Chevron Left
Back to Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking by Institute for the Future

4.8
stars
1,154 ratings

About the 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....

Top reviews

TF

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.

CK

Aug 3, 2020

I really liked how this course was structured with videos, readings, and activities. It has a nice flow, and lots of helpful information. I would highly recommend this for any aspiring futurist.

Filter by:

1 - 25 of 399 Reviews for Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking

By Sivaram R

•

May 15, 2020

Excellent for people who think what the future will be like and how they could connect the past to the present and look into the possible scenarios of the future of their choice. Great stuff!!

By Lauren B M

•

Nov 17, 2020

This course exceeded my expectations. It was fun and engaging and immensely useful for me both professionally and personally. I immediately enrolled in the next course in the specialization.

By Roger S

•

Oct 20, 2019

Very good course. Concrete, practical and well thought out. Fascinating subject matter. Amazing to have virtual access through this platform to Silicon Valley's cutting edge thinking!

By Angela K

•

Dec 11, 2019

This is the most comprehensive course on Futures Thinking available online. I work in Innovation Consulting and so looking at trends and shifts is a key aspect of my job. I have no formal education in this area and have found this course has moved my thinking on about foresight in a significant way. For one, I thought of this skills as a specialist practitioner skill but it clear that this is a skill we all can use to create the future we want. I have particularly found the assignments very interesting and its gotten me to think about the futures domains I am passionate about which are the Future of Aging and the Future of Work and learning, which are somewhat interlinked. The instructor Jane McGonigal is a rockstar in her own field of game design and an amazing presenter. I have signed up for more than 20 courses on Coursera over the years and this has to be the best in terms of content quality and delivery. Some feedback for the course creators, if I had to find an area more improvement it with with the IFTF Research Director paired conversations, the pace felt slow and the interviewer repeated too much of what was being said by the interviewee.

By Mandhir S

•

Dec 31, 2020

Not what I expected. They are too hard trying to sell their Institute and the actual program of being a "futurist". I would recommend you try it before you buy it.

By Carly K

•

Aug 4, 2020

I really liked how this course was structured with videos, readings, and activities. It has a nice flow, and lots of helpful information. I would highly recommend this for any aspiring futurist.

By bruce a

•

Oct 21, 2019

Interesting course on how to see signals and drivers for a potential future.

By Ernest W

•

Mar 29, 2022

Excellent introductory course and inspiring to further pursue the topic. It keeps me engaged during other chapters of the Futures Thinking specialization. I would recommend it to anyone, not only to someone from the creative industry. There are many memorable and playful tasks and activities. Additionaly there are tons of supplementary materials to read. I can see benefits of Futures Thinking approach in design and I haven't even completed the specialization yet.

By Jose A G G

•

Jul 26, 2023

The course helps you sort out ideas if you've been working on innovation for some time, using intuition to choose technologies and creating alternatives for those futures. It turns out that these explosions in my brain are signals and the course has also helped me classify them and work with alternative futures.

If you are interested in innovation do not forget to do this course

By Kamil K S

•

May 28, 2020

super course. my compliments to coursera to offer such first class opportunity.

I also would like to thank IFTF for such extraordinary specialisation package that will be sought after more and more every day. It feels good that the experts are striving to share their vast knowledge and experience.

I am looking forward to completing the 5 courses all together soon.

Cheers

By Susie W

•

May 1, 2020

The course has been life-changing, as it convinced me about the benefits of thinking far off into the future and how to do so, to create a world we want to live in.

HOWEVER there are little to no indications about when your essay answers will be shared publicly with other students so be careful about writing anything too personal or confidential if that's a concern.

By Angela L

•

Jul 26, 2020

Greate course and well thought through tuition and materials. Great introduction and perfect teaser to make on to want more. I did enjoy the course, as well incorporated interaction with other students. To be exposed to other views and ideas is so refreshing. Thank you Jane and IFTF for the generous sharing of your thinking, tools and output of your work!

By Enrique C

•

Oct 3, 2020

The course is very good and my advice follows: 1 The main teacher is so good, but seeing her all courses as the main teacher sometimes is tired. 2. The examples sometimes look repetitive as an example future of the game, the future of education, pandemics, and so on. As a result, learn new things are complicated because the examples are the same.

By Ana R

•

Aug 28, 2020

It was a great course! I really enjoyed all the activities and found the learning resources to be very thought-provoking. I think that this is the perfect time to take this specialty for we need to have the ability to see different possibilities in our future. As one of the readings said, "the best way to predict the future is to invent it."

By Corey M

•

Nov 15, 2019

A fantastic introduction that manages to capture the polarities of the practical/understandable with the philosophical/theoretical. It should be a huge hit and I suspect many will want to continue their futures studies!

By Tony F

•

May 17, 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.

By Alex S

•

Dec 18, 2019

Really interesting course about the tools of foresight- lightweight, lively and interesting, with clear and satisfying assignments. Looking forward to the next course!

By Mike R

•

Nov 1, 2019

Great introduction to futures thinking. I've really enjoyed the videos and tools so far

By ROSEMARILYN F P

•

Apr 12, 2023

"Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking" is an online course offered by the Institute for the Future (IFTF), a non-profit organization that helps individuals and organizations anticipate and navigate future trends and changes. This course is designed to help individuals develop a futures thinking mindset and learn the tools and techniques for anticipating and shaping the future.

The course is self-paced and can be completed in around 4-6 hours. It consists of five modules, which cover topics such as the importance of futures thinking, the basics of foresight, how to create alternative futures scenarios, and how to take action based on foresight.

The course is well-structured and easy to navigate, with clear instructions and engaging visuals. The content is delivered through a mix of videos, readings, and interactive exercises, which help to reinforce the key concepts and encourage active learning.

Overall, the "Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking" course is a great starting point for anyone who wants to develop a futures thinking mindset and learn the basics of foresight. The course is well-designed, accessible, and engaging, making it a valuable resource for individuals and organizations looking to stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing world.

By Dexter L A

•

Apr 17, 2023

The "Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking" online course offered by IFTF is an excellent introduction to the concept of futures thinking. The course is well-structured, with clear explanations and engaging content that is accessible to learners at all levels. The instructors are knowledgeable and provide practical exercises and examples that help learners apply the concepts to real-world scenarios. While the course may be too basic for more experienced learners, it is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in futures thinking.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to the team at IFTF for creating such an excellent online course on futures thinking. The course has given me a solid foundation in this exciting field and has helped me develop the tools and mindset to think critically and creatively about the future. I appreciate the effort that went into designing the course, including the engaging content, practical exercises, and knowledgeable instructors. Thank you for sharing your expertise with the world and helping others develop the skills to shape the future!

By Romel S

•

Jun 8, 2023

"Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking" is a program created by the Institute for the Future (IFTF) that aims to introduce individuals and organizations to the concept of futures thinking. Futures thinking is an approach to understanding the potential future by examining trends, drivers, and scenarios that may impact society and business. The program can help individuals and organizations prepare for uncertainties and changes that may occur in the future. It provides tools and frameworks for developing strategic foresight and thinking creatively about possible futures. Through the program, participants are encouraged to explore various scenarios, challenge assumptions, and develop new insights to help them make better decisions and create innovative solutions for the future.

By Ann F D

•

Sep 18, 2020

This course was absolutely outstanding! It was very thought provoking and informative :) On top of presenting new information that is not necessarily in the scope of the public eye, this course highlighted the necessity for everyone to be a Futures Thinker, for the society at large, as well as for the mental and psychological well-being of each individual to be able to harness their strengths and perhaps make a difference in the present and in the future, as well as maintain hopefulness in changes that can be made to make the world a better place.

By Marta D O

•

Jan 23, 2021

I loved the way this course was presented and our opportunities to interact and offer feedback to other students. This Futures Thinking Introduction should be 'required' for all people interested in making a positive and productive difference in the world. It starts - as Dr. Jane McGonigal suggests - with imagination: "You can't invent, you can't innovate, you can't create, you can't change your own life or anyone else's unless you can imagine how things could be different" (Idea Festival, 2016).

By Bhabani S P

•

Sep 6, 2020

Thank you Jane McGonigal for the wonderful course. This subject was entirely new to me when I started, but the lectures, explanations, course materials are so well designed, I kept on learning with excitement. It has broaden my imagination. I can't wait to learn future thinking skill through the rest of the courses. I think future thinking skill is highly essential for finding our purpose in this rapidly changing world.

By Elisabeth R

•

Jan 27, 2020

This course is very interesting. It is a wide-opening view of futures thinking. I will use the four square tools in some of faculty members development and students' engagement. I love the retreat report too. It was so reflective and many information. I wished I could be part of the participant! Thank you so much.