The Futures Stories Lab: A Tool for Futures Literacy Pedagogy

Abstract

The Futures Stories Lab has been developed as a tool to foster futures literacy in educational contexts. As a central part of the futures literacy Method Mosaic compiled at the UNESCO Chair in Learning and Teaching Futures Literacy in the Anthropocene, it is an example of the manifold possibilities of teaching futures literacy in a structured, but flexible setting. Though the Futures Stories Lab defines five steps, or chapters, by using a craft-based and narrative approach, each of these chapters can emerge using a variety of creative practices. This paper describes the didactic concept that has been tested in the field of literature and media pedagogies and cultural education but offers a range of practical applications for classroom settings. The basic ideas for futures literacy pedagogy are introduced, to be implemented within the context of higher education, with a particular focus on teacher education.