Distance learning in Ukraine in COVID-19 emergency

ABSTRACT

The global outbreak of COVID-19, subsequent lockdown of universities, and suspension of on-campus learning have caught many higher educational institutions off-guard, challenging their ability to adapt to a new delivery system. Distance learning has come under the spotlight as the only option to avoid the disruption of the teaching-learning process irreversibly. The present study outlines the problems facing Ukrainian universities after the quarantine imposition due to the COVID-19 emergency. The research reveals that the emergency transition of Ukrainian universities to distance learning has not been smooth; both professor-tutors and students have been put at an unfair disadvantage. Additionally, the study intends to analyse the specifics of distance learning in the system of higher education of Ukraine in the emergency and activities of Ukrainian universities concerning the problems of transition to distance learning and utilisation of educational online platforms. An internet survey was conducted among Ukrainian university professor-tutors and students to explore the changes to the teaching-learning process under the COVID-19 emergency quarantine. Interviews with senior officials of leading Ukrainian universities were held to explore how they addressed the issue of the disruption of the education process due to the COVID-19 quarantine.

KEYWORDS:

• Distance learning
• Ukrainian university
• COVID-19
• higher education system
• collaboration software platform
• online learning platform

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes on contributors

Viktoriya Shevchenko

Viktoriya Shevchenko currently holds the Chair of Multimedia Technologies & Media Design at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She has a Doctoral Degree in Social Communications. Her doctoral dissertation was titled ‘The journal content visualization concept in the system of scientific views in the media of social communication’ (2013). Recent publications include ‘Formation of the Concept of Media’ (2016) and ‘Multimedia Content’ (2017). She is currently conducting research in modern technologies of education, communication, multimedia content, convergent journalism, data journalism, and visual communications. Her academic interests also include education technology, design, media technology, and visualisation of information. email [email protected] [email protected] ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1642-1283

Nataliia Malysh

Nataliia Malysh is Professor of the Chair of Public Governance at the Faculty of Law at National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. She has a Doctoral Degree in Public Administration. Her main research interests include state policy analysis, its monitoring and assessment, state policy, state policy in the sphere of education, culture and tourism. She has authored 150 scientific works. email [email protected] ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6803-7860

Olena Tkachuk-Miroshnychenko

Olena Tkachuk-Miroshnychenko has a PhD in Linguistics from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She is currently a lecturer at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Her main research interests involve issues of foreign languages and teaching English as a Foreign Language. email [email protected] ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3782-2027