Seminário Aberto | Futures-Oriented Science Education

Prof. Olivia Levrini –University of Bologna
 

In this seminar, Olivia Levrini will examine how science education can empower young people to develop future-thinking competences that support navigation of a global landscape marked by uncertainty, complexity, and socio-environmental risk. Drawing on research at the intersection of science education and futures studies, the presentation will illustrate how scientific content can be re-interpreted and regenerated to foster students’ creativity, agency, responsibility, and informed hope.

 

Particular attention will be devoted to the epistemological shift introduced by futures studies and to the pedagogical challenges that accompany it—such as recognising and problematising dominant technocratic narratives of the future, embracing complexity, engaging with value-laden decisions, and addressing the emotional dimensions of learning in crisis-laden contexts. The seminar will conclude with a discussion of the design principles developed within the EU projects I SEE, FEDORA, and FEDORAS, highlighting how these principles can guide the creation of educational environments that meaningfully integrate anticipatory thinking into science teaching.

 

 

This seminar introduces FyouTURES, a board game developed to support futures-oriented science education by engaging learners in the collaborative construction of scenarios. Lorenzo Miani will present the conceptual foundations and design principles of the game, explaining how it creates spaces for negotiation, critical reflection, and collective decision-making under conditions of uncertainty and socio-environmental risk.

 

Through gameplay, participants are invited to explore multiple possible futures, confront scientific and ethical dilemmas, and reflect on the consequences of individual and collective actions. The seminar will illustrate how the game promotes skills such as systemic thinking, imagination, argumentation, and cooperative problem-solving. Difficulties commonly encountered by students — such as navigating conflicting values, balancing scientific evidence with societal considerations, and imagining long-term outcomes — will be discussed, along with strategies for turning these challenges into meaningful learning opportunities.

 

Overall, the presentation will highlight the pedagogical potential of board games as tools for fostering anticipation, collaboration, and shared responsibility among young people engaging with contemporary scientific and socio-environmental issues.