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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
1,157 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.

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26 - 50 of 400 Reviews for Ready, Set, Future! Introduction to Futures Thinking

By HUZUR U T

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Jan 18, 2021

One of the best courses ever taken, very interesting. Most importantly it gives us tools to predict the future step by step. I have finished the first part in three days. I am in the second course now and it is getting more interesting. If you are a Star Tek fun like me this the course you should take :)

By Malena P

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Apr 28, 2020

This is an extraordinary course, well designed, friendly and wonderfully facilitated by Jane MacGonigal. This course provides extraordinary tools to think about the future and create new possibilities. Thank you for your dedication and for giving us the opportunity to learn such an important methodology.

By Vyacheslav Z

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Jun 18, 2021

Great introductory course, I've got a general introduction to the 4 types of future thinking, what signals are and how you can use the past to get an idea of the future as well as a lot of information about future of different areas e.g. work. I recommend it to all who is interested in future thinking.

By Alexander

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Apr 24, 2020

Eyes-opening course. Well designed, with awesome professor (I know Jane since I made my pHd about Gamification, so it was a surprise to find these courses) and awesome collaborators. I have read all the pdfs that really extend the knowledge of the videos. I want to start the second course right now!

By Janice C

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Jul 13, 2020

This course is very well paced to maintain interest and motivation. I found the assignments thought provoking and engaging. I also really enjoyed having the opportunity to see what my fellow students were interested in. I'll be recommending this course to as many people as will listen.

By Ronelle L

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May 29, 2020

I absolutely loved this course and it opened my eyes. I would love to delve deeper into this and become a true Futures thinker. At the moment with the $ SA Rand exchange I think this won't happen.

But well done, I loved it and it was really valuable. Will keep my eye on your website.

By Tatiana A d L

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Feb 21, 2020

Excelente oportunidade!!! Um dos cursos mais incríveis que tive a oportunidade de participar! Muito bem organizado e orientado. É um novo modo de pensar o futuro, mas, principalmente, o presente! Seguirei participando nas novas edições, até completar a Especialização! Recomendo!!!

By Eyad A B

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Mar 21, 2021

It is very interesting course, I like the way it is presented and how the instructor simplified the concepts, it would be really great if students can have the option to chat with the instructor sometimes. Well done. Looking forward to start the 2nd course: Forecasting.

By Leslie S

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Jan 14, 2020

Really terrific course that is both inspirational and practical in instructing students how to use information around them today to understand what might develop for us all in the future. Useful for anyone interested in innovation, whether professionally or personally.

By tien T

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Jul 13, 2020

This course is long enough to explain how important future thinking is. I learn examples and points of view about future thinking from lots of experts, not a particular one. That helps build my thought of thinking instead of being influenced by the teacher's opinion.

By Rabiatul A B R

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Sep 27, 2020

I really enjoyed the course and definitely acquired valuable skillset and tool that make this easily one of my favourite course and specialisation! If you are uncertain of what course to pick on Coursera, I suggest to go for this one and trust you won't regret it :)

By Nathan O

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Jan 25, 2021

Foi realmente muito interessante esta primeira etapa da formação do pensamento futuro! Parabenizo todos os envolvidos pelo olhar visionário de entender que quanto mais pessoas tiverem essa habilidade maior é a probabilidade de vivermos em um mundo melhor no futuro.

By Jacques v W

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Jun 12, 2021

This is by far one of the most interesting courses I have ever enrolled in. Material is relevant, informative, and to the point. I highly reccomend this to anyone who is interested in pursuing a career in futures or honing their futures thinking skills.

By Rachel

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Oct 17, 2020

Really useful intro in futures thinking with practical exercises to make you put into practice what you have learned. Some great readings and tangents to go down too. Loved it and feel a lot more confident in futures thinking as something I can do now.

By Georgina G

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Nov 18, 2019

Great introduction course about futures thinking. Clear and concrete tools, easily explained and practical examples. I only wish we had more feedback, or a thorough one and mostly, and what I really need is feedback from the experts from IFTF

By Reshob R

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Oct 1, 2020

This specialization is awesome. This was the first course and I really enjoyed it. This course trains us to think about the future in interesting ways. Thank you IFTF team. Hoping to learn a lot more by completing the specialization.

By Vladimir A

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Nov 24, 2019

I had best expectations, since I know and appreciate the work of Jane McGonigal and the Institute for Future - but I was even more inspired and enlightened. Now I want to make even more! And I want to be a member of the Institute.

By roger l

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Feb 7, 2020

Succinct and thought provoking. Peer feedback is difficult to search and retrieve, so most of the time you just move on quickly. Opportunity to apply learnings to a specific relevant scenario is key with projects and material.

By Rainer G

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Jul 17, 2021

Good Introduction to Futures Thinking and the practices - if done properly - do really help to think a certain aspect through. I can recommend the course and will continue with the corresponding modules. A good day and have fun!

By Yuriy D

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May 29, 2023

I was impressed by the goal of this course - to encourage to think poistive of the future, which is so important nowadays! The material given is lively, clear and handy. I'm totally into it and continue into the Specialization

By Elven J

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Mar 11, 2020

Being aware of our past, and our present moment in a "VUCA World" (Bob Johansen), we can achieve the future we want identifying signs of change and model them with all tools, analyzis and knowledge established in this course.

By Nathan B

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Mar 19, 2021

I love that the segments are chunked down into digestible pieces. The quizzes are easy and I still feel like I'm being challenged to think differently. This has probably been one of the best education experiences in my life.

By Davide S

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Mar 31, 2021

Enrolling in this course was one of the choice in my life. It provides high impact knowledge and skills everyone can use to reach a wide set of goals. Big thanks to all the futurists and the community of learners involved!

By Matthew T

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Nov 2, 2020

Excellent introduction to the field of futuring. Could have used a few more real life examples of application and pay-off, but otherwise it was engaging and practical. Thanks to IFTF for helping us expand our thinking.

By Raynor F E

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Nov 23, 2020

my favorite Coursera course it teaches me alot of realizations that we can do something about our future and not just sit around and wait for change to happen... but be sensitive with signals. More power TIFT people