Thinking towards the Future

Thinking towards the Future

Instructor: Devin Daniels Faculty mentor: John Freeouf

E-mail: ​[email protected] Email: ​[email protected] Office hours: By appointment

Course Description:

In this course, we will explore how future-focused thinkers help shape the world. We will discuss how thinkers like Elon Musk predicted future needs and capitalized on them. Students will analyze past trends of futuristic thinking, comparing and contrasting accurate past predictions from those that were wildly off the mark. Drawing on science fiction, we will look upon technologies thought of as beyond reach at the time, yet are now realities. We will examine those most influential in bringing about drastic change, attempting to understand how they foresaw needs that the rest of the world was blind to. Students should expect to engage with a variety of plausible future changes, including scientific, technological, industrial, as well as social.

Learning Objectives and Outcomes:

Students will learn how to apply the lessons of science fiction and history to critically examine claims about how the world will change. Through in-class and online discussion and debate, as well as reading assignments, students will hone their thinking as it applies to the future – learning to

simultaneously examine the big picture and identify trends. Students will learn about the cutting edge of science and technological development and assess what these developments may mean for society and business. By the end of the term, students will be comfortable assessing the strengths and weaknesses of different bodies of futuristic thought, and will utilize their honed thinking skills to engage in a classroom discussion on how the world will change within the next 20-50 years.

Pedagogical Philosophy:

As the instructor, I feel my role in the classroom is as a guide, facilitator, and an at-times antagonist for my students, simultaneously helping and challenging you to reach new heights in your thinking. While there is much information to learn in the arena of futuristic thinking, I prefer to help you

develop the skills necessary to become powerful futuristic thinkers than to simply have you capable of regurgitating the thoughts of other thinkers. This is not a traditional topic in the slightest, and as such there will be little busywork such as worksheets and book reading. Instead, we will participate in friendly debate and engage with others outside the classroom.

Community Connection:

We will explore how the past, present, and future meet outside of the classroom by: ● A field trip to the nearby Intel campus to learn about cutting edge developments.

● A guest lecture from a highly respected futurist.

● A guest lecture from Professor Freeouf on science fiction’s relationship with innovation. ● An online discussion with an established futurism community about current bodies of thought

in futurism.

Students will also be encouraged to engage continually with online futurism communities, and will be exposed to a diverse variety of futurism communities. Students will be encouraged to read about cutting edge scientific and technological developments.

Assignments:

Participation_​: 30% Midterm Project​: 30% Final Discussion​: 40% Participation:

This class will entail a large amount of in-class and online discussion. Students are expected to come to class prepared to discuss the topic of the week. Students are also expected to post a main point and two replies to the online topic of the week each week. Online and in-class topics of the week will be highly related, but separate. Students will be expected to engage in each of the four listed

community connections.

Extra Credit:​ For extra credit, or to make up for a missed community connection, students can find an article about a cutting edge scientific or technological development and write a critical analysis of what it may mean for society. As such, these are encouraged to be developments with a large potential to impact society. Extra credit will also be given for those who begin a discussion outside of the classroom and outside of the provided futurism communities about a class topic. This needs to be online, as screenshots are necessary for the extra credit (blurring out names is just fine).

Midterm Project:

As the term progresses, students will learn about different bodies of futuristic thought. For your midterm project, you will choose either a futuristic body of thought or possible future development that you believe is likely to be influential or to come to fruition, and write a 2-3 page report. In it, you will provide an introduction to your topic aimed toward the general public, an examination of its strengths and weaknesses as they relate to plausibility, and then discuss your own thoughts on the topic.

Final Discussion:

This final has three parts. First, groups of 3-4 will choose a topic from a provided list (or make a case to me for a different topic). Second, each participant in the group will write 1-2 paragraphs on their thoughts on the chosen topic. Third, the group participants will engage in a 20-30 minute open panel discussion on their topic in front of the class, the end of which will be open to questions from

expected to tear down your classmates’ positions. You are expected to individually develop your thoughts on the subject and to be ready for the discussion. You will be expected to be able to note points of agreement and disagreement between yourself and your fellow group members, and be willing to vocalize both.

Required and Supplemental Texts and Resources:

The Future of Business​ edited by Rohit Talwar.

Grading/Evaluation Methods:

Students will be graded based on their effort for the participation section. Those that struggle with the material, but put in the work will still receive full points for participation. It is important to participate in both the in-class discussions and the online discussions. Discussions posts will be accepted up to a day late for 90% credit.

The midterm will be graded primarily upon the content of your work. The overview of the topic will be graded on comprehensiveness and general public readability. The strengths/weaknesses portion will be graded for thoroughness and bias – just because you identify with a topic doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any weaknesses. The section on your thoughts will be graded on your level of insight. This is not a writing class, but it is still a university class – content matters first and foremost, but you will be expected to be competent at writing university level papers. The midterm will be accepted up to a week late for full credit, either by uploading it on D2L or by turning it in the following week in class. It can be turned in up to three weeks late for 60% credit.

The final discussion will be graded upon three criteria: participation, knowledge of the subject, and positive interaction with your classmates. What matters most for final discussion participation is that you spend a reasonable amount of the time speaking – don’t only speak for a minute in a twenty minute discussion. Knowledge of the subject will be graded on reasonable comprehensiveness – you’re not expected to be an expert, just competent. I especially expect you to be able to analyze strengths and weaknesses of your topic. Positive interaction is a very important part. As I said, you are not expected to tear down your classmates, and in fact you’re expected not to. If you feel like a classmate could benefit from being corrected, I expect you to utilize constructive criticism, not bashing. Attacking your classmates will be grounds for a zero in positive interaction, and an excessive attack will be grounds for failing the final. As well, as this is not a writing class, it’s also not a speech class. You will be graded more on what you say than how you say it.

Student Conduct:

Academic honesty is very important. Please familiarize yourself with the university’s policy regarding academic dishonesty: _​http://www.pdx.edu/dos/codeofconduct#AcademicDishonesty

Misrepresenting the work of others as your own could lead to the failure of assignment(s).

If you require accommodations (e.g. special seating, interpreter, note-taker, etc.), please inform your instructor immediately. Students with disabilities should register with the PSU Disability Resource Center (503-725-4150, TTY or Relay 503-725-4178, SMSU 116, www.drc.pdx.edu) to document their needs for accommodations and obtain support services. I will work with you to arrange the supports you need in this class.

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Topic Readings Activity Online Discussion 1 An Introduction to

Futurism

Global drivers of change - April Koury, Iva Lazarova and Rohit Talwar : Page 20

Introductions

2 Science Fiction and Innovation

Will Artificial Intelligence Eat the World? - Calum Chace : Page 220 Guest Lecture: Professor Freeouf Modern technologies from Sci-Fi 3 Past Trends of Future Thinking Forecasting Future Disruptions - Strategic Change Is Inevitable - Professor Bill Halal : Page 37 Strengths and weaknesses of past predictions 4 Current Bodies of Thought in Futurism Body-Machine

Convergence - Ian Pearson : Page 176

First online community engagement

What body of thought do you most identify with?

5 Examining the Futuristic Aspects of Modern Society

The Impact of Wearable Lifestyle Technologies and Gamification on Business and Society - David Wortle : Page 170

Class Trip to Intel

Midterm Due

What technology would be most surprising to Aristotle?

6 Business in the Future

How Massive Simulation Models could Transform Decision Making in

Business, Government and Society - Vinay Gupta : Page 241 A plausible new technology or avenue of business 7 Critically Examining the Cutting Edge

Space-Based Solar Power and Wireless Power Transmission - Devin Daniels : Page 318 Second online community engagement What currently developing technology are you skeptical of?

8 Future Social Developments

Mobile 2030: Scenarios for the Role of Mobile

Technology in Society - Alexandra Whittington and Amir Bar : Page 161

Guest Lecture: TBD Futurist

How might social values change in the next 50 years?

9 Bringing the Future and the Public Together

Futures Journalism: a Manifesto - Anna Simpson : Page 293

How can we engage the public in futurism?

10 Final Discussion Final