UK Partner
Muhammad Awais Shakir, Senior Lecturer Department of Organizations, Systems and People (OSP), Business and Law
Ukraine Partner
Lolita Zakharchenko, Professor of Enterprise Economics Institute of Computer Science, Institute of Economics and Management
Co-Investigators
Nikolaev Yuriy, Associate of Professor of Enterprise Economics Institute of Computer Science, Institute of Economics and Management Odesa Polytechnic National University
Project objectives
In Ukraine, the war has reached a level of seriousness that makes it the primary impediment to education as normal. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the sole option between institutions and students has been remote/online education; consequently, higher education institutions are seeking to modify the learning/educational models for their efficacy and activity.
This project will support Ukrainian higher education institutions in identifying and establishing new educational models for hybrid and connected learning, now that the war has compelled Ukrainians to study remote/online. Through the technology-led hybrid learning models for students and industry professionals, this project will assist universities in the development of new online/hybrid educational models, improve student welfare and assistance, and boost the institutions' economic activities. Moreover, the findings of this project will also enable institutions to identify the strengths and weaknesses of hybrid and connected learning, as well as concerns regarding its adaptability and readiness. Furthermore, the findings will provide training and development recommendations for the use of certain online/hybrid learning techniques in Ukraine during war and peacetime. Lastly, the findings of this project will also help the educational policy makers in exercising the integrations of emerging technologies for future technology-led sustainable educational models.
Project goals
Hybrid and connected learning enable you to utilise the benefits of remote learning more efficiently, which is essential in challenging settings such as Covid-19, hostile environments, and war zones. Academics are familiar with the widely acknowledged Blended Learning concept; however, the more dynamic nature of the Hybrid and connected learning model is still in its infancy, and there is a dearth of understandings on its applicability. This is a model of the learning process in which the teacher provides pupils with material for self-study at home, and the content is then practised in the face-to-face class (Sarnovska, 2022). During extracurricular time, it is assumed that students use electronic devices to attend video classes and study supplementary sources independently. Then, in the classroom, all students discuss new concepts together, and the instructor assists with the application of the acquired knowledge. During the session, the teacher assists students in comprehending the theoretical portion and responds to their queries regarding assignments. In the existing academic and educational business environment, the absence of the hybrid and connected learning model through the integration of emerging technologies isolates enterprises and institutions and prevents them from expanding no matter either it is the expansion of its economic activity or student learning experience.
This project will aid Ukrainian universities and educational policymakers in establishing a new Hybrid and Connected Learning model for the educational welfare of all disadvantaged students and industry professionals, given the conditions of complete isolation and the absence of the possibility of full- time education during wartime. The following are the aims and objectives of the project:
1. To analyse the existing blended learning issues.
2. To identify existing blended learning techniques.
3. To design a comprehensive framework (Hybrid and connected learning) to address the shortcomings of the existing blended learning techniques.
4. To validate and apply the newly designed framework in practice.
Role of each Partner
Ukraine Partner responsible for:
• Management of the project.
• An analytical review of the Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) hybrid learning models.
• Development of recommendations.
Ukraine Partners responsible for:
• Collection of data with focus groups.
• Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) hybrid learning models in Ukraine.
• Development of recommendations.
Timing
Project Start Date: 1st February 2023
Project End Date: 31st August 2023
Expected results
1. Conference Publication/ ABS 3 publication (if time permits)
2. Recommendations to the ministry of education for both countries (UK & Ukraine)
3. Policy/development implications for educational policy makers, practitioners, and academicians.
