Futures Thinking: Mixed classroom

What does it entail? 

Futures Thinking is a methodology which encourages looking more structurally at the future. It’s not so much a means of predicting the future (forecasting), but more one of shaping it (foresight). By going through the different steps of Futures Thinking, we can visualise our preferred futures and create a roadmap of steps to make that future more likely. Besides the Futures Thinking exercises provided by Yentl, thanks to Melissa, we have also integrated Design Thinking principles into our methodology.

Design Thinking, a human-centred, iterative approach to creative problem-solving, helps structure the workshop development by fostering innovative solutions, identifying unmet needs, and reducing risks through rapid testing and refinement. Together, Futures Thinking and Design Thinking complement one another by combining long-term visioning with practical human-centred innovation, creating a holistic approach to navigating and shaping the future.  

What was it like? 

Last year, sixteen students embarked on a journey to look into the future. In groups of two or three, students chose a topic from one of the stakeholders, which included the green University, Lifelong Learning, AI and Circularity. These had been provided by various organisations within Leiden University and the City of Leiden. As preparation for the classes, students had the opportunity to choose between following the MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on Futures Thinking or reading the book titled ‘Imaginable’ by Jane McGonigal. At the beginning of the class, students discussed what they had learned as well as any questions they had before experiencing first–hand the different Futures and Design Thinking activities. These activities were then used as a basis for developing a workshop. At the end of the course, the students successfully delivered a developed workshop to their stakeholders. In this way, they evolved from Futuring laymen to Futuring facilitators in only a couple of months. 

Instead of taking our word for it, we’re pleased to share with you some of the students’ experiences: 

“As a student in today’s world, this course felt refreshing as it provides methods that allow you to anticipate chaos and deal with it accordingly. […] Looking back on this course I feel like I have developed myself to be more future–oriented and capable of handling uncertainties!” – Ivo, topic: Circularity

“One aspect of the training I particularly appreciated was the opportunity to integrate knowledge from my regular master’s program. […] This interdisciplinary approach not only enriched the training content but also demonstrated the practical application of academic concepts in addressing real-world challenges. […] The experience of developing and conducting this training underscored the power of collaborative learning and the potential of future foresight in shaping educational strategies. It was a vivid reminder that the journey towards personalised lifelong learning is not merely about anticipating the future, but also about actively shaping it. The enthusiastic engagement and feedback from the stakeholders was not only affirming, but also a strong motivator to continue exploring and advocating for innovative education and learning approaches in the years to come.” – Yuan, Topic: Lifelong Learning

“I am not a particularly outgoing person, so I did not raise my hand in the last class to say how I felt about the Honours class. But the Honours class is the most memorable memory of my master’s degree. The style of this class was very different to those in my major, and I gained a lot of different ways of thinking and even attitudes towards life. I also like your teaching style very much.” – Qianpu, topic: AI in Education

What’s next? 

We were so excited to teach the class and are now even more thrilled to announce that it will be offered as Leiden University’s first Mixed classroom. This means that students and professionals will work side by side focussing on how to shape the future with both education and the (professional) world.