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Article
Teaching Format Future Scenarios for Sustainable Business Solutions
Marina Schmitz
IEDC-Bled School of Management
Advanced
Open access
EN
Method
Practice
This is a complete teaching module by Marina Schmitz (IEDC-Bled School of Management, 2022), created as part of the EU Erasmus+ funded EFFORT project. It provides the full blueprint for a 14-week Master-level elective course called "Future Scenarios for Sustainable Business Solutions".
What it covers:
A structured course following the Zukunftswerkstatt (Future Workshop) method across 4 phases: Preparation, Critique, Visioning, Implementation
Students pick a business sector and develop future scenarios for it, culminating in a podcast/video presentation (70%) and reflective journal (30%)
Methods used include improv theatre, LEGO Serious Play, scenario development (4-quadrant), Walt Disney Method, "The Thing from the Future" card game, Futures Wheel, backcasting, systems mapping, and journaling
Strong emphasis on sustainability (SDGs), systems thinking, and Futures Literacy (UNESCO definition)
Competencies developed: anticipatory, normative, strategic, collaboration, critical thinking, self-awareness, systems thinking, integrated problem solving
Includes a rich resource overview with 50+ literature references, 40+ online resources, and detailed exercise descriptions with facilitator instructions
Key characteristics: It's a practitioner's toolkit — not a theoretical paper. It's designed to be directly reusable by other educators.
What it covers:
A structured course following the Zukunftswerkstatt (Future Workshop) method across 4 phases: Preparation, Critique, Visioning, Implementation
Students pick a business sector and develop future scenarios for it, culminating in a podcast/video presentation (70%) and reflective journal (30%)
Methods used include improv theatre, LEGO Serious Play, scenario development (4-quadrant), Walt Disney Method, "The Thing from the Future" card game, Futures Wheel, backcasting, systems mapping, and journaling
Strong emphasis on sustainability (SDGs), systems thinking, and Futures Literacy (UNESCO definition)
Competencies developed: anticipatory, normative, strategic, collaboration, critical thinking, self-awareness, systems thinking, integrated problem solving
Includes a rich resource overview with 50+ literature references, 40+ online resources, and detailed exercise descriptions with facilitator instructions
Key characteristics: It's a practitioner's toolkit — not a theoretical paper. It's designed to be directly reusable by other educators.