hours to complete
Module details
Let's add another tool to your gaming toolkit. This week, you'll learn about positive and shadow imagination. What is it, and how can it help you run a successful future forecasting game? While you're practicing this new skill, get ready to take a deep dive on two exciting future topics: the future of space settlement and the future of neurosensing social networks!
Advanced Positive and Shadow Imagination•7 minutes
6 readings•Total 95 minutes
Why Thousands of People are Willing to Die on Mars•20 minutes
The Case Against Going to Mars•5 minutes
Would it Be Ethical to Colonize Mars?•5 minutes
Future of Reading and Writing the Brain•15 minutes
Future of Mind and Body Technology•30 minutes
OPTIONAL: Results from the Feel That Future Forecasting Game•20 minutes
1 assignment•Total 10 minutes
the Future of Empathy Technologies•10 minutes
1 peer review•Total 45 minutes
Use Positive and Shadow Imagination•45 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 15 minutes
Should we settle Mars?•15 minutes
Tools for Seeing the Future from a Different Point of View
Module 4•3 hours to complete
Module details
This week you'll get to practice two more tools for seeing the future from massively many points of view: Leading-Edge interviews and the Four Future Feelings tool. Get ready to meet new people and organize your own playful conversations about the future!
Mini-Masterclass: How to Find Leading Edge Behaviors•7 minutes
How to Explore Four Future Feelings (Part 1)•6 minutes
How to Explore Four Future Feelings (Part 2)•18 minutes
4 readings•Total 55 minutes
5 Questions to Start a Conversation About the Future•5 minutes
Leading Edge Behaviors in Social Virtual Reality•25 minutes
BONUS: Voices from the Leading Edge of Work•15 minutes
TOOL: Explore Four Future Feelings•10 minutes
1 peer review•Total 60 minutes
Explore Four Future Feelings•60 minutes
1 discussion prompt•Total 15 minutes
What's a leading edge behavior YOU are interested in?•15 minutes
Epic Wins
Module 5•3 hours to complete
Module details
You've created and played a future forecasting game. Now what? This week, you'll learn how to take your game findings and propose innovative solutions to our most urgent challenges today. You'll also get everything you need to organize and play one more kind of futures thinking game: The Equitable Futures Card game. Ready, set... win!
The Institute for the Future is the world's leading futures thinking organization. For over 50 years, businesses, governments and social impact organizations have depended upon IFTF global forecasts, custom research, and foresight training to navigate complex change and develop world-ready strategies for the future.
When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.