Four Models of Higher Education in 2030

Abstract
This chapter provides four models of higher education for the year 2030, namely the Tamagotchi, Jenga, Lego Set, and Transformer models. The Tamagotchi model represents the classic approach to higher education, starting right after secondary school and leading up to a bachelor’s or master’s degree and then transitioning into employment, finishing the path of higher education. The Jenga model, while similar to Tamagotchi, appeals to nontraditional students because of its shorter learning span and focuses on later phases of self-learning and -organization. The Lego Set model is fittingly named after the individually combined modules of different sizes, making for a self-reliant and non-standardized learning path rather than one compact unit. The Transformer model represents learners whose initial phase of education may have long passed, but who return to higher education to acquire new basic knowledge or upskill their formal education. It relies on the idea that everyone must have opportunities to leave their current professional paths and change course.