Dossier futures of making crowdthink

SFIN 6021: Foresight Studio Dossier
April 22, 2016
Nicole Knibb, Ling Ding, Amy Davies, Dee Brooks
Alternative
Futures
of Making
and Learning

Scanning: Emerging Trends 3
Flexible Robotics Revolution 4
Rise of Open Making 6
Self Sufficient Sustainable Communities 8
Making and Sharing in Public Spaces 10
Me-Media Inc. 12
Hyper-Customization 14
Collaborative Imagineers 16
Kid-preneurs 18
Makers pave the way for the
fourth Industrial revolution 20
Crowdfunding and Makers are
Changing the Face of Manufacturing 22
Maker-citizen empowers the
collaborative community 24
Gig workers replace the fixed-salary position 26
Making for Gender/Age Neutral Social Change 28
Maker-based Education and Curriculum Change 30
Urban Greenhouse Gardening:
The Outdoor Makerlab 32
Makers in Museums 34
Scenarios: The Futures of Self-Directed Learning36
Project Context 37
Project Methodology 38
Scenarios and Narratives to 2040 41
Growth: In Vivo 42
Collapse: Retrench 45
Discipline: Crowdthink 49
Transform: H+ 54
References59
Strategies for George Brown College 61
Context62
Five Strategic Options 63
Work-Integrated Learning 63
Innovation Lab Launches Startups 64
Grow the Pie 66
Open Source Learning Passport 67
Unify Sector into one Coworking Entity 68
Windtunnel Evaluation 70
References 71
Experiential Futures Time Machine 72
The Scene 73
Props and Elements 73
Artifacts 74
The Score - A Snap Shot 77
The Cast 78
Reflection 79
Appendix81
Alternative Futures of Making and Learning | Knibb, Ding, Davies, Brooks | 2
Contents
Maja Smrekar images |
Survival Kit for the Anthropocene,
photographs, 2015 http://majasmrekar.org/work
Cover Image from Inside You, by Dmitry Zakharov. Licensed CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Image Credit: Flickr user Mitch Altman, licensed CC-BY-SA 2.0
3

Flexible Robotics Revolution
Dee Brooks - Future of Making
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echnological
Image: termite mound, the natural structure produced by
emergent behaviour of termite hives. This behaviour provides
the model for some hives of robots (Werfel, 2014).
Image credit: flickr user Motaz Altahir
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Flexible Robotics RevolutionSelf-assembling and self-configuring robots (and swarms thereof) will accel-
erate automation of manual labour and simultaneously add new tools to the
maker’s toolkit.
Today, robot hardware must be custom-de-
signed and manufactured to suit a highly specific
set of predefined tasks, much as early electronics
were hard-wired for a single purpose. If the phys-
ical requirements of the use case change, the
robot must be rebuilt or discarded.
In pursuit of flexible, multi-purpose robots, en-
gineering researchers have been experimenting
with a several models for self-assembling and/
or self-configuring robots. It can be expected
that flexible robots will dramatically increase the
range of cost-effective applications for robotics.
A hive of small, flexible robots would have advan-
tages. Individual robots would be inexpensive and
simple, so easily replaced. The central algorithm
could adjust the robots’ structure and function
without needing to alter the robots themselves.
Might be used to work in inhospitable environ-
ments with complex challenges, such as in space,
or on Mars.
If they reach nano-size, they could be used for
medical procedures, and possibly for highly pre-
cise manufacturing and repair.
As robots continue to miniaturise and multi-
ply, they might begin to perform like 3D pixels.
Hive-like groups could assume virtually any form.
Could eventually give rise to something like the
“liquid metal” depicted in Terminator fictions.
Eventually, these might dramatically extend the
abilities of individual people. Significant econom-
ic, political, social and existential implications can
be anticipated in such a case. How would the eco-
nomic value be distributed? Will the benefits be
accessible to all? Will these powerful tools make
the world a better and safer place, or will they
amplify instability and inequality?
Maturity
Researchers have produced pro-
totypes that can perform simple
tasks, but practical applications are
not yet possible and seem unlikely
to emerge prior to 2020.
Signals
Small cubes
with no exterior
moving parts that
move independently
and adhere to each
other in any configu-
ration (Hardesty,
2013).
Neil
Gershenfeld
(2014) predicts
the development of
“programmable
matter” within
40 years.
A sheet of
material the size of
a greeting card that
folds itself up into a four
legged origami-inspired
shape and walks away
unaided (Wood,
2014).
A termite-in-
spired swarm of
small robots can build
complex structures,
exhibiting emergent
behaviour (Werfel,
2014).
A miniature
version of a fold-
ing robot, the size of
a fingernail, that can
walk, swim, transport
objects, and dissolve
itself (Ackerman,
2015).
Implications
Ackerman, E. (2015, May 28). Origami Robot Folds Itself Up, Does Cool
Stuff, Dissolves Into Nothing. Retrieved January 21, 2016, from http://
spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-hardware/origami-ro-
bot-folds-itself-up-does-cool-stuff-dissolves-into-nothing
Gershenfeld, N. (2014, July 5). Neil Gershenfeld - The State of Fab Labs
[Video file]. Retrieved January 18, 2016, from https://www.youtube.
com/watch?list=PLAL9ti-C7YlflHcyk1bOKB_vBgTlcFCjfv=tpoiJx5SDu8
Hardesty, L. (2013, October 4). Surprisingly simple scheme for self-as-
sembling robots. Retrieved January 17, 2016, from http://news.mit.
edu/2013/simple-scheme-for-self-assembling-robots-1004
Werfel, J., Petersen, K., Nagpal, R. (2014). Designing Collective Behav-
ior in a Termite-Inspired Robot Construction Team. Science, 343(6172),
754-758.
Video demonstration
Werfel, J., Petersen, K., Nagpal, R. (2014, February 13). Design-
ing Collective Behavior in a Termite-Inspired Robotic Construction
Team. Retrieved January 19, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=LFwk303p0zY
Wood, R. J. (2014, August 7). Robot folds itself up and walks away.
Retrieved January 18, 2016, from http://www.seas.harvard.edu/
news/2014/08/robot-folds-itself-up-and-walks-away
Image Credits | top left: MIT Media Lab; below that: Eliza Grinnell, Harvard SEAS 5

conomic
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Image credit: ImpactHub Westminster
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Implications
Opendesk is already furnishing workspaces for
large organizations, and plans to expand to new
products. They and similar organizations hope to
create large-scale alternatives to typical mass-man-
ufactured goods.
Manufactured goods might eventually be iteratively
designed and refined by user communities—what
Paul Eremenko calls mass market co-creation
(Eremenko, 2014)—shortening the length of the
feedback cycle, leading to better designs and more
efficient and sustainable manufacturing.
Traditional manufacturing might eventually be
challenged by open models. A distributed net-
work-based model can add capacity on-demand,
and the cost of design IP would decrease.
The Open Making Manifesto calls for products to
be easier to share, repair, modify and customize,
reuse or recycle, and be made of more accessible
materials, all of which may lead to these products
being more accessible to the economically margin-
alized.
According to Gershenfeld (2014), “this is about
rewiring the economy.”
Rise of Open Making
Open standards, shared principles and best practices may allow Maker culture to
professionalize, and create an alternative economic model for manufacturing.
According to Wired, Open Source software has
“won” (the implied battle against closed-source
competitors) in that the vast majority of code posted
to GitHub is coded for Open Source platforms (Metz,
2015).
As digital fabrication and the Maker Movement
mature, many makers are seeking to emulate Open
Source, and create standards and best practices that
will facilitate knowledge and information sharing.
Advocates believe that Open Making could create
an alternative economic model for manufactured
goods, analogous to Open Source software (Johar,
2015). MIT’s Neil Gershenfeld has said that digital
fabrication is “at the exact analogue of the moment
of the birth of the internet” (Gershenfeld, 2014).
Maturity
The level of maturity varies de-
pending on the topic. Some stan-
dards—such as Arduino—are
already very well-established, but
standards have yet to emerge in
other areas of making.
Signals Arduino, an
open source
electronics platform
originally created in
2005 for “non-technical”
students was estimated
to have spawned over
700,000 devices by
2013 (Medea,
2013)
Between
2007 and 2011,
the RepRap project
supported the repli-
cation of over 4500 3D
printers (Jones, 2011). De
Bruijn (2010) identified a
6-month doubling time
for RepRap prolif-
eration.
Opendesk
aims to develop a
new model for manu-
facturing designer work
furniture. It’s “a global
platform for local
making.” www.
opendesk.cc
Openmaking.
is a “resource for
developing open stan-
dards in keeping with new
and social forms of design
and manufacturing . . . to
define this new movement
and discuss how we will
produce and consume
in the 21st Centu-
ry.”
De Bruijn, E. (2010). On the viability of the open source
development model for the design of physical objects Lessons
learned from the RepRap project (Unpublished master’s thesis).
University of Tilburg, The Netherlands.
Eremenko, P. (2014, July 5). Paul Eremenko - From Consumer
to Creator [Video file]. Retrieved January 25, 2016, from https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZptIee-SAkc
Gershenfeld, N. (2014, July 5). Neil Gershenfeld - The State of
Fab Labs [Video file]. Retrieved January 18, 2016, from https://
www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLAL9ti-C7YlflHcyk1bOKB_vBgTl-
cFCjfv=tpoiJx5SDu8
Johar, I. (2015, September 28). The dark matter of open making.
Retrieved January 11, 2016, from https://openmaking.is/field-
guide/the-dark-matter-of-open-making
Jones, R., Haufe, P., Sells, E., Iravani, P., Olliver, V., Palmer, C.,
Bowyer, A. (2011). RepRap – the replicating rapid prototyper.
Robotica, 29(01), 177-191. Retrieved January 27, 2016.
Leung, K. (n.d.). Arduino: A Brief History. Retrieved January
27, 2016, from http://www.kenleung.ca/portfolio/ardui-
no-a-brief-history-3/
Medea. (2013, April 05). Arduino FAQ – With David Cuartielles.
Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://medea.mah.
se/2013/04/arduino-faq/
Metz, C. (2015, August 20). Github’s Top Coding Languages
Show Open Source Has Won. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from
http://www.wired.com/2015/08/github-data-shows-changing-
software-landscape/
OpenMaking.is - The Open Making Manifesto. (n.d.). Retrieved
January 17, 2016, from https://openmaking.is/manifesto
Image credit: Opendesk
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Self Sufficient
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Image credit: FAB City
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Implications
Since a shift to true self-sufficiency would take
decades, the ultimate implications are temporally
distant, but significant in scope.
We might see a hyper-local economy reminiscent
of medieval times, yet networked globally. Popu-
lated with guilds and tradespeople, a neo-Medieval
economy would appeal to Maker Culture.
Production could be more sustainable and effi-
cient. The “externalities” that typify global mass
consumerism would be internalized within these
self-sufficient communities.
Communities might become more inward-facing.
Could that produce new city-to-city rivalries? Per-
haps a new parochialism, born of less travel and
more isolated lifestyles?
When complete, such a major shift would imperil
global businesses who deal in hard goods, from
global retailers like Amazon to shipping companies
to the manufacturers in Shenzen and elsewhere.
The democratisation of opportunities currently
centralized in specific georgaphic locales would
create economic opportunity for makers.
Self Sufficient Sustainable Communities
If digital fabrication can compete with mass manufacturing on cost, time, and
quality, communities could make everything they need within their own borders
In 2011, Barcelona’s Deputy Mayor declared that
Barcelona would become the world’s first “Fab
City” (Claude, 2105). Through becoming a Fab City,
Barcelona aims to become “truly self-sufficient,” and
thereby sustainable. The goal is to manufacture and
circulate goods within local economies, and to con-
nect globally with data, rather than shipping goods
over the globe.
Maturity
Emerging. The Fab City initiative
estimates that it will take 40 years
to achieve self-sufficiency.
Signals Writing in the
Journal of Sus-
tainable Development,
Pearce et al (2010) identify
“enormous potential” for
maker technology to “pro-
vide complete village level
fabrication,” accelerating
the push toward
sustainability.
At the Fab
7 conference in
2011, Antoni Vives,
deputy mayor of Barce-
lona, declared Barcelo-
na’s intention to be-
come the world’s first
“Fab City” (Claude,
2015).
In 2015 at Fab
11, the Fab City
initative went global,
adding Boston, Ekurhule-
ni, Cambridge, Shenzhen,
Somerville. Kerala state,
and the country of
Georgia (Fab City,
N.D.).
The Fab 10
conference, held
in Barcelona, hosted the
first ever Fab City Sympo-
sium, where Gershenfeld and
Barcelona’s chief architect
started a 40 year count-
down clock to self-suffi-
ciency (Gershenfeld,
2014).
Claude, C. (2015, March 13). Tomás Diez: “A whole ecosystem
emerges around the Fab City in Barcelona”. Retrieved January
27, 2016, from http://www.makery.info/en/2015/03/13/
tomas-diez-tout-un-ecosysteme-emerge-autour-de-la-fab-city-
a-barcelone/
Fab City global initiative. (n.d.). Retrieved January 26, 2016,
from http://fab.city/
Gershenfeld, N. (2014, July 5). Neil Gershenfeld - The State of
Fab Labs [Video file]. Retrieved January 18, 2016, from https://
www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLAL9ti-C7YlflHcyk1bOKB_vB-
gTlcFCjfv=tpoiJx5SDu8
Pearce, J. M., Blair, C. M., Laciak, K. J., Andrews, R., Nosrat,
A., Zelenika-Zovko, I. (2010). 3-D Printing of Open Source
Appropriate Technologies for Self-Directed Sustainable
Development. JSD Journal of Sustainable Development, 3(4).
Retrieved January 27, 2016.
Image credit: Museo del Disseny de Barcelona
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Making and Sharing in Public Spaces
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Image Credit: Fab Lab de la cité des sciences de Paris
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Implications
Gershenfeld (2014) points out that these spaces
are very different from universities (such as his
own MIT). There is no lecturing; learners jump in
and learn experientially. This has the potential to
expand access to these tools and the accompany-
ing skills to a much broader cross-section of the
population.
Broad-based access would lead to acceleration of
change, and acceleration of learning.
If these collaborative spaces continue to prolifer-
ate exponentially, they may become a significant
social force, broadening access to the tools and
expertise required for making, ultimately democra-
tising making itself.
With democratisation, we may eventually see an
educated user base that is truly ready for mass
market co-creation of products. Advocates for this
approach believe that users would demand repair-
able, editable, modular designs, which would be
inherently more sustainable than the mass market
consumer goods of today.
Making and Sharing in Public Spaces
Making is becoming more social—even public—as it matures. Fab Labs and Maker
Spaces may be the libraries of tomorrow, but no one will shush the patrons.
Two decades ago, maker spaces, fab labs, hacker
spaces, co-working spaces, and other similar places
were not part of our collective consciousness. Un-
less you worked at a manufacturing facility, making
wasn’t a social activity.
Today’s libraries are much noisier places than those
of the late 20th century, and are increasingly incor-
porating 3D printers and other digital fabrication
technologies. Some cities, such as Barcelona, have
created publicly funded networks of Fab Labs. Dou-
gald Hine (2013) points out that the return to the
collaborative exploration of knowledge has echoes
of the pre-printing press era, when reading was a
social activity. Gershenfeld likens 3D printers to
microwaves, and Fab Labs to entire kitchens (Diez,
2014).
Maturity
Well-established trend, but still ac-
celerating. Large areas of the world
are as yet untouched.
Signals Coworking
spaces have prolifer-
ated even more rapidly,
growing from 30 in 2006
to 2150 in 2012 (Gabot,
N.D.). The USA went from
1 space in 2005 to 781 as
of March 2014 (Vac-
caro, 2014)
Fab Labs have
proliferated mas-
sively, growing from 1
in 2004 to 350 in 2014.
Neil Gershenfeld (2014)
expects them to contin-
ue to double in num-
ber anually.
Barcelona,
a leading city
in this space, had
opened 5 publicly
funded Fab Labs by
September 2014
(Diez, 2014)
Backus, M., Gokey, T. (2011, May 11). Public Libraries, 3D Printing,
FabLabs and Hackerspaces | Make: DIY Projects, How-Tos, Elec-
tronics, Crafts and Ideas for Makers. Retrieved January 28, 2016,
from http://makezine.com/2011/05/11/public-libraries-3d-print-
ing-fablabs-and-hackerspaces/
Diez, T. (2014, September). From fab labs to fab cities. Retrieved
January 27, 2016, from http://w2.bcn.cat/bcnmetropolis/en/dos-
sier/dels-fab-labs-a-les-fab-cities/
Gabot, S. (n.d.). Infographic: The Growth of Coworking. Retrieved
January 28, 2016, from http://blog.sqwiggle.com/the-growth-of-co-
working-infographic/
Gershenfeld, N. (2014, July 5). Neil Gershenfeld - The State of Fab
Labs [Video file]. Retrieved January 18, 2016, from https://www.
youtube.com/watch?list=PLAL9ti-C7YlflHcyk1bOKB_vBgTlcFCjfv=t-
poiJx5SDu8
Hine, D. (2013, March 20). A Storm is Blowing from Paradise [Video
file]. Retrieved January 24, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=BNZ3jW0SrpI
Vaccaro, A. (2014, March 03). Number of Coworking Spaces Has
Skyrocketed in the U.S. Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://
www.inc.com/adam-vaccaro/coworking-space-growth.html
Image Credits | top left: flickr user stanjourdan; below that: flickr user Science Animation
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Me-Me-
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Amy Davies - Future of Making
Image Credit: via boothandbottle.com12

SignalsThe ‘Let’s Play’
movement, the
act of watching other
people play games, has
surged in popularity. The
top Let’s Players have
more YouTube subscrib-
ers than Peru has
people
According
to YouTube’s
stats page, as of March
2015, creators filming
in YouTube Spaces have
produced over 10,000 vid-
eos. Generating 1 billion
views and 70+ million
hours of watch-
time
More than 55
million people use,
Twitch every month,
the world’s biggest live
streaming platform
for games.
PewDiePie has
the #1 channel on
YouTube with over: 32
million YouTube Subscrib-
ers, 6.5 billion video views,
5 million Facebook Fans, 4
million Twitter Followers
and 3 million Insta-
gram Followers.
Implications
• Existential Existence - your ability to create and
capture your play may become more intricately
intertwined with your sense of self. Perhaps
the question may one day arise, ‘if you’re not
creating, do you even exist?
• Wholly Conscious Play - the act of playing, once
considered the realm of innocence and free
spirit may in fact become a wholly conscious
act, accompanied by pics, gifs and videos.
• Tastemakers and Cultural Curators - with the
emergence of aggregation sites like Buzzfeed,
the idea of curation engines became normal-
ized. Increasingly the control of curation has
seeped into the hands of a few individuals,
‘Tastemakers’ and cultural curators.
• Market Fragmentation - as individualism and
customization takes over the potential for frag-
mented societies and competitive individualism
increases.
Maturity
Nowhere near exhausted. A day
may come when only conscious
play prevails.
Cohan, J. (2013, August 15). It’s Official: PewDiePie
Becomes #1 Most Subscribed Channel On YouTube.
Retrieved April 22, 2016, from http://www.tubefilter.
com/2013/08/15/its-official-pewdiepie-becomes-most-
subscribed-channel-on-youtube/
Klepek, P. (2015, July 5). Who Invented Let’s Play Vid-
eos? Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://kotaku.
com/who-invented-lets-play-videos-1702390484
Maker,. “Maker: A Talent-First, Technology-Driven,
Media Company”. N.p., 2016. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
Popper, B. (2015, October 29). Twitch launches a
new hub where users can watch artists as they work.
Retrieved January 25, 2016, from http://www.theverge.
com/2015/10/29/9634416/twitch-creative-artists-live-
stream
Twenge, Jean M (2008). “Egos in ating over time: a
cross-temporal meta-analysis of the Narcissistic per-
sonality inventory.” Journal of personality 76.4 (2008):
875-902.
Me-Media Inc.
In today’s society we can all create media through
access to low-cost capture and editing technology.
This new capability, combined with online video
sharing platforms, is driving a new form of ‘con-
scious play’. Most digital natives are actively making
and sharing photos, videos, gifs and memes, across
a variety of platforms from Instagram to Imgur and
Snapchat.

While many claim to be doing this for sheer fun, the
democratization of the creator may fundamentally
shift the values of a whole generation, for whom
self-fulfillment and the pleasure of play may become
intrinsically linked to their value as a creator, the
audiences they gain, and possibly the fame (or the
infamy) they achieve.
Are we In the age of conscious play? Technological advances and arguably individualist values,
seem to be spurring a growing desire to move from passive watcher, to creator, and active
participant in your very own show - Me Media Inc.
“In the future, everyone will be famous
for fifteen minutes.”

— Andy Warhol, 1968
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Image Credit: microfabricator.com14

Implications Related Trends
Hyper-Customization
Accessible digital design tools and affordable additive manufacturing technolo-
gies allow consumers to customize and manufacture products tailored to their
specific needs and tastes.
The emergence of affordable 3D printing, scanning
and modelling, and easy to use digital design tech-
nologies, are allowing consumers to gain access
to the resources necessary to customize their play
experiences and to express their own aesthetic
tastes. Penetration rates are being driven by rapid
technological advances in communication, and
globally networked infrastructures that allow for
file sharing and knowledge exchange.
• Death to Mass-Market Toy Manufacturers – will
toy companies follow the music industry and
be forced to dramatically change their business
model under the weight of remix culture and
file sharing?
• 3D Printers and Parts - could 3D printers
support environmental concerns and allow for
better recycling and spare parts for all manner
of products?
• IP infiltrates Play – copyright infringement and
concerns about Intellectual Property (“IP”) own-
ership, will rights owner-
ship become embroiled in the essence of play?
• Makers vs. Lay Populations – will we see a
cultural rift emerge between pro-makers and
lay populations as technological developments,
and those best able to harness them, cause a
cultural divide?
• Play = BIG business - as 3D printers become
commonplace in homes and schools, play spac-
es could be transformed into micro ‘factories’.
Maturity
Wannabe makers can already
bypass traditional manufacturers
in favor of creating, customizing
or hacking their own play expe-
riences. The trend seems likely
to move beyond early adopters
within the next 10 years as open-
source culture soars and prices
for 3D printers drop.
Cavalcanti, G. (2013, May 22). Is it a Hackerspace, Mak-
erspace, TechShop, or FabLab? | Make: DIY Projects
and Ideas for Makers. Retrieved April 22, 2016, from
http://makezine.com/2013/05/22/the-difference-be-
tween-hackerspaces-makerspaces-techshops-and-fa-
blabs/

Barnatt, C. (n.d.). ExplainingTheFuture.com : 3D
Printing. Retrieved April 22, 2016, from http://www.
explainingthefuture.com/3dprinting.html
Koslow, T. (2015, October 8). 3D Print Your Own Per-
sonalized World of Warcraft Characters - 3D Printing
Industry.
Ryan, C., Vongaramvilai, M. (2015, January 7). Mass
Customization - Brought To You By 3-D Printing -
Law360. Retrieved January 21, 2016, from http://www.
law360.com/articles/605901/mass-customization-
brought-to-you-by-3-d-printing
Televičiūtė, J. (2015, January 14). Now You Can 3D-Print
Lego Head Of Yourself.
Zaleski, A. (2015, October 8). MakerBot lays off 20% of
its staff -again.
Signals
Major toy
companies,
Hasbro, Disney,
Lego and Mattel, pivot
their business model
to meet consumer
demand for cus-
tomization
Hackerspac-
es, Makerspaces,
TechShops, and Fab-
Labs, continue to rise
in popularity, offering
shared access to high-
end manufacturing
equipment..
Global
game fran-
chise, World of
Warcraft, allows
players to design,
customize and or-
der unique 3D
figures
Social net-
works ensure the
art of making, once
passed down through
specialized guilds, is
being digitally codi-
fied, documented
and shared
Companies
Shapeway,
Toyfab and Funky3D-
Faces are allowing
consumers to buy 3D
designs to print at
home or through
small-scale man-
ufacturers
“The digital supply chain from design
model to simulation and additive
manufacturing will merge with raw
material supply (3D printer ‘ink’)
to produce personal products in a
hyper localized context. No need for
massive factories, warehouses and
container port infrastructure”
— Jordan Brant, Technology Futurist
for Autodesk
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Image Credit: Photo by Anne Gomez. [Airpusher Art Car at Burning Man.jpg]
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• Transformational Landscapes – as people continue
to invent and conspire to rebuild and re-imagine
spaces, play, art, and everyday objects, this could
potentially change the face of the world as we know
it.
• A Wasteland of Forgotten Objects – will inventions,
products and a wasteland of ‘good ideas’ lay aban-
doned on the ground? The increase in the produc-
tion of physical goods has the potential to cause
tremendous ecological strain on the planet.
• Anti-Establishment Movements – arguably the idea
of freedom in art and inspiration will drive anti- es-
tablishment movements and freedom of expres-
sion. Take for example the popularity of Banksy,
who has become known for his ever-shocking
innovative street art and exhibits.
• Work Meets Play – slides and mini golf have become
a usual site in the o ces of Google and Facebook,
and someday in the near future all o ces may be
more akin to a playground.
• Stimulation of Innovation – corporate sponsored
Marathons, such as Google’s Impact Challenge, are
supporting a number of philanthropic initiatives
and combining using making as a way to stimulate
innovation and solve concrete problems.
Collaborative Imagineers
Collaboration between physical and digital communities, enabled by technological de-
velopments, is producing a new- ecology of play that allows imagination to roam freely
Experimentation and the skills of design and ‘mak-
ing’ have moved beyond the walls of corporate
entities like Apple and Nike. Globally connected and
collaborative environments have allowed people to
share ideas, re-make, re-mix and let their imagina-
tions run wild.
Sharing in a social ecology of play has allowed
people to explore ideas without inhibition and with
the support of fellow ‘imagineers’. Ideas ranging
from the outlandish, to the wild and wacky are being
born, and people are rediscovering the pure plea-
sure of making.
Maturity
Never ending: is there a limit
to imagination?
Signals
In 2005
Etsy, a popular
P2P website selling
mainly handcrafted
products is launched.
Almost ten years
later it has 30 mil-
lion users
Events like
Burning Man grow
in popularity, even
attracting techno-en-
trepreneurs like Elon
Musk. In 2015 the
attendance rose to
70,000.
According to
the Economist
Technology Quarterly
“Arduino” and it’s micro-
controller allow people
to build all kind of strange
things: plants that send
Twitter messages, harps
made of lasers, an etch-
a-sketch clock.
Buhr, S. (2014, September 04). Elon Musk Is Right,
Burning Man Is Silicon Valley. Retrieved April 22,
2016, from http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/04/elon-
musk-is-right-burning-man-is-silicon-valley/
More than just digital quilting. (2011, December 03).
Retrieved January 27, 2016, from http://www.econo-
mist.com/node/21540
Moulite, M. (n.d.). The Maker Movement is the Next
Level in DIY-Anything. Retrieved January 27, 2016,
from http://socalstories.ascjweb.com/arts-culture/
mmoulite/index.html
Dellott, B. (2014, September). Breaking the mould:
How Etsy and online craft marketplaces are changing
the nature of business (Rep.). Retrieved from http://
ext les.etsy.com/Press/reports/Etsy_RSABreakingthe-
MouldReport_2014.pdf
“Everything you can imagine is
real.” — Pablo Picasso
In 2015 Maker
Faire stated that more
than 195,000 people
attended Maker Faires. The
event spurs the creation
of 98 independently-pro-
duced Mini and Featured
Maker Faires occurred
around the world.
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• According to former WIRED editor-in-chief,
Chris Anderson, “increased production in the
physical word has the potential to have a big-
ger economic impact than the Web.”
• The “Gig Economy’ - younger generations look
likely to forgo 9/5 work in favor of entrepre-
neurial endeavours and part time work.
• Collapse of Capitalism - arguably a whole gen-
eration of kid-preneurs will be born inventing,
making and hacking their way to a ‘free’ society
that has the potential to eclipse capitalism.
(Gustin, 2012).
• According to the World Economic Forum the
impact of connected products and services will
be dramatic. In the next 10 years, the Internet
of Things revolution will dramatically alter
manufacturing, energy, agriculture, trans-
portation and other industrial sectors of the
economy which, together, account for nearly
two-thirds of the global gross domestic prod-
uct (GDP)
Kid-preneursLong gone are the days of skittles and conkers and to quote The Maker Movement
Manifesto: Kids now have LEGO Mindstorms, radio- controlled robots, 3D printers and
Arduino microcontrollers —and they are using them to make inventive new products.
Today’s children are born into a culture of cyber-lib-
ertarianism and provided with the tools and tech-
nologies to bring their own ideas and creations to
life. The Maker Movement has moved beyond the
doors of hobbyists and is in infiltrating the homes
and schools of children. Encouraging them to
become budding entrepreneurs. The movement
has already spawned a myriad of inventions from
inspired children: timer-controlled blinking LED
circuits, rockets and space suits.
Kid-preneurship and the indoctrination of DIY and
hacker culture is perhaps a pathway to creating a
generation of self-starters and small business own-
ers. In the U.S., the National Science Foundation has
already granted $1.2 million to study “making” as a
potential driver of the U.S. economy
Fryling, K. (2015, September 2). IU researchers
lead $1.2 million effort to unlock economic po-
tential of Midwest maker movement. Retrieved
April 22, 2016, from http://news.indiana.edu/
releases/iu/2015/09/business-of-making.shtml
Gustin, S. (2012, October 1). How the ‘Maker’
Movement Plans to Transform the U.S. Econ-
omy | TIME.com. Retrieved January 23, 2016,
from http://business.time.com/2012/10/01/
how-the-maker-movement-plans-to-transform-
the-u-s-economy/
Hall, J. (2015, November 11). How the Maker
Movement Champions Kids’ Entrepreneurial
Impulses. Retrieved January 23, 2016, from
http://www.inc.com/john-hall/how-the-mak-
er-movement-champions-kids-entrepreneur-
ial-impulses.html.

Heller, M. (2014, March 31). Millennials Pioneer
the Maker Movement. Retrieved January 31,
2016, from http://thegbrief.com/articles/millen-
nials-pioneer-the-maker-movement-51
Peck, J. (2014, June 20). The emergent new
economy | Compass. Retrieved January 23,
2016, from http://www.compassonline.org.uk/
the-road-from-serfdom-to-the-equal-sharing-
of-blessing
Ritzer, G. (2000). The McDonaldization of soci-
ety (New Century ed.). Thousand Oaks, Calif.:
Pine Forge Press
Signals In 2011 the
Maker Movement
moves from the mar-
gins to mainstream and
highlights young children
at the forefront of some
of the world’s most ex-
citing inventions
The Fab
Foundation
emerges from the
MIT’s Center for Bits
Atoms Fab Lab Program
in 2009 as an educational
outreach program stim-
ulating local entrepre-
neurship.
A 2013
Gigaom study
revealed that more
than half of all self-pro-
claimed makers were
under 35, spending an
average of $1,000 a
year on their
projects
“Children are the world’s most
valuable resource and its best
hope for the future.”
— John F.Kennedy
Maturity
Digital natives, Generation Z and
younger, are growing up. By 2040
they’ll be part of the workforce
and likely bringing their entrepre-
neurial spirit with them.
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Makers pave the way for the fourth
Industrial revolution
The emergence of low-cost hobbyist electronics and hardware kits, easy-to-
use programming software, and 3D printers, all within the maker’s toolkit, is
paving the way for what some are calling the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Maturity
The scale, scope, and complexity
of the Fourth Industrial Revolution
will be unlike anything humankind
experienced before, so we don’t yet
know how it will unfold.
Implications
Baljko, J. (2015, March 09). Marriage of IoT, Mak-
er Movement Paves Way for ‘Fourth Industrial
Revolution’ Retrieved March 31, 2016, from http://
electronics360.globalspec.com/article/5095/marriage-
of-iot-maker-movement-paves-way-for-fourth-indus-
trial-revolution
P. (2015, July 07). IoT projects analysis on Kickstarter
Crowd Funding Platform. Retrieved March 31, 2016,
from http://www.datasciencecentral.com/profiles/
blogs/iot-projects-analysis-on-kickstarter-crowd-fund-
ing-platform
Schawbel, D. (2012, October 04). Chris Anderson:How
the Makers Will Create a New Industrial Revolution.
Retrieved March 31, 2016, from http://www.forbes.
com/sites/danschawbel/2012/10/04/chris-ander-
son-how-the-makers-will-create-a-new-industrial-rev-
olution/#11c3f56074fa
Although there is still controversy on how to
define the Fourth Industrial Revolution, one
concept in particular, the Internet of Things, is
undoubtably one major contributor. The In-
ternet of Things blurry the lines between the
physical, digital, and biological through the use
of a cyber-physical connectivity system. With
available knowledge and accessible tools at
home or at maker spaces, makers are empow-
ered individuals accelerating this Third Industrial
Revolution and shaping the outcomes for many
stakeholders including individuals, organizations,
and governments.
Signals
Raspberry Pi
announced its
newest model, the
Zero and the price
cost just $5 on
Nov. 25, 2015.
The first product
specifically designed
for makers, students,
educators and DIY
electronics enthusiasts
launched in Rome,
2013
IHS projects that
95.5 billion devices
will be connected
through the inter-
net in 2025.
The success
rate of IOT proj-
ect in Kickstarter is
44% which is higher
that the avarage,
around 37.5%.
Connecting with previously unconnected de-
vices would be one of the biggest issues facing
the Internet of thing industry.
Xavier Pi, chairman of Catalan Industrial En-
gineers Association, predicted that most IoT
solutions will be developed by maker-based
startup companies.
When a widespread population of makers and
enthusiasts harnesses the new technologies of
digital design and rapid prototyping, anyone
can hold the power to invent and innovate.
Eventually, the Forth Industrial Revolution
would be a bottom-up approach transforming
the economy from Capitalism to the Collabora-
tive Commons.
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Implications
Crowdfunding and Makers are
Changing the Face of Manufacturing
Signals
Indiegogo’s
“Maker Chal-
lenge” was held in part-
nership with with Amazon
Autodesk in July 2014 to
celebrate the White House’s
Maker Faire. Makers competed
for prize packages from Amazon
and Autodesk that include
product mentorship and
development tools
According to
2015CF – Crowdfund-
ing Industry Report, global
crowdfunding experienced
accelerated growth in 2014,
expanding by 167% to
reach $16.2 billion raised,
up from $6.1 billion in
2013
Clifford, C. (2015, March 31). Crowdfunding Nearly
Tripled Last Year, Becoming a $16 Billion Industry.
Retrieved March 31, 2016, from http://www.entreapre-
neur.com/article/244503
Crowdfunding Concept is Springboarding Maker Con-
cepts to Market. (2014). Retrieved January 29, 2016,
from http://iq.intel.com/springboarding-maker-con-
cepts-to-market-through-elastic-finance/
Drane, K. (2014, December 08). Crowdfunding is
Mutually Beneficial and Proves Demand. Retrieved
March 31, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=TrvQQs5CwEw
Global Crowdfunding Market to Reach $34.4B in 2015,
Predicts Massolution’s 2015CF Industry Report. (2015,
April 07). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.
crowdsourcing.org/editorial/global-crowdfunding-
market-to-reach-344b-in-2015-predicts-massolutions-
2015cf-industry-report/45376
The Maker Challenge. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016,
from https://www.indiegogo.com/partners/maker
Crowdfunding creates both start up capital and also market validation because it
connects entrepreneurs directly with audiences who care, building support and
brand awareness.
Maturity
Since crowdfunding platforms
such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo
launched, the funding capabilities
available makes it possible for
innovative designers and entre-
preneurs to bypass the large cor-
porations (and their equally large
marketing teams) for funding and
investment, corporations which
often have little interest in radical
new products.
Carl Espoti, CEO and founder of Massolution and crowd-
sourcing.org, observed that “large enterprises are now
pursuing a crowdfunding agenda to market-test innova-
tion portfolios and validate RD outputs.”(Clifford,2015).
Crowdfunding allows makers to gain market validation
and avoid personal financial risk when taking a product
concept to market. It also allows makers test the mar-
ket early and prove their product’s demand to potential
distributors, retailers, and licensees(Drane, 2014).
Crowdfunding appeals to early adopters and tech enthu-
siasts by potentially allowing full customization of prod-
ucts in fulfilling niche demand, something often ignored
by the big firms. Makers are able to meet this need and
open opportunities and access to this market.
Kickstarter, Indiegogo (and others) have created disrup-
tive new business models to provide capital to young
companies and accelerate innovation and progress with
potential to affect all aspects related to daily life.
Etsy expands
its product
offering to include
training services to
aid crafters in build-
ing their buasiness-
es.
Access to a growing number of crowdfunding
services, aids creators in the production process,
fuelling a creative burst, and changing the way new
products are developed with real-time feedback
from direct investors and future customers.
With the demand for pre-market validation and
brand awareness of new products and services,
maker entrepreneurs are looking to crowdfunding
for financing in order to accelerate the speed of
their goods and services from concepts to proto-
types to markets.
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The Maker Movement could reinforce and extend
what small communities do well already – fostering
a strong ethic of citizenship and further strengthen-
ing tight community ties. Achieving broad benefits
will require some changes in government policy
at local, provincial,and federal levels. These may
include offering incentives for compliant citizens as
well as policy changes away from the already estab-
lished, corporate-focused current policies.
Implications
Vicente Guallart, founder of Institute of Advanced Archi-
tecture in Catalunya (2001), envisioned maker-citizens
using new tools such as 3D printers and open source
designs as a means of taking an active, material role to
contribute to city development.
As a maker city, such urban areas could provide a
platform for small communities to leverage limited
resources, letting citizens play multiple roles within the
ecosystem, connecting community groups with each
other to supplement their capabilities and infrastruc-
ture. Neighbourhood communities could join together in
commercial ventures to create more jobs, grow busi-
nesses, and stimulate commercial output.
In this, the 21st century, citizens and startup companies
in maker cities around the world would coordinate and
instantly connect available resources, energy, and tech-
nology to people in real-time.
With the notion of “think globally, act locally” in mind,
maker cities would be the next great “civic lab,” empow-
ering individuals to solve the small problems but also
the bigger ones, too, like climate change.
Maker-citizen empowers the
collaborative community
The Maker Movement has the potential to revitalize communities and change the way
citizens engage with their civic institutions. Likewise, government action and policy
decisions may change the course of the Maker Movement’s growth and impact.
Maturity
“In the 21st century, we’ll see the
future of technology emerge first
in cities, often from makers and
grassroots innovators.”- Jason Tes-
ter, the director of IFTF Research.
Dumaine, B. (2014, October 27). A North Carolina cig-
arette plant gets a new life. Retrieved April 01, 2016,
from http://fortune.com/2014/10/27/a-north-carolina-
cigarette-plant-gets-a-new-life/
Deloitte. (2013, December). Impact of the maker
movement. Retrieved April 1, 2016, from http://mak-
ermedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/impact-of-
the-maker-movement.pdf
Rowley, M. J. (2014, October 07). Civic Hacking and the
Maker Movement Create Smarter Cities. Retrieved
April 01, 2016, from http://newsroom.cisco.com/fea-
ture-content?articleId=1497135
Smith, A. (2015, April 04). Tooling Up: Civic visions,
FabLabs, and grassroots activism. Retrieved April 01,
2016, from https://www.theguardian.com/science/po-
litical-science/2015/apr/04/tooling-up-civic-visions-fab-
labs-and-grassroots-activism
Signals
Oakland Mak-
ers celebrates and
promotes Oakland, CA
as an international des-
tination for industrial
arts, innovation, and
production
Repurpos-
ing of existing
industrial buildings
in order to build
sustainable infra-
structure and
goods
In Feb-
ruary 2015,
city authorities in
São Paulo, Brazil,
announced plans to
open a network of
12 public Fab
Labs
DontFlush.me,
an Arduino project,
helps New York City
residents reduce
pollution in the
harbour
The Insti-
tute for the Fu-
ture (IFTF) released
findings of its Maker
Cities, “Open Cities: How
the Maker Mindset is
Reinventing Urban
Life” research report
in October ,
2014
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Implications
According to Maker Magazine, new job titles such as Quadcop-
ter Pilot, Makerspace Manager, and Digital Fabricator didn’t
exist 10 years ago, a do today. More and more unusual jobs and
position are coming, with makers no longer only representing
crafters, hackers and tinkers.
Most “maker” jobs, being mostly project-based, are sometimes
excluded from employment benefit plans. For that reason,
without having to pay benefits and (outside of Canada) social
security costs for their employees, companies might consider
short-term, contract-based employees.
In the project-based, tech-driven economy, it pays to be adapt-
able, able to communicate with a diverse set of people, and
have relationships with many employers instead of relying on
only one source of income.
A greater portion of the labour (and value creation) will reside
in the customization and personalization component, including
many “aftermarket” activities into pre-market, in response to
changing consumer expectations.
New technologies are revolutionizing the future of work created
by global and virtual environments Makers are no longer just
hobbyists, they are often the ones bringing the “next big thing”
to market for mass consumption. They are changing the game
for all of us.
A dearth of opportunities has created a new league of free-
lancers, and the desire to reduce carbon footprints has made
telecommuting more appealing than ever.
Gig workers replace
the fixed-salary position
Makers, who transfer their skills from “crafting, tinkering and hacking,” will accel-
erate the speed of the incoming gig economy and drive the workforce into a frag-
mented, piecework jobs era.
Along with the development of sharing or gig econ-
omy, jobs will be short-term engagements and not
fixed salary paid based on per hour, week or month
of work done, and unlike traditional employment in
which jobs were organized by titles and professions,
this title-based career organization may sharply
decline in the near future. People with maker-based
skills can use these flexible, hands-on problem solv-
ing skills best in a gig economy and are on their way
in becoming sought after “gig employees”. Eventu-
ally, this economic transition could drive a radical
revolution in the job market, shaping demand for
changes in higher education to best prepare stu-
dents for the gig economy.
Maturity
The trend toward a gig economy
has begun. A study by Intuit pre-
dicted that by 2020, 40% of Amer-
ican workers will be independent
contractors (Intuit 2020 report).
Signals The U.S.
workforce is
undergoing a massive
change. People are no
longer simply lawyers, or
photographers, or writers
but instead are now part-
time lawyers who are also
amateur photographers
but occasionally write
on the side.
Reuters’ Data
shows that the
number of freelance
employees has
increased over the
past six years.
“10 Maker Jobs That Didn’t Exist 10 Years Ago | Make: DIY Projects,
How-Tos, Electronics, Crafts and Ideas for Makers.” Make DIY Projects
HowTos Electronics Crafts and Ideas for Makers. 2013. Accessed
January 28, 2016. http://makezine.com/2013/07/06/10-maker-jobs-
that-didnt-exist-10-years-ago/.
Calson, E. (2014, August 11). Weekend Job Warriors: My Unconven-
tional (Yet Profitable) Weekend Gig. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from
http://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2014/08/11/weekend-job-war-
riors-my-unconventional-yet-profitable-weekend-gig/#3e30c60938a3
Epicenter: Resource - How the Maker Movement Can Change Higher
Education. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2016, from http://epicenter.
stanford.edu/resource/how-the-maker-movement-can-change-high-
er-education
Gillespie, P., O’Brien, S. A. (2015, October 12). The gig economy:
More people might have jobs than you think. Retrieved March 28,
2016, from http://money.cnn.com/2015/10/02/news/economy/jobs-
report-gig-on-demand-economy/
Horowitz, S. (2011, September 1). The Freelance Surge Is the Indus-
trial Revolution of Our Time. Retrieved March 31, 2016, from http://
www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2011/09/the-freelance-surge-
is-the-industrial-revolution-of-our-time/244229/
Hempel, J. (2016, January 04). Gig Economy Workers Need Benefits
and Job Protections. Now. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://
www.wired.com/2016/01/gig-economy-workers/
Lombardozzi, C. (2014, June 23). Starting a conversation about the
“maker movement”. Retrieved March 31, 2016, from https://learning-
journal.wordpress.com/category/trends-2/
Intuit 2020 Research Series. (n.d.). Retrieved March 31, 2016, from
http://about.intuit.com/futureofsmallbusiness/
Sundararajan, A. (2015, July 26). The ‘gig economy’ is coming. What
will it mean for work?. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.
theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jul/26/will-we-get-by-gig-
economy
Hillary Clinton’s
economic plan
recognizes “this on-de-
mand, or so-called gig
economy is creating
exciting economies and
unleashing innova-
tion.”
The short-
term hotel living
accommodation
platforms Airbnb,
Love Home Swap, and
oneFinestay collectively
have close to a mil-
lion “hosts.”
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Maturity
Emerging.
SignalsDale
Dougherty’s
Maker Faires are
family-friendly and in-
clusive to young mak-
ers and gender and
culture inclusive
as well.
Gershenfeld
also recognizes the
underrepresentation of
women in science, tech-
nology, engineering, and
mathematics and hopes
Fab Academy can be a
means to change
this.
Makerspaces
are physical and
online spaces to col-
laborate and share ideas,
such as Men Who Knit.
com. Online spaces allow
for anonymity for those
concerned about gender
and age-based
bias.
Neil Gershen-
feld’s Fab Acade-
my provides learning
opportunities and
connectivity (local and
global) for children
otherwise unable
to travel.
Implications
Since the 1970s and 1980s our society and values
have changed with the rise of the feminism and
gender equity movements, working parents in
non-traditional roles, and non-gender specific ed-
ucation curriculum for Millennials. If makerspaces
become the utopian playing and learning spaces
we hope they do, makers would be determined
by their interest and expertise rather than their
gender or age. Collaboration and creating would
happen based on interest. Teaching and facilitat-
ing the learning of skills would also be based on
knowledge, not necessarily age-based wisdom.
With the rise of technology and the desire to en-
gage with it, the older demographics in our com-
munities eagerly look to the young to help navi-
gate technology-based making in the same way
the young might look to a grandmother to teach
them to knit. Knowledge is valued, not gender or
age. As Neil Gershenfeld notes, the “strength of
the Fab Lab is social not technical.”1
Image Credits
Jalisco Maker Faire: http://mkrsfest.com/JaliscoMakerFaire/
The Makery: https://the-makery.squarespace.com/
blog/2013/9/26/learning-to-knit-at-the-makery
Chronicles of a Woodworking Apprentice: http://lohrschool.
blogspot.ca/2013_06_01_archive.html
Basket weaving: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basket_weav-
Making for Gender/Age Neutral
Social Change
Maker movement and maker spaces could become creative, collaborative gender
and age neutral spaces. As learning becomes less formal and behaviourist, maker
spaces will facilitate learning beyond age, expertise and discipline. This change
will also mean freedom from gender-based work.
Gershenfeld, N. (2012). How to Make Almost Any-
thing: The Digital Fabrication Revolution. Foreign
Affairs (91), p 57. 1
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Implications
Curriculum changes reflecting self-reliant, “any
century skills,” have the potential to boost empow-
ered learning, critical thinking, problem solving,
adaptability, and persistence the young (and old
(and old) need in our post-industrial time. Learn-
ing to be self-reliant leads to better social and
economic 2
outcomes for not only for struggling
communities like Detroit, but is empowering for
individuals of all 3
ages.
Maker-based Education and
Curriculum Change
Maturity
Near future.
Signals
Children are
disengaged in
classroom learning
and labelled as
poor learners.
Ontario’s new
curriculum stresses
community engagement
along with building learners’
skills and knowledge to become
“motivated innovators, commu-
nity builders, creative talent,
skilled workers,
entrepreneurs, and lead-
ers of tomorrow.”
Curriculum
has moved
away from tradi-
tional programs long
in decline as parents
took more academic
routes through their
education and
careers.
Making
allows stu-
dents of all ages to
demonstrate learning
and a makerspace allows
facilitated learning where
students can collabo-
rate with, and ulti-
mately become
teachers.
History of
handcrafting
and self-reliance
include the Arts and
Crafts Movement (19th-
20th century), Bauhaus
(20th century), and
Henry David Tho-
reau’s Walden.
Sturges, J. (2014 January 5). TEDxMidwest The
Maker Movement: Jeff Sturges [video file].
Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=- 2uIXJclJE2Y
Image credits
High School Wood Shop Class 1962: https://
www.reddit.com/r/OldSchoolCool/com-
ments/3xv7ef/high_school_wood_shop_class_
in_1962/
Illinois New Bureau: https://illinois.edu/blog/
view/6369/266933
Education and curriculum changes might be based on making and play-based inqui-
ry learning to meet the needs of 21st Century skill-building. Schools might trans-
form traditional classrooms, art studios, home economics and industrial shops into
makerspaces facilitated by teachers as a space for inquiry and play.
31

Urban
Green-
house
cological
S
T
E
E
P
+
V
32

Implications
The wider implications of this trend addresses
food security and self-sufficiency. Promoting urban
greenhouse gardening as a maker movement
idea invites innovative ideas on producing food
for communities through fun but environmentally
sustainable means. Economically, enabling people
to grow their own food is a means to social securi-
ty and healthcare costs.
Maturity
Emerging.
Gould, D. (2014 February 10). BrightFarms Raises $4.9M
To Build Greenhouses On Urban Supermarkets. Forbes.
Retrieved from:http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielle-
gould/2014/02/10/brightfarms-raises-4-9m-to-build-green-
houses-on-urban-supermarkets/#1a44e66c197e
Morris, R.C. (2007 July 13). Early slices of paradise: Gardens in
ancient times. New York
The Detroit Future City (DFC) Field Guide to Working with Lots.
Retrieved from: http://dfc-lots.com/about/
Image credits
Red Stick Ranch: http://www.redstickranch.com/2011/03/victo-
rian-gardening.html
Pop Up City: http://popupcity.net/modular-greenhouses-the-
next-big-thing-in-urban-farming/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/leeluvs24/garden-sheds-
greenhouses/
Little Mansions Design: http://littlemansionsdesigns.blogspot.
ca/2012/03/prototype-for-first-urban-greenhouse.html
Growing
and shipping
food from far away
is expensive finan-
cially and also costly
for the environ-
ment.
Canadi-
an economic
recession and low
dollar mean the high
cost of importing
food threatens to
access healthy
food.
Signals
Grocery
stores in New
York City have
rooftop green-
houses
Canadian
economic reces-
sion and low dollar
mean the high cost
of importing food
threatens our
ability
Canadi-
an economic
recession and
low dollar mean
the high cost of
importing food
threatens
Growing
prevalence
of communi-
ty gardens.
Urban Greenhouse Gardening:
The Outdoor Makerlab
The Maker Movement could provide economic growth, beautification, and food se-
curity solutions for urban areas through urban greenhouse gardening initiatives
Parks and gardens have been recreational commu-
nity spaces for centuries, such as in ancient Greece
where, “groves were also where the celebrated
schools of philosophy grew up and flourished...
gradually acquir[ing] buildings for teaching and gym-
nasiums for physical exercise. These settings, seen
again much later as ideal for academic and athletic
pursuits, gave rise to modern extra-urban schools
and campus colleges.”4 Urban gardens and com-
munity gardens are another way to engage makers.
Current municipal composting infrastructure could
help build more community gardens as outdoor
makerlabs. We need to build on traditional commu-
nity gardens and consider greenhouses as a means
to grow food in winter.
33

Makers in Museums
alues
S
T
E
E
P
+
V
34

Makers in Museums
Makerspaces and creative hubs could transform community and cultural spaces. Community,
cultural, and social spaces (libraries, museums, art galleries and community centres) can
transform traditional spaces in order to meet the needs of the maker movement and the shift
in more democratic and shared learning. Libraries and museums increase space for creative
making alongside spaces for books, curated exhibitions, and traditional learning.
Implications
How can libraries, museums, community centres
and art galleries remain relevant in the future? The
need for secure funding needs to come from be-
yond (but still include) traditional avenues such as
government funding, donors, and memberships.
Makerspaces build new audiences and new com-
munities, often audiences that cultural institutions
might never reach. Community spaces might
incorporate retail options for makerspace partici-
pants to build on the craft sector economy creating
revenue for their institutions. As Neil Gershenfeld
suggests, “personal fabrication is not to make
what you can buy in stores but to make what you
cannot buy.” Imagine libraries, art galleries, and 13
14
museums as fun playspaces which appear more
open to all.
Maturity
Emerging.
Two Rivers Art Gallery (Prince George, BC) Makerspace: http://
tworiversgallery.ca/learn-create/adults/maker-lab/
Robert McLaughlin Gallery http://rmg.on.ca/gallery-a-and-the-
artlab/
Dougherty, D. (2012). The Maker Movement. MIT Press Journal,
p. 11. Retrieved from: http://www.mitpressjournals.org/doi/
pdf/10.1162/INOV_a_00135
Centre3 for print media and arts. Retrieved from: http://centre3.
com/home/art-education/nu-deal/
Ontario Museum Association. (2015). Ontario’s Museum’s 2025
Looking Ahead: Towards a Strategic Vision and Action Plan, p.
13. Retrieved from: https://members.museumsontario.ca/sites/
default/files/members/docs/OntariosMuseums2025_LookingA-
head.pdf
Van Alstyne, G. Ed. (2011). OCADU 2020 Media Futures. Toronto:
Strategic Innovation Lab (SLab). p.23.
Gershenfeld, N. (2012). How to Make Almost Anything: The Digital
Fabrication Revolution. Foreign Affairs (91), p. 49.
Image Credits
Maker Lab for Teens: https://acplteen.wordpress.
com/2014/03/11/the-maker-lab-for-teens-at-the-main-library/
Robert McLaughlin Gallery: http://rmg.on.ca/gallery-a-and-the-
artlab/
Surrey Libraries: http://www.surrey.ca/culture-recreation/17783.
aspx
Signals
Gallery A and The
ArtLab Artist-in-Res-
idency Program at the
Robert McLaughlin Gallery
in Oshawa,in ON, for artists,
“who propose to experiment
with new ideas, take risks and
make dramatic departures
from work they have
done in the past.”
Maker-
spaces are
emerging in art
galleries, such as
Two Rivers Gal-
lery in BC.
Oshawa, ON,
for artists, “who
propose to exper-
iment with new
ideas, take risks
and make
History of
“tinkering,” docu-
mented in Popular
Mechanics in the
1950s and Make
magazine
Trends in art
galleries and mu-
seums to broaden com-
munity partnerships and
become more inter/trans/
multidisciplinary in their
programming in order to
address economic change
and demographic
change.
Unmet
needs of
individuals and
groups needing
working and of-
fice space.
35

Trends, Driving Forces, and Four Scenarios to 204036

Project Context
Generational Analysis
The role of student is shifting from the po-
sition of consumer to active participant, doer
and maker….What will Canadian education
be like, now through 2040, as self-direct-
ed learning becomes commonplace? How
should educational institutions and teachers
respond in order to prepare for the future
and to keep students engaged in learning?
How can we help ensure Canada retains its
place in the global knowledge economy?
According to the Maker Movement Mani-
festo, “[m]aking is fundamental to what it
means to be human. We must make, create,
and express ourselves to feel whole. There
is something unique about making physical
things. Things we make are like little pieces
of us and seem to embody portions of our
soul (Dougherty 2012).”
For educators, this increasing desire to learn
by doing, and for students, to become active
learners: makers, hackers and crafters, is
challenging the status quo. The education-
al sector is being forced to navigate a tidal
wave of change in the face of demand for
hands-on, customized, experiential, and
play-based learning alongside rapid techno-
logical advances.
Furthermore, the rise and fast diffusion of
alternative educational spaces from MOOCs,
to Fab Labs and Maker Spaces, driven by
ubiquitous technology, open-source soft-
ware, and a globally networked society, is
increasing competition. These alternative
and easily accessible educational models
have also fuelled the opinion that tradition-
al educational institutions are no longer
necessary to achieve one’s goal of attaining
knowledge, employment, and social status
among peers.
Educational institutions will continue to
grapple with these technology changes and
shifting consumer expectations in the years
ahead, and this report seeks to address
these massive changes and present plau-
sible future scenarios that could help the
educational sector reconceptualize their
models.
The Audience
Our scenarios address the concerns of f
higher education institutions such as George
Brown College and are informed by advice
and insights from Robert Luke, VP Research
and Innovation at George Brown College.
Our goal is to help George Brown College
bridge future expectations, needs and prior-
ities for higher education in Canada.
37Alternative Futures of Making and Learning | Knibb, Ding, Davies, Brooks

Why 2040?
Based on the generational analysis shown
above, we may expect 2040 to be a time
when both the workforce and the student
body are populated almost entirely by “digi-
tal natives.”
Today in 2016, the un-named genera-
tion that will be born to the millennials
is less than 5 years old. They will con-
tinue to enter the world over the next
decade. This generation—the “kids of
millennials”—will be the first generation
born to and raised by digital natives.
By 2040, they should almost all have
graduated secondary school (presum-
ing it still exists), and be engaging with
whatever the higher education system
has matured into.
The digital era has thus far been charac-
terized by a dissolving of the separation
of work and play. Work/life balance is
becoming work-life. Digital natives rep-
resent the vanguard of the integration
of play into all aspects of life. By 2040,
the Millennials—the first generation
of digital natives—will dominate the
workforce.
From the vantage point of 2040, the
separation of play and work may seem
anachronistic. Technological advance-
ments such as virtual reality and the
Internet of things will have had plenty
of time to affect education, play, work
and life.
Changes in education flow from changes
in society. Since it is largely publicly provi-
sioned in Canada, there is no profit impera-
tive driving the sector. It is naturally resis-
tant to change, and does not seem likely to
veer off in any extreme directions based on
one or two factors, no matter how critically
uncertain they may appear.
With the naturally conservative character of
education in mind, Jim Dator’s four generic
futures framework was a natural fit as a
scenario generation method. As the mac-
ro-environment shifts, higher education
will follow. Beneath the generic futures of
growth, discipline, collapse, and transform,
the 7 driving forces are an equally natural
fit for an analysis of higher education.
Project Methodology
38 Alternative Futures of Making and Learning | Knibb, Ding, Davies, Brooks

Emerging Trends
In the likely transition to a prosumer so-
ciety, with the student at the heart of the
learning experience, it’s likely that a number
of trends will continue to evolve. Through
previous scanning work we identified a
number of trends within the window of
making/play and higher education. These
include:
Open education could continue to place
strain on formal institutions and closed
structures;
Technological progress such as additive
manufacturing, data analytics, open-
source, and nanotechnology should
increase demand on the educational
sector to keep pace, while fuelling stu-
dents’ demand for customization and
hands-on learning;
AI, flexible robotics and biotechnology
will likely begin to rapidly change the
educational sector, job sector and, quite
possibly, the entire human race;
Peer-to-peer and crowd-based judge-
ment might emerge as a new form of
market validation—as an evolution of
social media reputation
Ubiquitous computing could break
down class divisions between wealthy
and poor to democratize our socio-eco-
nomic landscape;
Peer-to-peer economics seems likely to
continue to gain momentum, driving
entrepreneurship and re-shaping the
face of the workforce;
Traditional amphitheatre classrooms
and lecture-based passive learning
should become symbols of a bygone
era, replaced by hands-on experiential
and problem-based learning with stu-
dents at the heart of the experience.
Drivers of Change
Building upon the trend set, we identified
key drivers that could influence our scenari-
os at macro and micro-levels
Macro Environmental Forces
The broader global and causal drivers at
work at the macro-environmental level
include
Pervasiveness of Technology
Additive manufacturing, open-source soft-
ware, nanotechnology and globally connect-
ed networks are just some of the examples
of the rapid evolving technological changes
impacting the educational sector. Techno-
logical pervasiveness should democratize
access to education and allow for personal-
ized, hyper-customized experiences.
Rise of Prosumption
As the new model of hybrid producer-con-
sumer gains new ground in our contempo-
rary world, it is changing the face of edu-
cation and industry. This driver has been
maturing since it was first reported as a
trend in 1972 (McLuhan).
Rise of Automation and the ‘Jobless Future’
The nature of work is likely to continue to
change drastically, directly impacting the
role of higher education as a pathway to
workplace employment and skills-based ed-
ucation. Entrepreneurship, the gig economy
and project-based workforces are likely to
replace traditional jobs. This mature driver
has been at work since first predicted by
Keynes in 1933.
Attention Economies
In our fast-information world, consumer
attention holds immense value. Companies
seek to provide relevant, attention-grab-
bing content as a form of advertising. This
prized personalized content is captured
every minute online, “your browsing history,
the books you like, the wines you drink, the
music you listen to... [t]he more information
the better (Iskold 2007).” For consumers,
education and awareness around how your
attention data is collected and what its
used for needs to be considered in terms of
privacy.
Ageing Populations
Digital immigrants are ageing, retiring, and
coming to the end of their lives. Although
the Baby Boomer generation uses digital
technology, there is a divide within their co-
hort of those who have embraced technol-
ogy and the “[n]ot-so-smart (or not-so-flexi-
ble) digital immigrants [who] spend most of
their time grousing about how good things
were in the ‘old country’ (Wolfe 2012)”.
Beyond technology adoption, this genera-
tion is a large population and their move
away out of the tax base is anticipated to

have “serious implications for the nation-
al economy, government policy and the
well-being of its citizens...The gaps between
the wealthy and poor may widen into
gaping social wounds, as the adequacy of
pensions and private savings are tested
to their limits (Parkinson et al 2015).” This
loss of wealth may change the landscape of
higher education and financial access to it
for children of Millennials.
Globalization
International free trade deals continue to
propel globalization, and the internet has
facilitated a globalization of knowledge
work that has supplemented this already
well-established driver. Globalization offers
the worldwide market to companies and
consumers (Collins 2015), and education is
no exception. MOOCs are open to anyone
with access to an internet connected device.
Universities from all over the world offer
their knowledge, for low to no cost, without
requiring that students attend their bricks-
and-mortar institutions.
Privacy
More widespread use of connected tech-
nology is changing the amount of personal
information requested and shared around
the world. “Younger generations may lead a
change in society’s value for privacy or they
may grow into current values for privacy –
especially as they enter higher education
and professional careers (Library of the Fu-
ture).” The Internet of Things will mean that
devices and objects are connected as well.
Digital Intellectual Property Conflict
The GNU GPL launched the Open Source
software movement, and the Creative Com-
mons added granularity of rights sharing
and extended the license to cultural and
creative products.
The “open” model continues to make
inroads. Notable for this report are Open
Making, Open Education, and Open Data.
The flipside of this force is the disruptive
force of near-zero marginal cost, which was
first demonstrated by Napster.
Although governments and business inter-
ests are attempting to enforce IP rights in
digital environments, there is significant
pressure to move to “open” models, and a
well-grounded fear that failure to do so will
lead to financial extinction for the dinosaurs
of the “closed” era.
Climate Change
In 2010, UNESCO released their Education
for All Global Monitoring Report, noting that
climate-related events affect accessibility
to education (especially for girls) and also
tend to be more pronounced in low-income
countries than in middle-income countries.
Micro Environmental Forces
An additional set of drivers are exerting
pressure at the sectoral level. Much as Dou-
gald Hine forewarned in his talk “A Storm is
Blowing from Paradise,” a number of forces
are coming together to disrupt higher edu-
cation as we know it:
MOOCs and the ‘invisible colleges’
MOOCs are encouraging open-education
although it remains to be seen if they will
spell the death knell of traditional learning
environments.
Genderless, Ageless Maker Culture
Founders and influencers of the maker
movement, Dale Dougherty and Neil Ger-
shenfeld, prioritize family-friendliness and
inclusivity to makers young and old (Dough-
erty 2012). They have coded age, gender,
and cultural inclusivity into the basic code of
the Maker Movement. (Gershenfeld 2012).
MakerSpaces, Fab Labs and alternative play-
based educational environments
At the same time as online and virtual edu-
cation grows in prominence and credibility,
MakerSpaces, Fab Labs and alternative
play-based educational environments are
proliferating worldwide. Neil Gershenfeld
points out that these spaces are very dif-
ferent from universities (such as his own at
MIT). There is no lecturing; learners jump
in and learn experientially. These environ-
ments have the potential to expand access
to these tools and the accompanying skills
to a much broader cross-section of the
population.
Lifelong Learning
Students are embarking on lifelong learning
beyond the boundaries of a formal degree.
Canadian Higher Learning System
Canadian higher learning operates in a
highly decentralized manner. There are no
standards or governance at the national lev-
el: no ministry, policy, or quality assessment
and accreditation mechanisms for institu-
tions of higher education.

Today, almost all Canadian universities and
colleges rely on two key sources of revenue:
government grants and tuition, but the
balance between these is in flux. Private
donation and corporate funding are also
sought-after financial options for colleges
and universities in Canada. In Ontario, new
legislation reintroduces tuition grants for
students from low income families.
41

In the 21st century, higher educa-
tion institutions will move rapidly
to meet the needs of the local eco-
systems within which they operate.
Despite this move by institutions to
cultivate talent, form linkages with
private sector and meet the de-
mands of a fourth industrial revo-
lution, where technology and the
physical/digital worlds collide, only
few will succeed in radically chang-
ing their model.
Those who do thrive have success-
fully created new products and
markets that merge parts of the
educational curriculum with external
corporate sectors, such as media,
technology, innovation, and venture
capital. Exciting times are ahead —
and challenges too.
Growth: In Vivo

In Vivo - Scenario
Higher education systems and institutions
have continued to become international,
global, commodified, and scaled up, in
order to be relevant in the global economy
and to as many students as can pay tuition.
By 2020, the internet has reshaped the
face of higher education. Institutions have
adopted new technologies at rapid speed
to compete with new entrants such as open
universities and MOOCs who redefined the
conception of “education” or “educational
organization.” Technology has allowed them
to open the learning experience.
By 2040, worldwide enrolment exceeds 660
million. This represents 10% of the world’s
adult population, compared to just 4%
in 2012 (Calderon, 2015). Within Canada,
demographics play a major role in campus
planning, as institutions of higher education
compete fiercely with each other for mar-
ket share. Canadian university and college
recruiters greatly expand their efforts in
recruiting students from abroad, including
Latin America, Asia and Africa. Furthermore
institutions are building branch campuses
in other nations.
As early as 2016, Ontario’s provincial
government bolstered attendance thanks
to incentives to assist students in pursu-
ing higher education. The Ontario budget
offered post-secondary grants to cover
tuition costs for students from low income
families. Breaking further barriers to access
the internet has fueled the resurgence of
longstanding cultural beliefs that everybody
is entitled to higher education, regardless of
their expertise or economic constraints.
The capability of hands-on making and
manufacturing has dramatically increased
by 2030 and millennials and their children
are increasingly concerned with ensuring
hands-on experience is maintained and
demonstrated. Learning durable skills that
can be broadly liberates graduates from
dependence on entering workplaces that do
not share their interests or values. In their
perspective it’s better to be a crafter, or a
freelancer at a small local business, rather
than an unemployed economist, psycholo-
gist or paid wage worker.
Focus on STEM has dramatically increased,
however, as a by-product, the social sci-
ences and the humanities are not as im-
portant and to some degree are forgotten.
Predictably by 2040, less than 10 percent of
liberal-arts programs will survive in North
America.
By 2040 students have become central
to the learning process, engaging in par-
ticipatory dialogue in which they not only
consume but produce knowledge. Learning
is lifelong and everyone is “learning and
earning.” In this evolved model the learner
is at the core displaying the teacher at the
centre of the learning experience. At the
heart of this customized model is the goal
of providing an environment for facilitating
2025 20402016 2020 2030 2035
Acceptance into
higher education
becomes
normalized.
Higher education
becomes normal-
ized and nearly
universally
accessible.
Entrepreneurial-
ism is encouraged
and favoured by
parents.
Instructors
and academia
are Ôteacher-
preneursÕ.
Knowledge
becomes
currency, allowing
anyone with
mastery to earn.
The subject of
Liberal Arts is
considered
irrelevant
Humanities as a
major declines to
10% of the student
body.
Marketplace disrup-
tion continues with
declining consumption
vs. increasing
production.
STEM becomes the
undisputed centre of
elementary and
secondary education.
Market demand
for continuing
education grows.
Immigration rates continue
in Canada driving diversity
in education and the
workforce.

and guiding the development of the learner.
Furthermore, the position of the teacher
has evolved to becoming flexible and com-
bined with their professional endeavours.
Teachers now “guide on the side” rather
than being the authority lecturing from the
stage.
As noted earlier the shift to paid projects
rather than full time positions has created
a fundamental values shift from the opin-
ion that work is taxing to work as play. As
a result the number of university educated
“hackers, makers, and crafters” creating
business start-ups has surged.
Demand for accolades outside of presti-
gious universities grows: social “hacks,” so
as badges, diplomas and credit ratings. Sim-
ply from social graphs, the project leader
can find out if candidates are smart, hard
working, or subject experts.
Aligned with corporate interests, envi-
ronmental problems are solved through
technology. The university molds students
who are competitive, creative, and critical
thinkers ready to work or found start-ups.
Student networking and collaborative proj-
ects, curricular and extracurricular, produce
exciting new products and experiences.
Campuses may reflect corporate brands.
Teacherpreneur in 2040
In 2040 the role of postsecondary instructor
is radically changed by the shift in traditional
education towards a focus on entrepreneur-
ialism and innovation.
“Ding ding ding,” Emily Stephenson’s iPhone
X rings with the video call with her sister,
Van Natter.
“How did you arrange your AR classroom of
4D design for your students?” Asked Emily
hoping to get some quick insights.
“Oh don’t worry”, her sister replied, “they’ll
all be ready, you just need to answer their
questions.”
After their discussion, she drives to McMas-
ter University to teach the Computer Science
Design Thinking course. Her students’ stud-
ies range from the arts, to computer science
and business. A diverse academic back-
ground along with business and entrepre-
neurial skills is an asset for anyone planning
to own their own businesses or compete in
the job market.
Busy is the life of the teacher in this dual
role — instructor and proprietor of her own
business of education.
In 2040, Emily never needs to hold a lifelong
teaching position in the fixed university any
more. Degrees in Education and teach-
ing certifications are no longer necessary.
She shares her real world insights gained
through business ownership and sees her
role as sharing rather than teaching. Uni-
versity instructors no longer seek tenure.
They are career focused, not academically
focused, better helping students move from
“learning to earning.” Emily is a mentor and
coach, helping students realize their dreams.
Reputations are built through an open
network of peers and subject matter ex-
perts. Performance and teaching quality are
immediately student-evaluated after the
class concludes so Emily knows what must
be learning needs must be met for the next
class. These evaluations affect how much
teaching work she gets and the salary she
earns in the future.
She very much enjoys her teaching work as
well as the work she does at her business.
She is considered to be a “teacherpreneur,”
and, although busy, she likes how both
jobs can inform each other and be flexi-
ble enough to be able to gain and share
knowledge. Chances are with AR, computing
technology, and open sharing, teaching half
a day and engaging in other work will make
for perfect days with time left over for coffee
dates with Van Natter.

Although raised in a materialistic time, Gen-
eration Z, now in their 30s, is a self-aware,
self-reliant and driven generation (Pike
2016), concerned with the environment,
waste, and ethical considerations of buying
unnecessary goods. The Occupy Movement
succeeds in that young people in the late
2010s begin participating in an open source,
self-employed economy.
Technology is desirable, some would argue
a necessary tool in this society. Making,
hacking and tinkering that filled the play
time of their childhoods has set them up
for recycling and remodelling discarded and
vintage goods in real time, saving money
and building on the skills prominent in their
education. Do their children start to con-
sider postsecondary education, like their
parents and grandparents before them? Is
young adulthood still a time to learn, meet
people and share ideas?
Lifelong learning is the norm and adults can
expect to have multiple careers throughout
their lifetime. Perhaps this is why postsec-
ondary institutions are not where young
people go. Expense and availability of
alternate education play a big role in their
choice.
Collapse: Retrench

Retrench - Scenario
The financial decline of the 2000s contin-
ues into and after 2016, effectively ending
manufacturing in Canada. Short-term
contract-based employment increasingly
becomes a reality and lower wages along
with it. People begin saving their own cash
and pull whatever meagre savings they may
have out of markets, stocks and mutual
funds. Due to economic stagnation, low
wages, and precarious work in Ontario,
the global marketplace remains primarily
a pure consumption model. Inexpensive
manufacturing in China and the US keep
the cost of manufactured goods low. The
mass market co-creation model does not
succeed as hoped because of low to no
wages and the inability for people to afford
to buy necessary technology and resources
for personal manufacturing. As a business
model, EMQ1 fails because of the high cost
of making just one item.
Extreme weather due to climate change
leaves us unsure of what to expect from the
seasons and day-to-day weather. Canada’s
seasonal climate, abundance of land and
water, and warming of the north provide
space and resources for billions of peo-
ple to live. The timing of the seasons has
changed and season creep often occurs.
Winters have become shorter and there is
a longer growing season, which benefits
urban farmers, harvesters, and city green-
house growers.
Climate change, environmental and eco-
nomic concerns prompt shift in sociopolit-
ical views of birth control in order to main-
tain a sustainable global population (Ehrlich
2013). Access to and information about
sexual and reproductive health becomes
widespread and normalized, as does birth
control, and the legalized access to abor-
tion. The birth rate goes down as couples
decide to have fewer children, if any. Im-
migration, due mainly to climate refugees,
primarily provides population increase in
Canada. There is new attitude, a desperate
but playful one, coming from the lack of
time and money but also immigration and
the influence of shared cultures in commu-
nities under a changed economy.
These economic changes heavily influence
postsecondary education. Where colleges
once prepared students for vocational,
practical skills-based training, universities
moved in this direction as well, trying to
prepare students for the project-based
economy that favours creativity, critical
thinking, the ability to design unique solu-
2025 20402016 2020 2030 2035
University
degree-based
postsecondary
education becomes
elite and necessary
for professions
such as medicine.
Massive
Open Online
Courses
(MOOCs)
are
widespread
and free.
Invisible university
information sharing,
autodidactic
learning becomes
primary means of
postsecondary
education.
Community
institutions
become social
education hubs,
primarily as
makerspaces for
the project-based
economy
Proj-
ect-based
economy
emphasizes
sharing
knowledge.
Federal and provincial
government resources for
social security and healthcare
are scarce as Baby Boomers
begin to die and project-based
economy cannot provide tax
base; Generation X remains in
the workforce.
Governments
restrict
funding to only
necessary
costs, such as
climate
emergencies.
Energy
becomes
scarce
and
expen-
sive.
Increased
immigration
of climate
refugees as
Canada is
resource
rich.
Communities
become hubs of
sharing economies,
food production, and
making/tinkering/ex-
perimenting to
generate electricity
for technology.
The pure consumer
economy slows
down in Canada as
people stop buying
new things and turn
to recycling and
reclaiming used
goods.
Older members of
Generation Z a decade
into their careers and
working lives within a
stagnant economy. Most
remain living at home
with multiple generations
under one roof.
Generation X and
Millennials continue
working precarious,
part-time jobs and wages
decrease. Pension funds
exist only in government
plans and are minimal
and underfunded.
Immigrants and
climate refugees
bring social
change in
ingenuity,
innovation and
ability to manage
scarce resources.
Federal and
provincial
governments
help fund
massive
infrastructure for
clean energy
generation.
Postsecondary
education no longer
funded by govern-
ments; private banks
take over funding and
formal postsecondary
education becomes
inaccessible to most.
Universities continue
building playful Maker
Spaces and Fab Labs
within disciplines.
Cultural institutions
and community
centres make space
for fab labs.
Urban gardening
and all-season
greenhouses
gain popularity
due to the high
cost of imported
fruits and
vegetables.
Canada accepts
war and climate
refugees, and
promotes social
cohesion with
positive political
messaging.
Manufacturing
sector continues to
shrink in Canada
and economy
stagnates. Open
source and sharing
economy gains
momentum.

tions to problems, teamwork and com-
munication (White 2015). Interdisciplinary
programs, such as the iSci program at
McMaster University, began popping up in
the 2010s, but more significantly, incorpo-
rating playful and exploratory Maker Space
into both curricular and extracurricular
activities, such as the Centre for Bits and At-
oms at MIT. “Innovation” buzzed on and off
campuses but as the economy continued
to stagger into the 2020s, postsecondary
education was no longer the only place for
necessary and influential learning — both
because of the lack of jobs available at the
end of study and the high cost of tuition
— students began seeking alternatives to
formal postsecondary education.
Another contributing factor driving young
people away from traditional higher edu-
cation is their unwillingness to go into debt
(New 2014), and the rise of the invisible uni-
versity and free or low cost online courses
through Coursera or the Open University.
The most popular Coursera courses in 2015
— Machine Learning, Programming, Learn-
ing How to Learn, Financial Accounting, and
Tibetan Buddhist Meditation in the Modern
World — continue to be so into the 2030s.
The DIY economy, free knowledge sharing,
and global internet connectivity has allowed
for increased skills and information sharing.
A meaningful life was becoming valued, and
more attainable, than one of wealth.
Although raised in a materialistic time,
Generation Z, now in their 30s, is more self-
aware, self-reliant and driven (Pike 2016),
concerned with the environment, waste,
and ethics of buying unnecessary goods.
Economic change brings social change as
well. Generations of families live together
and communities are strong. Children are
encouraged to play freely and are no longer
heavily scheduled in their free time as Mil-
lennials and Gen Zs were when they were
young. Elementary and secondary school is
year-round and provides a hub for commu-
nities to learn academic and practical skills.
Maker labs replace art studios, industrial
shops, and home economics rooms and
outside, schoolyards become places to grow
food in raised gardens and greenhouses.
Community institutions such as libraries
and museums continue to be free spaces
to play and work, but now serve also as
inexpensive rental office space and fab labs
for learning and building, mostly out of their
own financial necessity but also the com-
mon communities they serve.
This new attitude towards play comes also
from the lack of availability of electricity.
With only a handful of hours of electricity
available for residents per day, the desire
for self-generating or community-generat-
ing has grown. Exteriors of community cen-
tres, libraries and museums are outfitted
with solar panel and small wind turbines.
The Power Plant Art Gallery in Toronto, has
become a leader in maker-based program-
ming out of both interest and necessity. It’s
location on Lake Ontario is a prime spot
for generating hydro electricity and people
flock there to use its spaces. Galleries and
museums like Museum London and Glen-
hyrst in Brantford become leaders in maker
spaces and hydroelectricity generation due
to their proximity to rivers — even better
sources of running water than Lake Ontario.
Play has become free and fun. Although
leisure time is at a premium and people do
work long hours to earn enough money to
provide for themselves and their families,
work within the project -based economy has
incorporated and been influenced by the
exploratory and joyful maker movement.
Self-reliance is the key to success, no longer
the credentials of postsecondary education.
Lily Edith
Lily wakes up to the bright sun through her
bedroom window. “You fell asleep with
your Visilens1
on again,’” said her sister,
Edith, from across the room. “Which class
was open last night?”
“That history class about the war in…Bos-
nia? Is that a place? The war where they
built the hydro-electric centrales in the
river so they could watch television.2
We’re
building those today down at the canal.” Lily
stretched her arm out to set her Visilens
down on the bedside table.
1. Visilens, like the prototypical Google Glass, are
lightweight wearable projected screens that replaces
tablets and smartphones.
2. During the Bosnian war in the 1990s, citizens of
Goražde’s would generate their own hydroelectricity in
order to be able to watch television. Graphic novelist
and journalist Joe Sacco’s Safe Area Goražde’s illus-
trated these centrales (pictured). Lambert, L. (2012
April 18). Goražde’s Mini Centrales: Self-Sufficiency in
War-time. The Funambulist [Weblog]. Retrieved from:
http://thefunambulist.net/2012/04/18/bosnia-gora-
zdes-mini-centrales-self-sufficiency-in-war-time/

“I think Grandma and Grandpa are already
down at the greenhouses, we should get
going.” The girls’ grade 9 classes are at the
art gallery this morning, a mix of art class,
gardening, and hands-on building in the
gallery’s makerspace. Today, it’s the hy-
dro-electric centrales, Lily prepped for last
night.
The morning was already hot as the girls
biked to the gallery. Lily was looking for-
ward to setting up her centrale in the river
and the cool relief of getting her legs in
the water, especially before helping her
grandparents in the steamy greenhouse
before lunch. She was also looking forward
to generating some power for her Visilens’
battery. “We have math class to prepare for
tonight, Edes.”
Sensing her sister’s concern for the coming
night without available public electricity,
Edith said, “It’s really sunny, we’ll have lots
of juice from the panels today.”
After a lunch of cheese sandwiches and
fresh salad from their backyard garden,
complemented by fresh strawberries from
the greenhouse, the girls arrived at school,
greeting their friends as they clambered
into class. They pulled out their Kobo
readers3
for English class and pulled up The
Great Gatsby from their libraries. “I can’t
believe people were this rich, with nothing
else to do but go to parties,” Lily said.
“And drive cars!” Said a classmate.
“Drunk!” Said another. The teacher came
into the room and the students became
quiet, listening to the lesson. An hour later
class moved into the science labs, mobs of
kids moved through the cramped hallways
of the older buildings, built in the 2010s.
School boards opted for shared space in
community centres, museums, and libraries
rather than build onto their own structures.
With little tax revenue from decreased
population and the stagnant, low wage
economy, money went into healthcare not
education. With fewer teachers and less
space, students took charge of their own
learning, mostly away from the school,
through community projects, maker labs,
and VR MOOCs.
At home, Lily and Edith’s grandparents were
making dinner. The girl’s parents were at
the famous Thoreau Craft Brew Camp in
Massachusetts for a year-long immersive
agricultural specialized learning area for
making beer and wine. “For…we can make
liquor to sweeten our lips. Of pumpkins and
parsnips and walnut-tree chips,” 4
recited
Lily in her sing-song voice. Their dad was
looking forward to making pumpkin beer,
something that he missed. The girls giggled
at the thought of their father drinking beer
at the Thoreau camp, imagining a big drunk-
en party like Gatsby had.
3. As old and inexpensive technology the Toronto
District School Board maintains thousands of Kobo
readers for its students.
4. Thoreau, H.D. (1854). Walden. Boston: Shambhala
Publishing. p. 78.

The crowdnet knows best.
There’s no longer any public de-
bate on this. Public debate itself
is anachronistic; it’s permissi-
ble, but seems like a waste of
human energy which could be
spent on more productive tasks.
No one argues about whether
the Greenshift should have set
in sooner. Those Boomers left
alive have been apologising for
decades, but it makes no differ-
ence, because the climate con-
tinues to wobble uncomfortably
around us. No one listens to the
oldfolks anyway. They’re hope-
lessly out of touch.
Discipline: Crowdthink

Crowdthink - Scenario
Throughout the teens and early 20s, col-
leges and universities endured massive
disruption shrinking in size, budget, and
number. The unbundling of higher educa-
tion led to far more choice for students:
Courses in well-understood subjects
continued to migrate to virtual spaces
such as MOOCs.
Course calendars for lifelong learning
continued to expand while undergradu-
ate degrees continued to lose relevance.
Degree granting was unbundled from
curriculum as some institutions saw
opportunities to capture lost revenue by
granting degrees to learners who had
pursued self-directed learning.
A multitude of niche offerings--many
in partnership with Fab Labs and other
applied settings--allowed students to
pursue customized cross-disciplinary
courses of study, and to upgrade
continually as the world and their lives
changed.
Greater choice did not result in a larger
student body.
Automation of white-collar work deflated
the value of undergraduate degrees, driving
a migration from theoretical to hands-on
learning as students pursued practical skills
over more precarious professional fields.
The first Global Stocktake mandated by the
Paris Agreement in 2023, made it clear that
traditional political leaders couldn’t be trust-
ed with the climate. Climatic changes were
outpacing the most aggressive models from
the teens, yet political and business leaders
continued to promise incremental changes
and to under-deliver on those promises.
Oligopolist market power delayed the
establishment of the Sustainable Energy
Internet (SEI) and prolonged the carbon
economy. Without the SEI, even the fab labs
and open makers working on the nascent
collaborative commons were part of the
problem, because energy remained dirty.
The younger generations built the political
will and power to to create real change.
The first Greenshift was ushered in through
democratic election wins for young and
environmentally minded leaders. Canada
elected a Green PM in 2025, eager to re-
main relevant in a quickly changing world.
The late ‘20s were filled with hope and op-
timism. As government support fell square-
ly behind the push to a sustainable low
carbon economy, sustainable technologies
and economies were no longer economi-
cally marginalized. This period saw massive
installation of small scale renewable energy
infrastructure across the globe. Solar and
2025 20402016 2020 2030 2035
Crowdgover-
nance the
norm in most
of the world
Canada is a
major
destination
for climate
migrants.
VL
teaching
accounts
for 80% of
education.
Crowdnet governs
8 nations including
Brazil and
thousands of
communities and
municipalities
worldwide.
Virtual Life is
the one place
where a
person can
be free to
explore.
As Generation X
passes out of
mid-life,
anti-privacy
culture becomes
the norm.
GHG emissions
are down 80%
from 2025 peak
thanks to
crowd-policing of
all RL human
activity.
Now illegal in
many jurisdic-
tions, oil is worth
close to
$500/barrel on
the black market.
Energy austerity
leads to Òinfrastruc-
ture hangover,Ó as
energy-intensive
facilities are idled in
massive quantities.
Universities and
Colleges diversify
courses of study,
broadening
integrative and
applied collabora-
tive learning.
Polar ice
sheets
shrinking at
twice the rate
predicted by
IPCC in 2015.
Northwest
passage
open for
25% of the
year.
Canadian universities aggressively
recruit students from coastal
cities across the world in attempt
to replace Canadian students lost
to MOOCs and other higher
education alternatives. University
as a migration pathway is alive
and well.
More than 100,000
Fab Labs and other
public collabora-
tive making spaces
worldwide (vs.
320,000 public
libraries in 2015).
In pursuit of COP21
targets, Canadian
federal and
provincial
governments agree
to 2030 climate
change targets.
Summer sea
ice coverage
in Canadian
Arctic lowest
in recorded
history.
Shale gas
boom and
other new
sources
drive oil
prices below
$40/barrel.
Ontario
revamps
education
funding in
pursuit of
access for all.
MOOCs
from
globally
renowned
universities
continue to
proliferate.

wind power were providing 40% of humani-
ty’s electricity by the close of the 2020s
Having endured decades of painful belt
tightening, colleges and universities were
well positioned to ride the SEI wave. Univer-
sity communities—populated largely by Gen
Zers—co-created sustainable solutions and
built new ways of living and working from
the molecular to megacity levels.
The SEI boom reversed the tide of decline
for a few years. Greenshift policies drove
government funding, and the learning
institutions were the natural places to train
the workforce charged with building out the
SEI. The abandoned pre-sustainable infra-
structure that littered campuses provided a
scaffold for upcycling and experimentation.
Teams of students explored smart grid
construction and optimization in practical
settings, converting the roof space and idled
buildings on campuses into green power
plants, many of which were ideally situated
to provide energy to dense urban cores.
In parallel, the green spaces on campus
became open-air laboratories for food
and farming innovation. Campus-centered
learning communities led the adoption of
locally appropriate and sustainable farming
practices. The learnings from their work
were shared across the corpnet, and their
methods adopted by nearby farming com-
munities.
By 2030, universities and colleges were
generating revenue from green power, from
digital fabrication facilities and expertise,
from learning content delivery via virtual
and real-life means, and from a range of
other stopgap measures such as providing
accommodation in old residence build-
ings. Campuses proved to be well suited to
cross-disciplinary innovation clusters. The
people who lived and worked on campus
were a vastly different mix from that seen in
the preceding decades. Ivory tower aca-
deme was aging quickly and becoming less
relevant by the day. In its place grew frugal
learning communities who innovated out
of necessity and blended the intellectual
with the practical in a way that would have
scandalized 20th century academics.
The second wave of Greenshift brought
deeper disruption. As the digital revolution
drove marginal costs toward zero in sector
after sector, oligocapitalism1
emerged as
the leading alternative to the collaborative
commons for the provisioning of goods and
services with near-zero marginal costs.
Unable to envision how a post-capitalist
economy would work, under pressure from
the business lobby and afraid of the un-
known, and wishing to “balance” business
interests with the public interest, most G20
countries were persuaded by oligocapital-
ists to allow further consolidation in disrupt-
ed sectors where an oligopoly was feasible.
Once a stable oligopoly was formed, prices
steadied and profits recovered.
Renewed corporate earnings growth did not
spur economic growth. Instead, it further
marginalized an already massive economic
underclass that was largely composed of
the members of generations Y and Z. Pro-
tests sprung up, concentrated on university
and college campuses where the benefits of
low marginal cost were well-understood.
Crowdgovernance got its start on the York
University campus in September of 2030.
Frustrated with anti-sustainable oligocapi-
talism, seeking to demonstrate a new model
for collaborative commons governance, the
university community demolished hier-
archy. The labour of producing food and
energy and needed goods was divided up
across the populace, and governance was
conducted by plugged-in direct democracy.
Decisions were made by the crowd. Matters
requiring judgment were submitted to the
crowdnet system and statistically accurate
decisions were rendered on demand, in real
time.
The benefits of crowdgovernance were clear
from the start. Among them: direct democ-
racy was far more resistant to corruption.
The crowdnet ware was copylefted, and
implementation required little investment
or build. Crowdgovernance spread virally.
Within a year, hundreds of campuses and
other communities across the globe had
plugged into the crowdnet, gaining access
to a true collaborative commons: a self-gov-
erned virtual meeting place where ideas
1. Oligocapitalism argues that free markets are the
optimal device for regulating economic activity even
at near-zero marginal cost. Oligopolies are advocated
in low marginal cost situations because they can exert
enough market pressure to enclose the good or service
and maintain exchange value

were exchanged at no cost. It wasn’t hosted
on any corporate servers—it ran peer-to-
peer on a blockchain.
Over the 2030s, the crowdnet grew from a
community governance model to a global
movement, eventually replacing represen-
tative democracy with direct democracy at
the national and international scale. Russia
is slated to plug into the crowdnet in 2041,
a mere 7 years after Brazil’s radical green
government was the first to institute nation-
al crowdgovernance. The remaining hold-
outs are being aggressively boycotted and
sanctioned by crowdwill.
Virtual Life (VL) is a natural extension of
the crowdnet. It is the only place where no
resource pressure or crowdwill are felt; a
place where all of humanity can meet on
equal terms. With the exception of obtain-
ing sustenance and carrying out RL work,
anything is possible in VL. In general, that’s
a good thing, because the biosphere can’t
sustain human desire in RL.
RL is much more challenging than VL.
Though the fabbots chew away at it contin-
uously, the infrastructure hangover is far
from over. It will take decades to upcycle
the built environment of the capitalist era.
Some say that outliers2
and oldfolks are the
only people who willingly spend spare time
in RL.
Colleges and Universities continue to be
nexuses of innovation and learning, but the
first Industrial Revolution hierarchy and the
career-driven pipeline model of education
are obsolete. Learning is no longer institu-
tionalized.
Those inside the CI3
don’t tend to pursue
theoretical learning. Most people find it
easier to source knowledge through the
crowdnet as needed.
Those who do gravitate toward intellectual
pursuits are well-supported by the crowd—
providing their work is deemed to have
practical value—and still tend to coalesce
around college and university campuses,
both in virtual and physical spaces. Intellec-
tual independence appears to be in decline,
and some argue that the notion of the self
is threatened by the crowdnet.
Within well-organized communities, RL work
is assigned by crowdwill, and the necessary
knowledge shared across the crowdnet.
The average Canadian devotes 15 hours per
week to RL work, and another 3 to crowd-
governance.
No matter how much it supports the
greater good, it isn’t easy to watch justice
delivered, or the implacable decisions of
governance rendered, but the crowdnet
allowed us to reclaim our planet, and to put
ourselves on a path to sustainability, and
the continued vigilance of the crowd will
keep us on that path.
2. People who are outside the CI (confidence interval;
see note below) for more than 95% of the time.
3. Confidence Interval. The 95% of people inside the
first confidence interval in the normal distribution.
Those inside of the CI on a given issue agree with
crowdwill; those outside the CI are less fortunate. CI fit
is relative, but tends to favour some over others.
Learning to Fly Collaboratively
Nikhil’s emoji trail burned the bright pink of
happiness as she streaked across the gar-
den, and I chased after her feeling old and
clumsy as I worked to fly the Vbee. A mes-
sage flashed across the bottom of my view
window, and an artificial voice whispered in
my ears.
[ Do not flap your arms. Your Vbee does not
need your help to fly ]
I tried to stop my arms, but I kept feeling
like I would fall into the garden soil be-
low. I compromised, and slowly flapped
my hands, hoping the message wouldn’t
repeat.
“These new bees are amazing!” She was
giggling with exhilaration.
“For sure!” I replied, sounding as calm as I
could manage.
“So, how does the interface feel to your
oldfolk senses?”
“Umm…still a bit awkward. The machine
keeps telling me to stop flapping my arms.
This is like trying to pat your head and rub
your stomach at the same time.”
Peals of laughter echoed through the cham-
ber.
“Careful,” she said “If you actually do rub
your belly, you’ll end up face first in the dirt
and we’ll have to track you down and dig
your nose out.”

The Vbees were a new concept—a hybrid
VL/RL nanobot designed to support re-en-
gagement with the outside by offering an
augmented experience. There was a whole
range of RL augmentation systems being
developed. The need they met horrified me,
but I wasn’t the target market.
I was here to play two roles: to guide her
through the tech build, and to serve as her
oldfolk test pilot to test the interface on
pre-digitals like myself. Once an Interaction
Design professor, I now awkwardly piloted
virtual bees and told stories of a different
time to my brilliant younger colleagues.
They seemed almost transhuman to me,
but at least they could maintain focus in RL,
unlike those this device was intended for.
“What’s next?” I asked, hoping she’d lead me
back to the hive and out of this overstimu-
lated nightmare.
“We’re heading up high. I want to see
whether my newest mods have improved
wind stability.”
I nearly retched in my mask. “Ok!” I said
feebly.
She laughed again, and blazed another pink
trail up toward the gleaming panels on the
rooftops. I chased after, wondering what I
had left to teach her.

The world is grappling with the after-
math of an ‘intelligence explosion’.
Advancements in robotics, genetics
and biotechnology have created a
divide between humans and their
transhumanist (H+) cousins. The
world is still struggling to under-
stand the ramifications of these
advancements.
Education is everywhere. Access to
knowledge is freely available thanks
to the integration of the physical
and digital worlds: Augmented Real-
ity (“AR”), Internet of Things (“IOT”),
wearable tech and the quantified
self.
Transform: H+

H+ - Scenario
It’s 2040, and a quarter of the earth’s
population are enhancing their physical
condition by the use of widely available
technology. Advancements in the early 20th
century in the fields of- genetics, nano-
technology and robotics - have allowed
human ‘upgrading’ to become a reality. The
emerging breed of transhumanists ( H+),
are overcoming human limitations, and are
enjoying an increased life expectancy of 150
years. By 2030 it was estimated that global
Intelligence had increased by 30% thanks to
the merger of human minds with machine
intelligence and nanobiology.
This had caused a rift. Digital natives - gen-
eration Z and younger - were no longer
heralded as those at the forefront of tech-
nological advancements and understand-
ing. Transhumanists have enhanced re-
sponse times, better memory and cognitive
functions. As a result, competition between
humans and their cyborg cousins increased.
Those in the H+ camp began to demand
better wages as they far outperformed
‘standard’ humans in any situation.
The new race of “transhumanists” further
increased the demand, speed and complexi-
ty of education. Thanks to the use of robotic
prosthetics and implants, memorization is
a thing of the past. The true elite are those
who are able to sort through the vast pool
of knowledge, to synthesize and to create
unique perspectives and outputs that no
one else can.
In a bid to boost global competitiveness
many countries, including Canada, began to
encourage and incentivize athletes, families
and intellectuals to use bio-upgrades. By
2035 Canada had created H+ tax credits
and government funding schemes in the
hopes of increasing intelligence, knowledge
and skills in their workforce. Transhumanist
organizations and ideologies, once consid-
ered part of the fringe, began to build mass
followers and a political movement was
born.
The ‘H+’ Canadian People’s Party success-
fully scored two parliamentary seats in the
2030 election.
The backlash hit hard. An anti cyborg
movement began to take root in countries
around the world. The movement stated
moral and ethical objections to transhu-
manists and demanded for new legislations
and policing of transhumans.
Despite this backlash, teachers who were
not willing to use artificial enhancements
were asked to step down after being in-
creasingly outperformed by their students
and becoming unable to lead. Non en-
hanced students were segregated from
the H+ counterparts. By 2040 educational
institutions were considered completely
redundant.
2025 20402016 2020 2030 2035
Commercial
start-ups such
as Coursera
and Udacity
compete with
prestigious
universities.
‘Practice over theory’
becomes a common
theme and institutes
like MIT begin to
evaluate student's
maker portfolio as part
of their application
process.
Traditional
educational
institutes come
under pressure from
alternative spaces
such as Fab Labs
and Maker Spaces.
New forms of
assessment and
accreditation are
integrated into
higher-education
including digital
badges.
Universities
begin to
remix their
curriculum to
meet demand
for customi-
zation.
Schools succumb to the
pervasiveness of
technologies, such as
Augmented Reality
(“AR”) and virtual reality
(“VR”) and integrate new
formats into their
curriculum.
High-resolution virtual
reality simulations
become so immersive
that they become
indistinguishable from
reality causing a
mass-migration to VR
education.
Enrollment in
oﬃcial
institutions
continues to drop
and the teaching
profession loses
55% of its
workforce.
Internet
access
becomes
ubiquitous
across the
world.
Advancements
in biotechnology
see human-ma-
chine enhance-
ments surge in
popularity.
Canadians
are shocked
when 80% of
schools and
universities
close.
Canada success-
fully makes the
transition to more
renewable energy
and natural gas
generation.
Intellectual
Property
laws are
considered
out of date
and
abolished
in Canada.
Machines
and AI
begin to
replace
manual and
menial jobs.
Formal
education
becomes
obsolete and the
few remaining
institutions close
their doors.
Miniaturization of
functional Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (“fMRI”)
allows for telepathy/-
mind-computer interfacing
through electroencephalo-
gram (“EEG”) brain waves.
Cheap
bio-tech
products hit
the shelves
promising
students a
40% IQ lift.
A quarter of
the global
population
are consid-
ered
transhuman-
ist (H+).
World's
wealthiest
individual
is a 12 year
old tech
whizz from
Spain.
Governments
introduce
incentive
schemes to
encourage
bio-upgrading.
The world is
grappling
with the
aftermath of
the
‘intelligence
explosion’.

Biotechnology companies hoping to move
beyond first adopters and into the mass
market, began to create cheaper enhance-
ment kits for those less affluent. Counter-
feits soon began to flood the market. In re-
sponse, companies in growth sectors such
as biotechnology, nanotechnology, begin to
create a veil of secrecy in order to avoid the
release of trade secrets. Aggressively attack-
ing those who dared to steal their property.
By 2035 Intellectual Property had become
unworkable due to networked infrastruc-
tures and open source culture. Patent laws
were finally abolished by the World Trade
Organization in 2040. The Canadian govern-
ment had hoped to encourage unrestricted
innovation and entrepreneurialism. Compa-
nies could no longer compete on price. Raw
materials and parts can be shipped easily
across the globe and no longer provide a
point of competitive difference: materials
are easy to come by, automation is cheap.
Energy abundance supports demands. Elec-
tric-powered cars have become practical
and affordable, allowing the commercial-
ization of previously remote sites and easy
shipping of materials and parts globally. 3D
printers can be found in most homes and
computer-controlled fabrication devices
have allowed anyone to make and produce
physical products.
Canada had been on a path toward clean
energy, and by 2030 had successfully tran-
sitioned to more renewable and natural gas
energy sources. There is an abundance of
cleaner natural gas, solar and wind energy
in Canada, along with power saving initia-
tives, smart grids and at-home battery pow-
er. Freely available energy further fuelled
consumer desires to make, learn and create
24/7. Again, thanks to this abundance of
energy, a new generation of electric vehi-
cles and industrial equipment changed city
landscapes.
Driven by the advent of freely available
education and knowledge, the challenged
capitalist system begins to buckle under the
strain in 2040. The collaborative commons
and the global hive mind have meant ever
increasing loss of ownership of goods and
services. Only those who can demonstrate
skills, build a brand, businesses who can
establish monopolies, and those who can
demonstrate unique value can survive and
thrive in the new world order.
The only real competitive advantage in
today’s world is knowledge. The world’s
wealthiest people are knowledge workers.
The Mark Zuckerberg of our time is a 16
year old, H+ entrepreneur from Bogata.
Knowledge-based industries are on the rise.
Computers have taken the place of humans
and manual labour has been replaced by
automation. The ‘Community Manager’ or
‘Head of Innovation’ name tags popularized
in the twenty-first century are replaced by
‘Pet Psychologist’ ‘Cybercrime Specialists’
and ‘Good News Gurus’. In the new world
order there’s increased potential for self-
styled careers. Unfortunately it’s challenging
to build anything unique as products are
built so fast and so cheaply.
Changes in the workforce, and a rift be-
tween work and education, have put an
immense strain on the education system.
As early as 2025 the world reached a state
of ubiquitous connectivity that allowed
anyone, anywhere, to freely access educa-
tion, bypassing the restrictions once placed
on them, such as: high tuition fees and the
acceptance of official institutions. By 2020
the slide demographic experts had warned
about in Ontario happened, with enrollment
slipping when the Boomers’ grandchildren
begin to land on campus.
By 2030 higher-educational institutions
were shutting their doors and costly infra-
structures, in response to overwhelming
demand for open online learning. By 2035
the demand for formal education had
completely ceased, usurped by virtual class-
rooms and control was placed firmly in the
hands of the student.
By 2040 people self selected their education
experience whenever, and wherever they
wanted. Aspirations to obtain a degree from
a prestigious university, and the monopoly
of accreditation once held by the public
sector, are long dead. People aspire to gain
micro-accreditation on a mass scale. New
models of recognition include digital badg-
es, social certification and peer approval.
The sheer volume of awards is astounding,
yet only 10% of the population achieve an
elite ‘master’ status, with the remainder of
the population striving throughout their
lives.
Students continually strive to achieve peer
appraisal across all platforms and creden-
tials that certify a mastery of fine-grained

1. Google self-driving car is any in a range of autono-
mous cars, developed by Google X as part of its project
to develop technology for mainly electric cars. The
software installed in Google’s cars is called Google
Chauffeur.
skills, and making, across a variety of
subjects. It’s better to be a master of many,
than a master of one. Furthermore the
desire to continually achieve badges has
gamified the personal educational system,
created competitive individualism and an
overwhelming desire to achieve promi-
nence above the masses. Unfortunately,
in the world of digital badges, issues sur-
rounding the falsification of credentials has
arisen. These issues have caused an in-
crease in data tracking and data monitoring
by governments, employers and regulatory
bodies grappling to keep a handle on the
new abundance of knowledge and skills.
By 2030 the passive learning experience is
unimaginable, with students demanding
experiences that incorporate practical skills:
self-styled game-like simulations, interactive
exercises, digital sandboxes and participa-
tory experiences that promote the practical
above the theoretical. The learner strives
for recognition in all walks of lives, across
multiple disciplines.
The knowledge based economy of abun-
dance, coupled with transhumanist ide-
ologies, has also ushered in individualist
values. Students strive to succeed and that
means becoming more recognizable, skilled,
enhanced and applauded by your fellow
man. The demand for attention is high and
despite the freely available education and
advancements in technology, it seems the
utopian future we might have envisioned is
not necessarily all it’s cracked up to be.
Arionna and the Age of Abundance
Arionna’s car whizzed her along the high-
way, her Google Chauffeur1
hummed nicely.
She always enjoyed the loud buzz from the
electric cars as they sped along the motor-
way.
She stared out the window trying to unplug
for a change. Here she was, 30, and with-
out any form of income to speak of. She’d
tried her hand at a number of things: she’d
built a few cool robots using Raspberry Pi
and open-source microcontrollers, learnt
the latest code, even enjoyed a short stint
training to be a cyber criminologist. Word
on the network was that the government
would pay some serious pennies to anyone
who could help them predict why the hell
cyber crime rates kept rising despite crack-
downs. Anyway, nothing had stuck for long
and none of her own inventions achieved
any scale. Just as soon as she’d thought of
an idea, someone, somewhere, had built it
cheaper and faster.
Hopefully tonight her luck would change.
Arionna was preparing for her first e-gaming
competition in three years. She’d been the
best gamer in the country but the adrena-
line had become too much and she’d need-
ed a break. There was only so much violence
and guns a gal could take. She couldn’t
understand why her scenes always seemed
so intense, but she guessed her neural
pathways were just hard wired for fury. If
she could only win the competition she
supposed she could score some lucrative
endorsement deals with a few advertising
firms. Arionna was prepared. She’d upgrad-
ed her bio-implant a fews weeks ago and
her new reflexes were in top order. Presum-
ably everyone else in the competition would
be upgraded but she still had a few tricks up
her sleeve.
The journey would be another hour yet.
Maybe she could try her skill at something
else in the meantime.
Arionna flipped on her virtual headband and
entered the Sandbox .“Hi” she said to the
hive. “Hi” came the collective response.
Arionna’s avatar was a work of art. Sexy as
hell and everything she hoped to be in real
life. Sometimes she wished she could stay
in the virtual world all day, every day. A few
of her friends pretty much spent their entire
lives online. Tomish had become a globally
recognized expert in pet psychology, al-
though she hadn’t actually seen any of the
pets he’d supposedly helped, and Franalin
worked at Google X. He was always work-
ing on some new money making machine.
Although he’d taken a short break off-grid
after the backlash from the nano-drones.
Someone in Iran had accused someone
of spying and he’d been forced to publicly
grovel on behalf of Google corps.
Arionna walked in the sandbox, ‘Interior
Design 101’, and pushed open Marcozella
Diasco’s door. She’d been a fan when we
he was alive, and now there he was fully

animated taking the class through his top
tips for better at-home decorating. It was
hard to imagine there wasn’t a person on
the other side, in the real world. You could
pretty much speak to anyone you wanted
nowadays, it was easy enough to pull digital
footprints. Arionna figured she’d be in here
once she died, chatting away. Not that any-
one would want to talk to her unless she did
something half noticeable for a change.
“Do not mix pink and leopard print dar-
rrling it’s so retro,” Marcozella scolded a
student. Arionna listened a little longer and
then decided decorating was most definitely
not for her.
Ok, she had 30 minutes until arrival. What
next she thought. Her communication im-
plant buzzed, it was Chantz.
“Hi Chantz”
“Hi Arionna, you pinged me earlier, what’s
up?”.
Chantz was in San Francisco and always had
the best materials for her latest ideas.
“Hey Chantz” so can you send me that metal
I wanted, plus the circuit board?
“ANICD” (ain’t nothing I can’t do) flashes be-
fore her eyes. He was always monosyllabic.
Arionna had figured that she might as well
begin on those jewellry designs next week,
then at least she’d look the part. The materi-
als would arrive in no time, they just needed
to travel the 570 km route in 35 minutes on
the electric powered FedDex hyperloop.
Arionna tapped into another Sandbox.
This time they were learning about fishing.
Sooooo, luddite she thought. Argh well,
maybe she could do some fishing once she
hit the desert next week. She loved Neva-
da and it was absolutely glorious since the
electric powered California desalination
plant had turned the desert into lush fields
and waterways. Plus Stuma would bring
her instacharge portable power pack, good
for 10 kilowatt hours, some sic beats and
an awesome laser show. At least next week
was going to be fun.
“Music”, she looked out the car window.
Lights glistened back at her from every an-
gle. Her best friend Luna’s voice rang in her
ear. “Yo good luck tonight.”
She loved Luna and hated her at the same
time. Luna was incredibly gifted, she’d
earned 1000s of badges in just about every
subject and she couldn’t even count the
number of followers Luna had online. Every-
body seemed to praise her. In fact Luna and
her had met in a gaming match years ago
when Arionna was still playing, she’d actu-
ally beaten her and they’d become great
friends ever since. She supposed she’d visit
her in Honolulu one day.
10 minutes and she’d be at her destina-
tion. She could probably squeeze in a quick
e-game just to flex the old muscles.
5 minutes and the car pulled to a stop ‘You
Are Here Madam”. Thanks she replied. She
always believed in manners, even with the
robots.
Arionna stepped into the sun. Ok here goes
nothing. Millions of eyes would be watching
her this evening and she’d be playing ten
consecutive days of e-gaming.

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Strategic Performance in the Scenario Windtunnel61

Influenced by an increase since the mid
20th century in education, income levels,
leisure time, and technological advance-
ment (Ackoff and Gharajedaghi 2003), the
Maker Movement is gaining momentum
by recognizing that making things with our
hands and minds, ”is fundamental to what
it means to be human...mak[ing], creat[ing],
and express[ing] ourselves to feel whole
(Dougherty 2012).”
How can colleges and universities leverage
the maker movement mindset of experiential
learning based on curiosity and inquiry better
prepare graduates for uncertainties of the
future economy?
In order to remain relevant, and to maintain
student enrollment levels and financial sus-
tainability, postsecondary institutions need
to consider how lessons of making and
self-directed learning can be applied today
for success tomorrow.
Audience
George Brown College (GBC), home to more
than 28 000 full time and 3000 part time
students, has three main campuses and
several other locations in the downtown To-
ronto area — St. James Campus, Casa Loma
Campus and Waterfront Campus. GBC
offers diploma, certificate, and postgradu-
ate diploma programs, along with limited
degree granting programs as well.
We have engaged Robert Luke, Vice Presi-
dent of Research and Innovation at George
Brown College, to be our industry am-
bassador. He leads the College’s applied
research and innovation activities that focus
on working with industry and community
partners to address development needs
and productivity challenges. Dr. Luke is also
responsible for institutional research and
planning, focusing on educational quali-
ty measurement and improvement, and
strategy implementation. In addition, he
leads the College’s department responsible
for e-learning and teaching innovation (GBC
website).
Prior to suggesting our own strategies for
the futures of self-directed learning and
their connection to higher education, we
began by looking at what strategies, values
and mission GBC currently has:
The Path to Leadership
Inspired by a commitment to achievement
through excellence in teaching, applied
learning and innovation:
We will set the benchmark to which all
colleges will aspire, and be recognized
as a key resource in shaping the future
of Toronto as a leading global city.
We will build a seamless bridge be-
tween learners and employment as we
develop dynamic programs, and work-
place-ready graduates who will be the
candidates of choice for employers.
We will create a community of lifelong
learners, grounded in the principles of
access, diversity, mutual respect and
accountability.
Core Values
GBC’s core values are their learning com-
munity, excellence, accountability, diversity
and respect.
Strategy 2020
Developed as a result of considerable
research into the GTA’s economy, Strategy
2020 outlines our key priorities until the
year 2020. The areas of focus listed below
guide the work of all George Brown College
employees, helping us create more dy-
namic, accessible and relevant courses and
services for students and employers.
Preparing Diverse Learners for Success
Building a Sustainable Financial Busi-
ness Model
Context

McMASTER
UNIVERSITY
GEORGE
BROWN
COLLEGE
STEAM
LABS
ITERATIVE
CO-CREATION
Investing in High-Performing Partner-
ships
Leveraging State-of-the-Art Technology
Enabling the Innovation Economy
Building a High-Performing Organization
Portfolio Development Approach
Building upon the scenarios outlined in the
last section, we engaged in a process of iter-
ative co-creation in consultation with three
stakeholder representatives drawn from
organizations with different perspectives on
the sector.
Five Strategic Options
Work-Integrated Learning
GBC focuses on work-integrat-
ed learning (WIL), bringing in-
dustry-based practical learning
into the class to speed up ROI
Driving Rationale
Worldwide, higher education
has become more internation-
ally-focused, globalized, com-
modified, and scaled- up to
be more relevant in the global
economy and available to as many students
as can pay tuition. In the meantime, expec-
tations due to higher tuition and the lower
return on this investment after the student
accesses the labor market are putting
pressure on higher education institutions to
deliver results based on graduate employ-
ability. “Graduation equals unemployment,”
is a pervasive social problem. Consequently,
“excellency in bridging students and the
labor market,” could drive students to GBC
for such a program, making GBC a leader in
the education market.
Ageing demographics and the need for in-
creased immigration to fill the skilled labour
gap (Clancy 2014), the Ontario and Canadi-
an government will adopt more liberal poli-
cies to draw more international immigrants
along with access to postsecondary educa-

tion to ensure their skills and credentials
conform to provincial and federal standards
(Chan 2016). New settlers credentials need
the opportunity to access transactional and
transformational education, more indus-
try-based trajectories which hasten the
move to their new culture and society.
Strategic Response
Working in tandem with the rising maker
movement’s demand for learning more
practical skills than higher education’s
traditional theoretical model might allow,
and collaborating with industry to prepare
students with job-ready skills, the educa-
tional “pipeline” is changing. Gone is the
behaviourist model of students entering
postsecondary institutions and exiting
with knowledge learned, off to begin their
careers.
Work-integrated learning “will gradually
replace the purely theoretical learning and
aim to enable students to make the tran-
sition from study to work by developing
discipline-specific, general and career skills
(Patrick et al., 2008).” This maximizes expec-
tations of students, colleges, governments,
and industry in what higher learning can
achieve in a shared, complementary way.
Potential Student Value Propositions
• Increasing the interaction with industry
• Differentiate with competitors coming
from other more traditional institutions
• Establish direct avenues to specific jobs/
careers
• Motivates learning through positive
outcomes
• Less risky for preparing and finding
employment
• Accumulate and practice soft skills
(communication, time management,
and teamwork)
Potential Industry Value Propositions
• “Try before you buy” screening potential
new recruits
• WIL programs allow organizations to
find, form and potentially solve prob-
lems outside of time and financial
constraints
• Students with previous work experience
can consult and bring valuable knowl-
edge
• Proving a chance for alumni to give back
by being an industry partner
Potential Institution Value Propositions
• Higher employment rate drives higher
enrollment rate
• Long-term industrial partnership rela-
tionship enhance
• Positively influence the international
awareness/reputation
• Competitive advantage for funding from
governments or organizations
• New channel to recruit practical facul-
ties and industry partners
• Enhance social and community values
Potential Government Value Propositions
• Higher employment rate pleasing to
voters
• More tax revenue will be generated by
more alumni in the workforce
• Social well-being and advancement with
an increase in educated citizens and
newcomers to Toronto
Implementation Considerations
• Co-create the program with industry
partner
• Active Alumni community can drive/in-
crease ongoing placements
• Industry input and involvement in de-
veloping academic units
• Mock-up class
• Combined degrees/diplomas in a range
of disciplines
Innovation Lab Launches Startups
To position George Brown College
as a driver of economic growth and
entrepreneurship by launching an
‘Innovation Lab’
Driving Rationale
The need to maintain global com-
petitiveness has driven both the
provincial and federal governments
to demand an increase in the inno-
vation capacity of Canada. In 2014
the government set an Economic Action
Plan that included measures such as the
new Canada First Research Excellence Fund,
support for internships in high-demand
fields and further investments in business
accelerators and incubators (Industry Can-
ada 2014). Educational institutions must
demonstrate their ability to support this
goal in order to acquire government fund-
ing and monetary support.
Students are shifting their ambitions and
they are recognizing the benefit of hands-
on, practical learning as a way to develop
durable skills that will set them up for

future employment in a project-based econ-
omy. They are choosing higher educational
institutions that meet this need
Postsecondary institutions with global
reputations such as MIT have already intro-
duced new learning facilities: incubators,
innovation labs, maker spaces and fab labs.
GBC should look to these examples and
pursue a similar, yet appropriate strategy
to meet their goals and to remain compet-
itive. Learning facilities should build on
successful programs already succeeding at
CBG, such as Hospitality and Culinary Arts,
or Arts, Design and Information Technology.
Not meeting these expectations could sway
prospective students to turn to alternative
institutions and environments that do offer
cutting edge learning environments, and
funders may decide their dollars are better
spent elsewhere.
Strategic Response
Colleges could invest resources into culti-
vating entrepreneurs by building in-house
Innovation Labs. The Labs will act as inno-
vation drivers by embracing the ‘learning as
creating’ approach, which:
• Fosters partnerships with private sector
through the provision of applied RD
services and the creation of targeted
products
• Allows entrepreneurship and innovation
to flourish through practical enquiry
• Develops Intellectual Property and com-
mercial activities that support innova-
tion in Canada
• Students direct what goes into the
space as co-developers in a construc-
tivist education experience, recognizing
their valuable knowledge and experi-
ence
• Gain “innovation literacy,” which is “the
ability to think creatively, evaluate, and
apply problem-solving skills to diverse
and intangible issues within industrial
problems and multidisciplinary con-
texts”
• Obtain durable and practical skills
resulting in direct training for the 21st
century (and beyond) workforce
• Gain practical education with the latest
technologies
• Develop communication skills and the
ability to work in multidisciplinary teams
• Free to creatively pursue their own
ideas, with the potential to build IP and/
or commercialize those ideas
• Meeting explicit mandate for colleges
in Ontario to ensure that graduates are
prepared for the workforce (Ontario
Ministry of Attorney General, 2003)
• Potential for diversified private sec-
tor partnerships and funding models
through: CCIP funding / RD research /
sponsorship of zones
• Expand their students ability to produce
and test prototypes, develop products
and real-work applications. Ensure
students become highly qualified and
skilled personnel (HQSP) ‘essential em-
ployability skills’
• Remain competitive alongside new
entrants and maker spaces such as
STEAMLabs and Fab Labs
• Demonstrate clear and measurable con-
tribution to Canadian economic growth
that will secure continued investment
and allow GBC to fully leverage available
grants and funding
• Ensures GBC remains competitive
• Potentially develops patentable IP that
could benefit both the institution and
the student
• Promotes an environment where stu-
dents can potentially tackle complex
social challenges of our time
• Early innovation pipeline leading to eco-
nomic growth and prosperity
• Focus and development in durable skills
across Science, Technology Innova-
tion (Canada)
• Over time, increased capacity to com-
pete on a global level
Potential Private Sector Value Propositions
• Gain access to talent, facilities, markets,
networks, and capital
• Support to launch new products and
services into the marketplace
• GBC becomes a lifelong learning institu-
tion of choice for employees for training
and education upgrading

Grow the Pie
Grow the Pie with self-directed and col-
laborative learning of life and employ-
ability skills
Driving Rationale
Postsecondary institutions in Canada are
facing an oncoming shortage of student en-
rollment due to stagnant population growth
with institutions preparing to compete “for
a shrinking pool of prospective students
(McMaster 2016).” In Canada’s last Census
in 2011, 62% of occupations in the country
require postsecondary education (Statistics
Canada 2011). Canada requires an educat-
ed and skilled labour force in order to meet
its economic needs, however, by 2020, “the
global economy could see 90 to 95 million
more low-skill workers than employers
will need (Clancy 2914).” This decrease
in student enrolment in higher learning
combined with the growing need for skilled
labour suggests colleges and universities
in Ontario need to make learning available
through varied platforms but consider also
how to enroll and include those learners
whose needs were not met in previous edu-
cational systems and experiences.
Strategic Response
GBC becomes hub of “life skills learning” for the
supporting labour force
Recognizing the learning needs of the lower
percentile of skilled and unskilled wage
earners in preparation for supporting jobs,
income earning and life skills (banking, par-
enting, hands-on making for application).
Students can enroll in college as rudimenta-
ry life-skills learning in preparation for sup-
porting innovation. Pairing these students
with advanced and higher skilled students,
industry partners and government in order
to shape “candidates of choice for employ-
ers (GBC Mission).” In practical terms, learn-
ing how to run a home in a fiscally respon-
sible way provides a base for durable skills
that can be applied in the labour market.
Understanding the needs and abilities of all
Torontonians (and Canadians) makes for a
more diverse and respectful society. Be-
coming a hub of concrete life skills educa-
tion is vital for all citizens and newcomers
to Toronto to better understand the socio-
economic needs of the city as it becomes
a global leader (GBC Mission). Here are
options on how to best deliver:
Self-directed Learning
Self-directed learning (SDL) relies on the
learner to initiate, set goals, engage in
the process of and evaluate the learning
outcomes. This process alone allows for
student agency and encouraging indepen-
dence and responsibility, skills often not
taught in elementary and secondary public
education systems.
This type of learning often attracts students
who disengage from formal education
systems and withdraw or underperform
in formal grading structure (Francis 2012).
SDL students often engage in learning that
circumvents established learning objectives
(Francis 2012). Relevance is key to their
desire to learn but often students are not
willing or interested in learning key informa-
tion to the topic if their interest is not in the
specifics (Francis 2012).
What is the solution to integrating self-di-
rected learning in a positive way? High level
control by instructors allowing information
taught to be controlled while relinquishing
control over student- specific projects and
papers. Here is where students can apply
what they learn to specific areas of interest
and relevance (Francis 2012).
How can SDL be integrated into higher
education?
Apprenticeship model
This traditional model of skilled trades-
based learning directly in the workplace
could be applied to different disciplines,
or more remedial life skills learning in the
home or workplace. Problem-based learn-
ing and real world problem solving have
been successful models for learning, in fact
a move towards students problem finding
increases the learning value even further.
Small peer-to-peer classes/cohorts supervised by
instructor(s) as advisors.
In size-appropriate, subject-based class-
rooms which include all resources nec-
essary for digital learning, experiential
learning, and collaborative learning. Classes
are small and supervised by a small group
of instructors with real world or industry
experience. These students remain together
throughout the diploma process in order
to build social skills and personal bonds to
support learning and success.
Instructors with even higher-level control
might consider a peer-to-peer learning
model. Peer-to-peer teaching and learn-

ing, especially in a maker space, essentially
defies the institutional objectives of higher
education, effectively ending top-down edu-
cation and degree/diploma granting power.
Maker spaces do offer problem-based and
exploratory learning experiences that are
valuable for building life skills such as effec-
tive communication, simple and collabora-
tive problem-solving, and using a range of
tools from simple hand tools to advanced
technology and software development.
Maker spaces also provide a relaxed and
fun atmosphere where learners get to know
the people and places in their community.
Online + In Person
The value of combined learning between
online courses offered for theoretical
information coinciding with experiential
learning in maker spaces found on campus
or in the community can be a very engaging
way to learn, especially for those who fit the
outsider description self-directed learners.
This opens up higher education learning
to anyone, anywhere, and combines GBC
expertise with real world connections in the
student’s home community.
Beyond the physical community and geo-
graphical constraints of the campus, GBC
could partner with international colleges
and universities to expand global reach of
possible students. This will help create a
more accessible and thorough global learn-
ing and credential network. Building maker
spaces in combination with online learning
around the world would increase enroll-
ment for GBC, benefitting migrants consid-
ering coming to or going from Canada.

• Varied entry into higher education
system
• New immigrants have learning options
beyond just job-related courses
• Potential for exploration and career
planning
• Social aspect to learning community can
be important for networking
• Makes higher education accessible to all
• Emerging learning structure with stu-
dent focus allows for personal growth
• Longer association with students means
stronger ties as alumni
• Community partnerships with maker
spaces, STEAMLabs, community centres
and cultural institutions
Potential Industry Value Propositions
• Ensures graduates have a strong core
knowledge of life skills (employment
expectations based on economy and
culture; communication, learning/
knowledge uptake, social, technological,
and basic finance skills)
• Maturity of graduates and potential
employees
• Can rely on higher educational institu-
tions to prepare citizens to be self-suf-
ficient
• Acquisition of practical skills positively
perceived and funded by taxpayers
• Value for settling newcomers to Toronto
and Canada as a selling point for gov-
ernments
Open Source Learning Passport
Dissolve “feudal” barriers be-
tween Ontario educational in-
stitutions and create an Open
Source Learning Passport
Driving Rationale
Given that post-secondary
enrollment is at historic highs,
and demographic analysis indi-
cates that the number of potential students
will remain constant for the next 15 years,
no growth in the overall “size of the pie”
can be anticipated. Institutions wishing to
remain viable will need to maintain or grow
their share of the pie.
As higher learning continues to be “unbun-
dled” (Barber, 2013), and new market offer-
ings such as MOOCs become viable options
for career-focused learning, the prospect
of pursuing a complete degree or diploma
program at a single institution may become
less attractive to learners. If LinkedIn’s Lyn-
da.com begins to offer micro-credentials in
practical skills-focused learning, we might
reach a place where college diplomas lose
much of their value.
Without the “stickiness” of the degree/diplo-
ma curriculum to rely on, GBC will see an
increase in demand for unbundled courses.
If those courses do not confer credentials,
they will be less attractive than the compet-
ing offerings from a disruptive competitor
such as LinkedIn.

Strategic Response
Colleges and other institutions of higher
learning might form a consortium and
harmonize credentials across a large group
of previously independent institutions,
resulting in the creation of an Open Source
Learning Passport (OSLP).
The OSLP would act as a multi-sided plat-
form (MSP) for higher learning institutions
to connect with students. Students could
pursue courses from a variety of institu-
tions, charting a customized course through
the higher learning space. A student might
pursue some courses through MOOCs, oth-
ers in hands-on environments like maker
spaces, and still others in work-integrated
environments. They would accrue mi-
cro-credentials along the way, which could
be assembled into larger custom creden-
tials over time.
• Receive credentials progressively while
you study, resulting in quicker ROI on
tuition
• Pursue low-cost MOOC courses where
appropriate, reducing overall cost of
education
• Learn at your own pace, from your pre-
ferred location. Switching institutions
no longer costs you in pursuit of your
degree or diploma
• Build a custom credential that suits your
specific goals, interests, and learning
style, resulting in better fit
• Add new skills (with accompanying mi-
cro-credentials) as you need them. Use
lifelong learning to build up your cus-
tom credential in a modular fashion
• Access hands-on and in-person learning
in addition to virtual learning, resulting
in better training than one can get from
a MOOC or a Lynda.com
• More mature learners might pursue
micro-credentials to fill gaps in their
skillset (e.g foreign-trained profession-
als might upgrade to meet Canadian
standards).
• First mover advantage combined with
incumbency will position the consor-
tium to defend against disruptors such
as Coursera and LinkedIn
• If the consortium is large enough, it
could become the dominant platform in
Canada. A dominant MSP benefits from
an indirect network effect—a reinforc-
ing loop where existing traffic drives
new traffic (Osterwalder, 2010)
• Most critically, better education for
citizens thanks to better fit and lower
switching costs
• Over time, increased efficiency and con-
solidation within the sector
• Allowing students to vote with their feet
on a course-by-course basis will weed
out bad courses/professors/programs
• A competitive higher learning sector
• The consortium must be inclusive
enough to be compelling
• Co-create the program with other insti-
tutions and with learners
• Consider how to create standards that
can apply to all members
• Implement in phases. There’s no reason
this couldn’t be rolled out alongside
current programs
Unify Sector into one Coworking Entity
Collapse all colleges into a single
Canadian education entity that op-
erates through franchised ‘Collab-
orative Co-Working Spaces’
Driving Rationale
As many as one in eight Canadi-
ans hold temporary jobs (Sorensen, 2012).
These members of the precariat belong to
the “growing number of citizens in rich...
countries for whom insecurity and relative
poverty is the new normal (Thackara 2016).”
The employment landscape is changing
dramatically and in the emerging gig econ-
omy, younger generations no longer feel
they need to commit to a 3-5 year full time
diploma/degree program which is costly,
separate from the workforce, and creden-
tials which may or may not secure a lucra-
tive career.
Online education is growing in popularity as
MOOCs and virtual learning environments
thrive, fuelled by technological advances
and global diffusion of internet technology.
Combined with flat-lining attendance col-
leges are also faced with increasingly bur-
densome real estate costs, and escalating
maintenance, security and overhead costs.

Strategic Response
Colleges could consider combining resources and
shutting their doors in favour of a hybrid virtual,
co-working model.
• Prepares students for freelance and
self-branding competencies for the proj-
ect-to-project workforce
• Inspires self-directed learning, self-reliance,
and ingenuity
• Creates and broadens networking and collabo-
rative skills beyond campus
• Reduces high cost of education.
• Dramatically reduces facility overhead and real
estate costs by reducing the need for sprawl-
ing campuses
• Consolidates funding needs into a single entity
and creates less competition.
• Creates an infrastructure well positioned for
fluctuations of student enrollment
• Mirrors the evolving workforce as the gig econ-
omy takes shape
• Form a national and international alliance of
institutions
• Consistent values and philosophies.
• Country wide collaboration and acceptance
• Infrastructure to support data sharing, moni-
toring and tracking.
• Financial model - student membership/private
sector/gov.
• Events, education and new curriculum models.
• Secure government backing and public sup-
port
• Reconfigure infrastructure in favour of suitable
co-working spaces to leverage rental income

Windtunnel Evaluation
In Vivo Retrench Crowdthink H+ Fit
Work-
Integrated
Learning
Do it now
Open
Source
Learning
Passport
Start early
if at all
Innovation
Lab
Do it now
Grow
the
Pie
Assess
Discuss
Unified
Sector
Coworking
Assess
Discuss
ROBUST
FLEXIBLE
GAMBLE
$RSC
$RSC
$RSC
$RSC
$RSC
Recom-
menda-
tion
$: Financial Performance (ROI)
R: Risk Performance
S: Strategic Fit
C: Cultural Fit
High
Medium
Low

References
Abraham, C. (2015 November 30). How mix-
ing and matching is making education more
unique. Maclean’s. Retrieved from: http://
www.macleans.ca/education/how-mixing-
and-matching-is-making-education-more-
unique/
Ackoff, R.L. and Gharajedaghi, J. (2003). On
the Mismatch Between Systems and their
Models. Retrieved from: http://www.acasa.
upenn.edu/System_MismatchesA.pdf
Barber, M., Summers, L. H., Donnelly, K.,
Rizvi, S. (2013). An avalanche is coming
higher education and the revolution ahead.
Institute for Public Policy Research.
Chan, M. (2016 January 11). Mandate letter
progress: Citizenship, Immigration and
International Trade. Government of Ontar-
io. Retrieved from: https://www.ontario.
ca/page/mandate-letter-progress-citizen-
ship-immigration-and-international-trade
Clancy, C. (2014 June 25). Canada’s coming
economic headache: A serious shortage of
skilled workers. The National Post. Re-
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com/news/economy/jason-kenney-cana-
da-skilled-workers
Dougherty, D. (2012). The Maker Movement.
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www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/icgc.nsf/vwapj/Seizing_
Moment_ST_I-Report-2014-eng.pdf/$file/
Seizing_Moment_ST_I-Report-2014-eng.pdf
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tions. (2016 March 9). Ingenuity and inno-
vation keys to mapping McMaster’s future.
The Daily News. Retrieved from: http://
dailynews.mcmaster.ca/article/ingenui-
ty-and-innovation-keys-to-mapping-mcmas-
ters-future/
Osterwalder, A., Pigneur, Y., Clark, T.,
Smith, A. (2010). Business model generation:
A handbook for visionaries, game changers,
and challengers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley
Sons.
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F., Fletcher, M., Pretto, G. (2008) The WIL
(Work Integrated Learning) report : a nation-
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Written and Directed by: Dee Brooks, Amy Davies, Ling Ding and Nicole Knibb
72

The Scene
Asking the Right Questions
Would peer-to-peer evaluated education,
unshackled from formal certification and
accreditation, provide the democratized,
preferred future some hope for? Would a
virtual, anti-privacy world order offer the
freedom of information society strives for?
Would durable, hands-on learning maintain
its appeal when ‘play’ is only undertaken for
the betterment of society? Would we - the
student - benefit from the loss or abate-
ment of traditional educational institutions,
such as George Brown College (GBC), in fa-
vour of virtual maker spaces? Higher educa-
tion is being shaken to the core by techno-
logical advancements, disruptive mass open
online courses, the rise of informal learning
through maker spaces and fab labs, and the
student demand for self-directed learning.
Travelling through time to seek answers to
these questions and situations, our im-
mersive, experiential future presented a
dystopian vision of the precarious futures
facing GBC. Our audience was thrust into
the heart of our discipline scenario by
immersing them in a self-directed, virtual,
peer-evaluated and controlled, ‘CrowdThink’
future. What happens when postsecondary
education is ruled by us all as a centre for
propagandized, governance-driven informa-
tion dissemination?
Setting the Scene: “The Tyranny of the Mass-
es”
Participants entered the virtual ‘CrowdNet’,
a ubiquitous; peer-to-peer collaborative
commons infrastructure within an anti
privacy culture, where crowd governance
is the norm. Within our allotted 20 minutes
participants had to enter the CrowdNet
virtual reality to undertake three mandatory
practical skills and information (within the
CrowdNet) training and testing sessions,
with only 4 minutes to complete each task.
As they did this, the CrowdNet judged, rated
and reviewed their abilities throughout. This
was a lesson for peers to learn and prove
practical skills for the CrowdNet sustainable
society and also for peers to learn gover-
nance in order to be contributing members
to the Crowd.
Our goal was to push the narrative be-
yond year 2040, to an extreme virtual and
peer-regulated environment. We wanted
to test audience limits and boundaries of
privacy, self-awareness, self-fulfillment and
sense of ‘play’. Testing audience responses
to layers of complexity we integrated within
the scene, including high-tech immersive
second screens, real-time judging, and dra-
matic time constraints, all of which were in-
tended to heighten the emotional response
to our dystopian learning environment.
Provoking Participants
Like any immersive experience we knew
it could be jarring and discomforting for
participants. This was by design. We shied
away from overly verbose live dialogue in
favour of invoking conversation among the
participants as they learnt, and were tested
on, the necessary skills of successful Crowd
governor and peer.
No Time to Lean Back
Actively transporting the audience into this
future scenario by demanding participation
allowed them to experience what a dystopi-
an peer-to-peer learning environment might
feel like. We did not want an observed, “lean
back” experience. We wanted discomfort.
By taking a Kafkaesque approach to the
scenario we pushed our audience into an
environment that participants described as
“trippy, “ “seriously uncomfortable,” “de-
manding,” and “ambiguous.”
Props and Elements
Making Bold Design Choices
How do you design a virtual life experience
in real life? With our Kafkaesque purpose
and tone ( mixed with a dollop of creative
hilarity), we modeled the experience and
scene through a number of carefully select-
ed aesthetic design choices and elements.
We pushed the boundaries of production,
integrating elements to intensify the scene,
including a screened panoramic 3D video,
3D printed avatar ears for each participant,
and the obligatory futuristic sheets of silver
foil to disguise the boardroom and replicate
the perception and depth of virtual reality.

Artifacts
Specific artifacts and elements included:
3D Printed Headbands
(Ibex/Eland antlers vs. Sheep ears)
What if virtual life allowed changes of
form? The scene required participants
to suspend disbelief and step into a
virtual environment thanks to these 3D
printed ears.
Real-Time Judging
(Using a Second Screen Tweet Wall)
What if the feeling of being judged from
every angle was palpable at every sec-
ond? To heighten the feeling of global
peer assessment we utilized Twitter to
mirror the sensation of virtual real-time
judging. Volunteers captured the live
scene and a projector was used to proj-
ect feedback on the audience and their
abilities on the boardroom walls.
Bio-Enhancements
In our technological future it seems
likely that biotechnology would reach
such advancements as to afford hu-
mans the ability to alter their state and
to reach new heights of intelligence
and skill. In the CrowdNet, the ability to
‘bio-upgrade’ may also be preserved for
those deemed of high stature by their
peers, capable and worthy of enhancing
further.
We integrated bio-enhancements, or
rather plastic worms, as incentives for
those members of the audience who
had successfully passed CrowdGover-
nance training.

360⁰ Immersive Video
Virtual reality is the first step in a grand
adventure into the landscape of the imagi-
nation.
The virtual environment was enhanced by
the use of 360⁰ video, shot on a GoPro rig,
that presented us with an opportunity for
further immersion. The video was shot in
advance within the same boardroom set
in order to present viewers with an exten-
sion of the reality they would experience
in the live scene. Thus mirroring the depth
one would perceive by stepping into the
virtual environments one might be used to,
within say an Oculus RIFT demo. The use
of this style of video allowed us to mirror
an unchained 3-dimensional environment
and to, we hope, present a powerful visual
experience.
The video presented the opinions, guidance,
and rules of the CrowdNet Administrators.
Actors remained in the scene at all times,
‘making’ ‘building’ and ‘contributing’. The
Crowd Administrators had a healthy dollop
of creative freedom within the scene and
thus wore interesting garments, glasses
and carried tridents, inviting, in perhaps a
not-so-friendly way, the audience to join us
in an adventure into the surreal world of
virtual life.
Music No One Wants to Hear
The harried pace of each 4 minute exercise
was accompanied by music reminiscent
of the much hated ‘on hold’ torture. The
music carried electronic undertones one
might also associate with a futuristic state
“Bio-Enhancement” prizes
360⁰ immersive video
Real-time judgment

of being. Just melodic enough to be bear-
able, just harsh enough to make you sweat
a little.
Mandatory Training Exercises
In keeping with the demands of a society
faced with energy austerity and an “infra-
structure hangover,” our three exercises
were carefully chosen to convey to the
audience the harsh realities of their current
reality.
Exercises included:
1. A written test on sustainability and
crowdgovernance
2. Building a model solar generation sta-
tion
3. A challenge to upcycle a large amount
of Lego (a plasticsdisaster®) into some-
thing useful
Please see the appendix for copies of all
written test instructions.
Crowdgovernance written examination
CROWDNET
IS
WATCHING
YOU

Opposite, below, and right: various posters
Imagery
The scene was heightened by the use of
posters to convey the needs and demands
of the crowdnet. The posters were used
outside the boardroom ‘scene’ and within
the real world to signal that participants
were entering their examination. Once with-
in the scene the posters were used the sym-
bolize the dialogue and conversation that
would be resonating around participants.
Props
There is nothing like a dollar store to un-
leash creative imagination. We purchased
props galore and invented our future with
fervor. Props included station signs made
using a combination of solar powered lights,
coat hangers, and painstakingly created,
cardboard cutout numbers. Plastic hypo-
thermia jackets made perfect disguises to a
traditional boardroom, and glow in the dark
tridents and finger gloves transported our
garments into a world no longer restricted
to the 20th century notion of ‘good fashion’.
Paper plates stuck onto popsicle sticks
became our rating mechanisms.
DO YOUR BEST
TO BE THE BEST
YOUR SKILLS
ARE NEEDED
NOW!
The Score - A Snap Shot
“THE TYRANNY OF THE MASSES”
SCENE 1.
The crowdnet knows best. There’s no longer
any public debate on this. Public debate
itself is anachronistic; it’s permissible, but
seems like a waste of human energy which
could be spent on more productive tasks.
Twenty + students will soon join Crowdnet
administrators for their mandatory training
- life skills deemed necessary by their peers.
The end result will be a 20 minute live scene
used to evoke responses to impending tech-
nological disruption and the evolving role
of the self-directed learner, by complete
immersion into our discipline future.
1. EXT ENTRANCE TO BOARDROOM AKA
‘THE CROWDNET’
The audience is gathered directly outside
the boardroom, ready to enter VL and
embark on their crowdgovernance training.
Crowdnet Administrators 1 and 2 are stand-
ing at the entrance ready to greet their
guests. They are mounting their horned
avatars in preparation.
CROWDNET ADMINISTRATOR 1
The Crowdnet Welcomes You to Your 20
minute Life-Skills Training. Pls prepare your
training avatars now.
Everyone is handed a 3D printed sheep’s
headband (Avatars).

CROWDNET ADMINISTRATOR 2.
We ask you to refrain from changing to
form today. Today we’re here to train as
peers. Crowdnet is watching. Welcome.
Governors in training. Please take a seat on
one of the chairs ahead of you. Your train-
ing will begin shortly.
The first 12 audience members are ushered
through the doors and instructed to go and
sit on one of the seats ahead of them.
Peers, the Crowdnet Welcomes You to Your
mandatory life skills Training. Please take a
seat at exercise 1.
Ushers in 4 people.
Peers, the Crowdnet Welcomes You to Your
Life Skills Training. Please take a seat at
exercise 2.
Ushers in 4 people.
Peers, The Crowdnet Welcomes You to Your
Life Skills Training. Please take a seat at
exercise 3.
Ushers in 4 people.
Administrator 1 and 2 enter the room.
2. INT - PEER-TO-PEER VIRTUAL CROWDNET
Everyone should be in place, either seated
as a governor, or standing as a team of 4 in
front of their exercise. Administrator 3 and
4 are already standing infront of exercise
stations 1 and 2.
Administrator 1 and 2 have re-joined them
from outside. Administrator 2 is now stand-
ing by the 3rd exercise station and adminis-
trator 1 is roaming. All of the administrators
are now wearing horned headbands.
3. VIDEO - CROWDNET IS ALL AROUND (V.O)
The video sequence beings and the audi-
ence is transported into a third dimension,
mechanist and eerily reminiscent of the
room in which they are already standing.
Amy, Administrator 1, will begin by explain-
ing the conditions in which the audience
now finds themselves, and how the particu-
lar rules of this world will play out.
Flow
0 Mins - All of audience arrives (ext. out-
side boardroom)
3 Mins - Video Sequence 1 (crowd is in
place for exercise 1).
4 Mins - Exercise 1 Begins
8 Mins - Scoring
9 Mins - Video Sequence 2 (crowd is in
10 Mins - Exercise 2 Begins
14 Mins - Scoring
15 Mins - Exercise 3 Begins (crowd is in
19 Mins - Scoring
20 Mins - Video Sequence 3.
Exit Scene.
The Cast
Our scene called for a number of external
cast members, alongside our own role as
administrators. Social media volunteers ran
real-time reporting during the scene and
publicised their footage and commentary
to a faux Twitter account @CrowdTyranny,
which was live broadcast on one wall using
a dashboard. They were guided with sug-
gested tweets.
Cast List
Played by Amy
CROWD ADMINISTRATOR 2
Played by Nicole
Played by Dee
Played by Ling
Tech Producer/Administrator
Played by Arthur
Photographer/Real-Time Social Volunteer 1
Played by Anzella
Played by Leon
Played by Nimrah
Remote Peer reviewer 1
Played by Leon
Remote Peer reviewer 2
Played by Jessa
Audience (Switching 3 times during the
scene)

Group Example Setup
Trial Governor 1
Trial Governor 2
Trial Governor 3
Trial Governor 4
Contributing Member of Society 1
Reflection
Our journey into the future(s) gave us a
number of insights that could inform our
proposed strategic directions for GBC, and
many of the most interesting revelations
came directly from our audience. As one
participant pointed out, he “felt compelled
to judge everyone with a medium/medi-
an grade: not to high, not to low, not too
demoralizing, not too incentivizing.” When
left to our own devices, devoid of certified
education, might we succumb to moderate,
CrowdThink? What does that suggest for
GBC and the hypothesis that the impor-
tance, or indeed the necessity, of creden-
tials is falling by the wayside? Perhaps it
suggests that an independent adjudication
system remains necessary in order to allow
humans to move beyond their natural incli-
nation to be ‘one of the pack’ and swayed by
populist opinion.
Another participant asked, “what happens
to those who don’t succeed?” Is there room
for outliers in a peer-controlled society? Like
in past education systems, perhaps those
who fail CrowdNet skills training would be
shipped-off to a vocational school, or as we
suggest, “report to agricultural placement at
site 9 for further upgrading.” What would
it be like to belong to a completely inclusive
yet truly exclusive society? Would global col-
laboration and the sharing of open source
knowledge yield wild creativity, or dampen
independent thinking?
Is discipline a crucial component of learn-
ing? Interestingly, one participant drew a
comparison between her emotional re-
sponse to our Time Machine and her own
experiences in the military. Our CrowdNet
future had invoked memories of being un-
der intense scrutiny and the watchful eye of
demanding army sergeants. The audience
had differing opinions on whether this level
of oversight was bad or good. It played nice-
ly into our earlier explorations of the MOOC
movement and the potential threat of
online, open learning to GBC. While MOOCs
are democratic, they are considered by
many as merely a flash in the pan: soaring
enrollment, but abysmal completion rates.
It maybe that people need a controlled and
disciplined learning environments rather
than open educational environments. It ap-
pears that the role and importance of ‘the
discipline spectrum’ lends itself to further
exploration: when does discipline become
counter intuitive to learning, and when is it
an enhancement?
The exercise that stimulated the most
rewarding response was the PlasticDisas-
ter LEGO exercise, a tactile experience that
lends itself well to the theory that hands-on,
play-based learning resonates most with
the evolving self-directed learner. Con-
versely, the exercise that caused the most
discomfort was the Crowd Sustainably test
that deliberately presented ambiguous
questions and left many feeling untethered
and seeking guidance. Perhaps this reaction
suggests that there will always remain a
need for teachers, leaders and guides?
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we
were reminded that not all humans are cre-
ated equal. The differing reactions of partic-
ipants to our Time Machine experience indi-
cates that the educational experience must
always cater to different learning styles.
Some may enjoy a demanding and intensive
environment, others shy away from conflict
and judgment, some will embrace wild and
wacky creativity, and others find it offensive
and unnerving. GBC should continue to
embrace diversity in its offerings in order to
survive and thrive in a globalized and inter-
connected future web.
Hindsight - If We Knew Then, What We Know
Now!
We identified a number of modifications
that can be made to improve the design of
the Time Machine:
Affordances of the Space - by design
we wanted to create a bubble, almost a
cage-like feel that would mirror the end-
less peer reviewers and watching eyes
within the virtual arena. However, given
the amount of participants, a bigger
space would have allowed easier, more
coherent movement through the scene.

Changing the tempo - a point was raised
during rehearsal regarding a shift in
tempo in order to be less frantic. Along-
side this suggestion was to consider in-
troducing prizes and incentives to those
performing well as a signal for changing
exercises and cementing the completed
training. Perhaps this added element
would have increased the complexity
yet further. Asking participants to con-
sider the motivational properties and
relevance of competition and incentives.
Rules and Guidelines - part of the
experiment was to understand how
comfortable people would be with
a self-governed environment, hence
we choose to give very little rules and
guidelines. That said, with a completely
unknown audience it might be worth
setting up rules and guidelines to better
prepare their entry into the scene and
remove ‘the sticker shock’.
If Dator’s second law of the future—”any
useful statement about the future should
at first appear to be ridiculous”—is a rea-
sonable measure of success, then we feel
confident we have succeeded in that at the
least.

Appendix
Image Credit: Showing the Colors 11/24/13, by flickr User Diane Cordell, licensed CC-BY-SA 2.0 81

Dossier futures of making crowdthink

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