The internet has become entwined with nearly all aspects of modern life: communication, relationships, work, leisure, education, civic participation and identity are all being transformed by the emergence of Internet Technology (IT) in day-to-day life. Web 2.0 and, increasingly, Web 3.0, are allowing for more and more digital creativity and interactivity to flourish. Internet Technology is a collaborative and creative tool and as such, its future offers a worthy subject of exploration in higher education courses that develop innovative, creative and critical thinking in students. This course fits into the vision and mission of Ubiquity in the way it encourages research, reflection, analysis, synthesis and creativity as core skills. Future-oriented thinking is a key competency for the knowledge economy, and enhances professional and personal success on many levels. The course offers students a perspective and technique for addressing the future of any topic, the Framework Forecasting method, an established research technique for exploring new ideas, awareness and actionable anticipation for the future.
Course Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students should be able to:
- Understand the principles, techniques and applications of future scenario forecasting.
- Develop a basic knowledge of theories and examples of technological innovation and social change.
- Implement a specific approach to the forecasting process, the Framework Forecast and become familiar with highly regarded future forecasts/scenarios and images of the future.
- Know how to research trends, find new information and identify reliable information sources, individually and as team members.
- Create and express personal images of the future of Internet Technology and discover a range of possible futures of Internet Technology, not just one future.