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Futures wheel

Futures wheel is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Futures wheel rather than just read about it. In short: The futures wheel is a method for graphical visualisation of direct and indirect future consequences of a particular change or development. It was invented by Jerome C.

Futures wheel — main illustration
Futures wheel — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Futures wheel belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Futures wheel to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Futures wheel from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The futures wheel is a method for graphical visualisation of direct and indirect future consequences of a particular change or development. It was invented by Jerome C. Glenn in 1971, when he was a student at the Antioch Graduate School of Education (now Antioch University New England).

The Futures Wheel is a way of organizing thinking and questioning about the future – a kind of structured brainstorming. (Jerome C. Glenn (1994) The Futures Wheel)

Description To start a futures wheel the central term describing the change to evaluate is positioned in the center of the page (or drawing area). Then, events or consequences following directly from that development are positioned around it. Next, the (indirect) consequences of the direct consequences are positioned around the first level consequences. The terms may be connected as nodes in a tree (or even a web). The levels will often be marked by concentric circles.

Usage The futures wheel is usually used to organize thoughts about a future development or trend. With it, possible impacts can be collected and put down in a structured way. The use of interconnecting lines makes it possible to visualize interrelationships of the causes and resulting changes. Thus, futures wheels can assist in developing multi-concepts about possible future development by offering a futures-conscious perspective and aiding in the group brainstorming.

See also Mind map

Bibliography Glenn, Jerome C. Futurizing Teaching vs Futures Course, Social Science Record, Syracuse University, Volume IX, No. 3 Spring 1972. Snyder, David Pearce. Monograph: The Futures Wheel: A Strategic Thinking Exercise, The Snyder Family Enterprise, Bethesda, Maryland 1993. Glenn, Jerome C. Futures Wheel, Futures Research Methodology Version 3.0, The Millennium Project, Washington, D.C. 2009.

External links Learning, Teaching, and Assessment Guide Glossary at Tasmania's Department of Education's homepage. Downloadable template of a Futures wheel at the Australian Global Education website. Futures Wheel, Futures Research Methodology Version 3.0, The Millennium Project, Washington, DC 2009 [1] Archived 2015-01-04 at the Wayback Machine

Illustrations

Futures wheel: A futures wheel as described by Jerome C. Glenn: a central event (blue) surrounded by its direct consequences (red), with those being surrounded again by the event's indirect consequences (green)
A futures wheel as described by Jerome C. Glenn: a central event (blue) surrounded by its direct consequences (red), with those being surrounded again by the event's indirect consequences (green)
Futures wheel illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Futures wheel

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Futures wheel claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Futures wheel before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Futures wheel ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Futures wheel

In research
Futures wheel appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Futures wheel in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Futures wheel is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Diagrams, Futures studies stubs, Futures techniques, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Futures wheel outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Futures wheel in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Futures wheel means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Futures wheel out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Futures wheel in simple terms?

The futures wheel is a method for graphical visualisation of direct and indirect future consequences of a particular change or development. It was invented by Jerome C.

Why does Futures wheel matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Futures wheel?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Futures wheel.

Tags

  • Diagrams
  • Futures studies stubs
  • Futures techniques
  • Knowledge representation

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