Tangible and intangible outputs

Once you feel like you have reached a stopping point in your prospection, lean back and take a look at your slide. Can you develop a scenario of a preferable future in the plausible / probable realm?

For example,

• you could write a paragraph describing your scenario;
• you could generate a picture to illustrate it;
• you could refer to a video or movie that captures your futures scenario (or aspects of it);
• you could present it with various multimedia in a slide deck;
• you could communicate it to others in a workshop, panel discussion, speech or simply in conversation of dinner;

… the possibilities here are endless, and it is entirely up to you!

To give you some inspiration, I have summarized my futures scenario in a graphic:

Remember that these suggestions are all ideas to help you generate a tangible output.

But a different form of output has already happened and is intangible: The changes in thinking that are engendered by the whole process. Over the course of this project, we have gathered input, analyzed and interpreted it; we found systems and deeper connections, and examined those new insights in context through individual stories; we envisioned and imagined possible, plausible, probable and preferable futures — and all this mental process has already produced the most valuable of outputs: “an expansion of perceptions and perceived options”¹.

Strategic planning

At this point, we have finished the core of our foresight work. Your futures scenario may be, like mine, mostly in the cone of plausible futures, but it can become a probable futures scenario if we take action to bring about this preferable future and avert unpreferable ones. 

‘How will we do it?’, is the main question from here on. This is the realm of strategy development, decision-making, planning and/or project management.

In my case, the very existence of this website as a link between research, public discourse and teaching practice is a step towards co-creating this future of physics education. Which steps might you need to take to bring about aspects of your futures scenario? They may be small things you change in your mindset or behavior, or they may be big and have a wider reach — all is valid and valuable. I am attaching a collection of initiatives, materials and resources here that you may find useful². 

¹ Voros, J. (2003). A generic foresight process framework. Foresight, 5(3), 10–21. https://doi.org/10.1108/14636680310698379, p. 15.

² A spreadsheet with different types of Resources for various audiences. I recommend you select filters to find the content that is most relevant to you.