Students formulate many ‘What if…?’ questions to broaden the scope of possibilities and generate new ideas.
The method helps students practice imagining the future and uses this as a starting point to stimulate their creativity.
Choose, or have the students choose, the challenge, phenomenon, or other topic they want to explore.
Tell the students that they should ask lots of questions starting with “What if…?”
Students formulate as many ‘what if?’ questions as they can, in relation to what they are exploring. Students write them down, for example on a piece of paper or on a computer.
They take one question at a time and discuss with their partner or in their group what could happen if it becomes reality.
Use the Silent Brainstorming method or another brainstorming technique to support students in coming up with “What if?” questions.
Gather the most interesting and useful ideas and create a list. Students can then select the ideas they want to develop further or those they believe have the greatest potential.
Optionally, have the students reflect on how the “What if?” questions helped them think differently and discover new solutions.
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