Proceedings of The 6th International Conference on Advanced Research in Education
Year: 2023
DOI:
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Emergency Online Learning in Ukraine as A Response to The War: Students at Risk Perspectives
Oksana Hubina, Maryna Boichenko
ABSTRACT:
The article reveals the impact of implementing innovative online learning technologies in teaching internally displaced students, in particular, whose higher education institutions were relocated due to the Russian war in Ukraine. The authors investigate current students’ conditions and opportunities for meeting their educational needs by means of online learning. The article argues that successful adaptation of internally displaced students depends on effective social, legal and academic support of the government that has developed a Concept of implementation of education corresponding policy. Understanding of their risks caused by Russian invasion the vital importance of online learning opens up new academic perspectives in shaping war responses. The study was conducted among internally displaced undergraduate and postgraduate students of Ukrainian HEIs. The total number of respondents was 437 people. The main method of collecting data was survey of internally displaced students by using different questionnaires (structured, unstructured (open-ended), quasi-structured (with “other variant” among alternatives), ranging the importance) to determine the main problems of their adaptation to new living and learning conditions from socio-economic, physiological, and academic perspectives. Data on the inputs, outputs and outcomes of online learning programs from both official documents and questioning participants was collected and measured. Actual benefits (possibility of continuous access to the learning process, flexibility of studying, low economic costs, access to educational programs of International Universities) and potential risks (lack of socialization, insufficient technical support, imbalance of resources) of online learning process were assessed as well. The study reveals that most difficulties in adaptation for internally displaced students were associated with bad living conditions, lack of facilities, stress, lack of motivation, new learning conditions, new curriculum, etc. Also, the findings of the study proved that successful adaptation of internally displaced students to new living and learning conditions should be facilitated by implementing online learning technologies. It has been proved that online learning technologies have contributed to continuous studying process of internally displaced students, the intensification of their academic mobility, ensuring international standards for the high quality of educational services, gaining international experience in the academic field.
keywords: digital tools, education policy, higher education, socialization