Comments to: crs@uvm.eduReviewed as of 4/20/98
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IMAGING
We would define the task of a futurist as "making images of the
future more real for other people." One way to make future images
more real for people is to involve them in making the images.
The tendency today is for futures invention to be the domain of an
elite: analysts at the RAND Corporation or the Hudson Institute,
planners at City Hall, executives of major corporations have
already made decisions that will be affecting our lives in 1990.
Most futurist educators are committed to the goal of democratizing
the process of imaging alternative futures.
There are skills--teachable skills--that can enable the average
citizen to become more competent at envisioning future
alternatives. In fact, the citizen, unconstrained by bureaucratic
vested interests, has the potential of becoming a better image-
maker than the professional planners.
The task of the future-oriented teacher is really the same as the
task of the director of a team of problem-solving consultants: to
give instructions and create an environment that will lead to
creative, effective invention of alternative futures. The
instructions do not have to be complex. For example:
þ Write 10 headlines for the year you turn 30
þ Sketch the device that will take you to work at age 45
þ Write a short science fiction story about life on a space
station
In these examples, the teacher has defined the problem and the
medium for imaging; the methods for generating the "answers" are
left up to the student's intuition. There are methods of creative
problem solving that make the steps in the creative process more
refined and explicit. One rule of thumb goes like this:
þ Study the situation thoroughly; become immersed in the
facts of the situation.
þ Manipulate the facts, figures, and ideas; make models;
play with the problem.
þ Leave it be; go away from the problem. Leave time for
the creative process to work, for the spark of an idea to
strike.
This is useful, but we can do better. Consider the starting points
for new images of the future:
þ A problem; a personal dissatisfaction, or someone else's.
þ Analysis of the qualities of that which is; awareness of
the possible dimensions of change. For instance,
Buckminster Fuller observed early in his life that most
buildings use the rectangle as their basic geometric
unit. From musing how the triangle, with its inherent
stability, might better used as the basis of
architecture, he eventually invented the geodesic dome.
þ Review of existing alternatives (e.g., How many games do
you know that two people can play?); exploration of the
possibility that new ones can be invented and added to
the list. (Robert F. Kennedy was fond of quoting George
Bernard Shaw: "Some people look at what is and wonder
`Why?' I prefer to think of what could be and ask, `Why
not?'")
From starting points such as these, a variety of classroom
procedures can help students use develop their creative potential.
The first of these is problem definition.
Q: What's the real problem here? (Should be repeated many
times to get to the essence of the situation which we
want to image alternatives for.)
Q: Are there parts to the problem? Problems within the
problem?
Q: What are the key words in the problem? Can you state the
problem using only the key words?
The importance of this sort of thinking is best illustrated by an
example. A team of engineers wanted to invent a better can opener.
As long as they tried to think of "a tool for making a hole in a
can," they could only come up with minor variations on the familiar
"church-key." Once they stated the problem, "How to get the
contents out of a can?," they generated a large number of possible
solutions, and eventually came up with the pop-top can. Perhaps if
they had looked for "a way to get the contents out of a can,
without leaving stray pieces of sharp metal," we would not have the
pop-top tabs scattered over our countryside.
A good problem statement is really half-way to the solution; if you
settle for the initial statement of the problem, you are unlikely
to come up with any novel ideas. Once you (and your class) have
explored alternative ways to look at a problem, you are ready to
choose from a variety of "next steps."
> Brainstorming: Restate the problem. Set a time limit (5
or 10 minutes). Ask for as many solutions as possible;
encourage tagging on to other people's ideas. No criticism of
far-out ideas and no evaluation. Write the ideas large enough
for all to see.
> Manipulate the present situation, using a list of verbs as
a guide: magnify, minimize, rearrange, alter, rotate, flatten,
lighten, integrate, dissect, etc. Make up a list of words
more appropriate to your problem; the ones here work best on
physical design ("school building of the future?"), but can
also be used for abstract ideas ("election of the president").
> Name all the parts and qualities of the thing you're imaging
alternatives for: List all the alternatives you can think of
for each quality. Then start combining the attributes (like
making faces with "Changeable Charlie" blocks) and see if any
interesting ones emerge.
Once a variety of images have been discovered, it is appropriate to
return to techniques such as story writing, sketching, and also
model building to develop these images. In the process of giving
tangible shape to ideas, students may find that it's possible to
combine the best of several ideas into one.
þ What will it look like?
þ What will it feel like to live in such a situation? (Not
only for the student, but for people from other cultures
or classes.)
þ What would it be like if the image becomes a reality and
Martians land?
It's a rainy day?
Babies come from test tubes?
and so on...
Textbook authors seem to assume that one can teach students how to
understand their world, to analyze, to interpret, but not to create
alternative visions. Yet, it is possible to develop creativity.
The process of invention is not only at the heart of future
studies; it is what's being demanded by the many who call for
"relevant education." Problem solving and creativity are the
essence of relevance.
We especially need to help our students develop their imaginations
about social arrangements. It is cliched but still true that our
success in inventing technological hardware has outpaced our
ability to imagine new social arrangements that cope with the
problems our technology creates. We need social inventions that
provide solutions to unemployment caused by automation, education
that is outdated before it is even used, and other social problems.
The task is not easy; most teacher education programs do not deal
with creativity. The following books may help:
The Universal Traveler, by Don Kober and Jim Bagnall. Wm.
Kauffman, 1974. Very good at presenting specific techniques for
analysis; problem definition; idea-generation development, and
selection; implementing, evaluating, and communicating.
The Creative Behavior Guidebook and Workbook, by Sidney Parnes.
Many exercises suitable for the classroom.
SOURCE: Duane Dale, University of Massachusetts, Cooperative
Extension, Amherst.
ADAPTED FROM: Futures Information Interchange, University of
Massachusetts School of Education, 1978.
Comments to: crs@uvm.edu
Reviewed as of 4/20/98