Scenario Reflection

Example

Rita, working as an educationalist at a university, is eager to know what her work will be like in ten years' time.

Example

 Rita, a 32-year old educationalist at a university, is eager to know what her work will be like in ten years' time. She describes an ideal day in her life in ten years' time. The other participants pick out the trends which they hear in her story:

• living in the countryside

• children

• working part-time

• sport

• educational support

• virtual meetings

• focus on learning development

• working in a small team

Children, sport and nature are important but have little impact on her question. Working part-time and virtual meetings will certainly have a strong impact on her future work; these trends will feature in all scenarios. Educational support, focus on learning development and working in a small team are important but uncertain. (sep 3)

Together with the facilitator Rita chooses to make two axes with these uncertainties. The horizontal axis is generalist - specialist. Specialist is the focus on learning development, generalist has to do with the generally broad input of educationalists at the university. The vertical axis is cosy - wide-ranging. Working in a small group is experienced as cosy while Rita typifies her input as educationalist throughout the university as wide-ranging. (step 4)

Rita describes the four different scenarios on the basis of the main activity which she sees herself carrying out in each scenario: her work as specialist with a large public in scenario 3 she sees as 'publishing', while, as a generalist in cosy surroundings in scenario 1, her main activity is 'Giving support'. (step 5)

Rita states her preferences: scenario 1 is the most likely, scenario 2 the most desirable, while scenario 4 is the 'doom scenario'. (step 6)

She decides to get information about possibilities for studying because she would like to choose a focus in her work which will result in her most desirable scenario 'Research'. (step 7)