Posted by Periodically – I’ll just offer a list of some of the more interesting, intriguing and potentially disruptive ideas I run across as I continue the futures learning journey. Where appropriate – I’ll offer some brief commentary and some questions along the way! Do you have a link or idea you think is worth sharing? Share it here or email it to me at nissen@pdx.edu!! Thanks for visiting.
The Future of Gaming
- The future of gaming. Deep end of the pool analysis by a gaming expert, this is a fascinating read on the past, present and future potential of gaming as a force that is here to stay.
- Fundamentals of “gamification.” If you’re new to gaming, this is a useful little overview that is an easy and helpful read. Even if you are a gamer…it provides quite interesting context to understand the building blocks of the form. Should social workers be considering incorporating more gaming elements in our work? Is it possible that social change, healing, and reconciliation could actually be fun as well as meaningful? Requires imagination…we can do that!!
Higher Education Futures
- Centering teaching in the future of higher education
- Three perspectives on the future of higher education
Imagining Possible Impacts of Block Chain
- Will block chain transform the public sector? This could be among the most powerful “macro” issues to impact our economic world. I don’t see many social workers involved to shape and activate our principles. Important place for us to get learning!
- Great piece on blockchain – written by a social worker!!! Lots to talk about and explore here. Bravo to this SWer for taking the leap to understand and wrestle with what this might mean for our profession!
- Excellent primer on block chain from MIT.
Artificial Intelligence in Action
- Interesting checklist to explore if you’re ready to work with robots! Creative piece – I did find myself wondering while reading it how I might have written it differently if I was writing to a social work audience. I do think we need to explore this!
- Stephen Hawkings’ predictions about AI in the modern world
- The future of AI-Human collaboration
- From agriculture to art – the AI wave sweeps in
- Five artificial intelligence insiders in their own words
- What robots can teach us about being human
General Futures Info.
- 85% of Jobs in the Year 2030 Don’t Yet Exist. How might this change what social workers do? Will “job displacement coordinator” become an essential role as the workforce changes?
- Preparing for workforce needs of the future when we don’t know what the jobs will be. We’ve been here before. Great piece that outlines the fundamentals and reminds us that these shifts in workforce focus have occurred before in history. Given that this is a piece from a business journal…not enough attention paid to the implications of folks already in an economically vulnerable position BEFORE all of these changes. Can social work itself be a force in assuring greater supports to transition workers less painfully from one “workforce era” to another to preserve and protect well being and dignity?
- Digital body language – more in the series of words/phrases that are new to me from the futures world!
- The Fourth Industrial Revolution. Found myself thinking entirely about a) the future of the social work workforce and b) the displacement and resulting vulnerability of so many. How can we participate in constructive and productive ways that reflect our values as social workers in all that is to come?
- How management needs to change to be ready for the future. Thought provoking. It goes without saying that all places where social workers work will likely be going through profound ecological changes (political, economic, etc.) during the next 20 years. Does it make sense that our management approaches will change as well? This would be a great piece to have macro social workers re-write and/or augment. Does what is written here adequately reflect the values we hold dear?
Social Work Futures 