Join us for an insightful discussion on "Collective Sensemaking and Reframing in Futures Thinking Engagements: Lessons From a Responsible Futuring Learning Trajectory". This episode delves into how the Responsible Futuringapproach, a design-oriented method, facilitates collective sensemaking and reframing to foster futures thinking.

We'll explore the paper's findings from a 4-day learning trajectory with professionals navigating digital transformations. Discover how Responsible Futuring organizes learning through four cognitive and experiential levels: understanding values, imagining, tangibilizing, and introspecting. We'll also break down its five sequential phases, from Articulating the Challenge to Reflecting and Reframing.

A key takeaway from the research is the observed tendency towards solutionism among participants, where they prematurely focused on specific solutions rather than exploring broader, values-driven futures. We'll discuss this challenge, along with others such as the risk of extreme future visions and the difficulty of grounding abstract principles in everyday realities. Finally, we'll cover the paper's critical recommendations, including the need for iterative guidance, careful zooming processes to manage actor inclusion/exclusion, and clearer goals for speculative activities to enhance relevance. Tune in to understand how these insights can inform future-oriented activities in lifelong learning!

Ref:

Matos‐Castaño, J., Huinink, M., Zaga, C., & Van Der Voort, M. (2025). Collective Sensemaking and Reframing in Futures Thinking Engagements: Lessons From a Responsible Futuring Learning Trajectory. FUTURES & FORESIGHT SCIENCE, 7(1), e70002. https://doi.org/10.1002/ffo2.70002