Derek woodgate, Phd
Derek Woodgate is a consulting futurist/foresight scientist, educator, author, reviewer, speaker, and curator. He is Chief Futurist of The Futures Lab, Inc. a foresight consultancy, which he founded in 1996, which specializes in creating future potential for major corporations and institutions (futures-lab.com) including Ministries in the UAE.
Derek's fields of expertise include the application of emerging technologies and new approaches to the science of foresight and uniquely creative approaches to working with unstructured knowledge in unknown worlds. His recent academic work deals predominantly with the intersection of foresight, future learning, multimedia technologies, personal ambiance, and the changing human.
Also, Derek is an Associate Professor at the University of Agder in Norway, since 2013, teaching Master's courses on the Future of Mobile Learning and the Future of Media and Entertainment; and is a University Lecturer at The University of Houston, USA, where his courses include An introduction to Foresight and The Future of Energy and the Environment. He was previously teaching at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Derek is an Executive Board member and Lecturer at the Center for Futures Studies at the University of Dubai.
Derek has previous experience as an executive on the board of two major international corporations and over 20 years SVP-level management and operational experience and ex-UK diplomat.
Education:
Derek holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Contemporary Eastern European
Studies from University College London (1965-1968), a Master of Arts in Political Economics earned at the University of Zagreb (1969-1972), and completed and defended his, Doctor Philosophiae (Dr. Philos.) at the University of Agder, Norway in September 2021 at the Faculty of Engineering andScience. His thesis is titled: The Augmented Learner: The pivotal role of multimedia-enhanced learning within a foresight-based learning model designed to accelerate the delivery of higher levels of learner creativity.
In 2016, Derek created a new learning program titled The Living learning System based upon his research and academic practice. It has garnered considerable international acclaim and subsequently, Derek was invited to be an advisor on the introduction of transdisciplinary learning approaches for the Ministry of Education in Norway. Derek also produced a 300-page foresight report on the future of universities and has written numerous academic papers on the integration of foresight into university education structures. Derek is Head of the WFSF UNESCO Committee and is currently working on the UNESCO program for the expansion of futures literacy.
Authored books:
“Future Frequencies,” Fringecore Publishing, USA, (2005).
"Future Flow - (chapters available digitally), (2012)
"Calling The Toads – A Burroughs Compendium" co-authored with Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Allen Ginsberg and Douglas Brinkley. Fringecore Publishing (1999)
The PR Playbook – The Future of PR. Transkadescent Press, (2014)
Recent scientific papers and book chapters:
· Woodgate, Derek, Veigl, Helga (2020), Exploring the future of universities through experimental foresight. World Futures Review, Vol 12, Issue 4, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1177/1946756720976714
· Woodgate, Derek (2019). Immersive spatial narratives as a framework for augmenting creativity in foresight-based learning systems. On the Horizon. ISSN: 1074-8121. doi:10.1108/OTH-11-2018-0033.
· Woodgate, Derek; Isabwe, Ghislain Maurice Norbert (2018). Developing future vision landscape and models of technology enhanced learning. INTED Proceedings. ISSN: 2340-1079. doi:10.21125/inted.2018.1608.
· Woodgate, Derek (2018). Foresight as a Tool for Increasing Creativity in the Age of Technology-Enhanced Learning. Communications in Computer and Information Science. ISSN: 1865-0929. 940s 21 - 35. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-00825-3_3.
· Isabwe, Ghislain Maurice Norbert; Moxnes, Margrethe Synnøve; Ristesund, Marie; Woodgate, Derek (2017). Children’s Interactions Within a Virtual Reality Environment for Learning Chemistry. Advances in Human Factors in Training, Education, and Learning Sciences. ISBN: 978-3-319-60017-8. Springer. Proceedings of International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics. s 221 - 233.
Derek won the Emerald Literati Award for Outstanding Academic Papers in 2020 for his paper“Immersive spatial narratives as a framework for augmenting creativity in foresight-based learning systems” published in On the Horizon in 2019.
Professional affiliations
Derek is a founding member and ex-board member of the Association of Professional Futurists; a professional member of The World Futures Society and ex-President of the Central Texas Chapter of the WFS; member of The World Futures Studies Federation, Board Member of TAFFs and an adviser to the CreateAustin Cultural Plan.