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?
Offered By
Futures Thinking SpecializationInstitute for the FutureAbout this Course
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Learner Career Outcomes
15%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 1 of 5 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Beginner Level
This course is for everyone! No previous experience required.
Approx. 11 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
What you will 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!
Skills you will gain
ForesightCreativityStrategic ThinkingInnovationLeadership
Learner Career Outcomes
15%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
Shareable Certificate
Earn a Certificate upon completion
100% online
Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.
Course 1 of 5 in the
Flexible deadlines
Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.
Beginner Level
This course is for everyone! No previous experience required.
Approx. 11 hours to complete
English
Subtitles: Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Italian, Vietnamese, German, Russian, English, Spanish
Offered by
Institute for the Future
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.
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
3 hours to complete
Welcome to the Future
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.
3 hours to complete
9 videos (Total 42 min), 7 readings, 4 quizzes
3 hours to complete
Signals of Change
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.
3 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 43 min), 2 readings, 3 quizzes
2 hours to complete
Look Back to Look Forward
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."
2 hours to complete
3 videos (Total 17 min), 4 readings, 2 quizzes
3 hours to complete
Four Types of Futures Thinking
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!
3 hours to complete
7 videos (Total 29 min), 4 readings, 3 quizzes
Reviews
TOP REVIEWS FROM READY, SET, FUTURE! INTRODUCTION TO FUTURES THINKING
by TFMay 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.
by CKAug 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.
by SRMay 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 MSJul 20, 2020
This is a good course!! It helped me to learn the new method of thinking and also help me create a great imagination which I don't use this imagination part as much as I should use recently.
About the Futures Thinking Specialization
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?
Frequently Asked Questions
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