42
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2022.16.04.4
Cómo citar:
Bakhmat, N., Burenko, M., Krasnov, V., Olianych, L., Balashov, D., Liulchak, S. (2022). Role of e-learning environments in training
applicants for higher education in the realities of large-scale military aggression. Revista Eduweb, 16(4), 42-51.
https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2022.16.04.4
Role of e-learning environments in training applicants for
higher education in the realities of large-scale military
aggression
El papel de los entornos de aprendizaje electrónico en la formación de los
aspirantes a la educación superior en la realidad de la agresión militar a gran
escala
Nataliia Bakhmat
bakhmat.nataliya@kpnu.edu.ua
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6248-8468
Ph.D. hab. (Education), Professor Head of Department of Elementary Education Theory and Methods of
Primary Education Faculty of Pedagogics Kamianets-Podіlskyi National Ivan Ohiienko University,
Ukraine.
Maryna Burenko
marynaburenko@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9369-802X
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Docent Department of physical therapy, occupational therapy and
physical culture and sports Faculty of rehabilitation pedagogy and social work Municipal institution of
higher education "Khortytsk National Educational and Rehabilitation Academy" of the Zaporizhzhia
Regional Council, Ukraine.
Volodymyr Krasnov
volodkras@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5967-9260
DMedSci, Full professor Head of Department of pedagogy, psychology, medical and pharmaceutical law
Teaching staff's advanced training faculty Shupyk National Healthcare University of Ukraine, Ukraine.
Larysa Olianych
larisa.olyanich26@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4924-145X
Candidate of historical sciences, associate professor Docent Department of History and Socio-Economic
Disciplines Kharkiv Humanitarian and Pedagogical Academy, Ukraine.
Dmytro Balashov
balashov05021978@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7573-6598
Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor of Theory and Methodology of Physical Culture,
Sumy State Pedagogical University named after A.S. Makarenko, Ukraine.
Svitlana Liulchak
svitlanal2016@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8437-4226
Candidate of pedagogical sciences, Associate Professor Department of Innovation and Information
Technology in Education Educational and scientific institution of pedagogy, psychology, training of
specialists of higher qualification, Vinnytsia Mykhailo Kotsiubynskyi State Pedagogical University,
Ukraine.
Recibido: 07/10/22
Aceptado: 10/12/22
Nataliia Bakhmat, Maryna Burenko, Volodymyr Krasnov, Larysa Olianych, Dmytro Balashov, Svitlana Liulchak
Role of e-learning environments in training applicants for higher education in the realities of large-scale
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Revista de Tecnología de Información y Comunicación en Educación • Volumen 16, N° 4. Octubre-diciembre 2022
43
Abstract
Electronic educational environments in the conditions of quarantine restrictions of COVID-
19 have become a common phenomenon for the organization of distance educational
activities. The purpose of the article is to analyze the role of electronic educational
environments in the process of training applicants for higher education. General scientific,
pedagogical methods were used. In the results, the general properties of the Internet
educational platforms common in Ukraine, the peculiarities of using the Moodle and
Prometheus platforms were discussed. The conclusions state that the military actions
drew the attention of universities in Ukraine to the formation of their own educational
platforms.
Keywords: educational platforms, distance education, the war in Ukraine, electronic
educational environments, the Internet.
Resumen
Los entornos educativos electrónicos en las condiciones de COVID-19 se han convertido
en un fenómeno común para la organización de actividades educativas. El propósito del
artículo es analizar el papel de los entornos educativos electrónicos. En los resultados
se discutieron las propiedades generales de las plataformas educativas de Internet
comunes en Ucrania, las peculiaridades del uso de las plataformas Moodle y
Prometheus. En las conclusiones se afirma que las acciones militares atrajeron la
atención de las universidades de Ucrania hacia la formación de sus propias plataformas
educativas. Esto es especialmente relevante para las instituciones técnicas y militares
de educación superior.
Palabras clave: plataformas educativas, educación a distancia, guerra en Ucrania,
entornos educativos electrónicos, Internet.
1. Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine restrictions have created objective conditions for the
use of distance learning with the active involvement of communication media and online platforms
for teaching, searching for information, and conducting classes.
In the Ukrainian reality, the actualization of distance learning occurred under the influence of
Russian military aggression - since February 2022, Ukrainian universities have been working
exclusively on the use of electronic educational environments. This approach was a forced step
since many universities were located on the line of contact or even in the zone of occupation of
the Russian army. Other universities were subjected to military destruction, and their
management was unable to ensure the safety of teachers and students, so they were forced to
conduct classes remotely. The article aims to analyze the role of electronic educational
environments in the process of higher education training in the realities of large-scale military
Eduweb, 2022, octubre-diciembre, v.16, n.4. ISSN: 1856-7576
44
aggression, to consider the positive and negative experiences of their use in the educational
process of distance learning. The realization of this goal required solving the following tasks:
1. Characteristics of common educational platforms and resources
2. Analysis of training of Ukrainian knowledge seekers as a result of using national and
international e-learning systems
3. SWOT-analysis of MOODLE platform, which is one of the most common in higher education
in Ukraine
4. Development of a model for the formation of the high-quality educational electronic
environment.
2. Literature review
Currently, education based on e-learning environments is used at all levels of education, which in
turn affects the emergence of many pedagogical studies. Kem (2022) characterized the features
of the use of personalized and adaptive learning systems that are used in e-learning. Ayoub et al.
(2020) in their empirical study outlined the importance of the Coursera platform by characterizing
its main features. Chan et al. (2021) in a monographic study identified the impact of the COVID-
19 pandemic on the organization and implementation of education in higher education. The
authors paid considerable attention to the importance of information and communication
technologies. Pinheiro & Santos (2022) identified the promise of online learning. In addition, these
scholars attempted to predict the spread of e-learning use in the future. At the same time, Rajab
(2018) investigated the problem of the effectiveness of distance learning in territories where
warfare is taking place. suffering from warfare. Bader et al. (2022) characterized the problem of
digitalization of education based on the Ukrainian experience. The team of authors also identified
the advantages and disadvantages of using modern electronic platforms for digital learning.
Tsekhmister et al. (2022) studied current educational trends and technologies. The work of
Zahorodna et al. (2022) is also important for this study, which analyzed the features of the
formation and development of communicative competence. Tytova & Mereniuk (2022) analyzed
the problem of the formation of digital literacy of future teachers against the background of the
spread of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Graves (2018) analyzed key aspects of lifelong learning
and its relevance to the present. Leon-Martinez & Tapia-Rangel (2020) outlined the importance
of adult education based on an analysis of e-courses. However, the mechanisms of improvement
of the digital education system are still little explored. In addition, the peculiarities of Ukrainian
students' use of educational resources of international significance against the background of the
spread of military aggression have not been analyzed.
3. Methodology
This study is formed on the methods of theoretical pedagogical knowledge. In particular, the work
used analysis and synthesis. As a result of using content analysis of modern pedagogical
literature, the understudied aspects of the problem are highlighted, the relevance of electronic
educational environments in the training of applicants for higher education against the background
of military aggression of Russia is characterized. Based on predictive method characterized the
further importance of electronic educational resources and platforms in the system of training
Ukrainian students.
The study also used empirical methods of scientific knowledge. In particular, based on modeling,
a model of forming an effective educational environment, taking into account current learning
Nataliia Bakhmat, Maryna Burenko, Volodymyr Krasnov, Larysa Olianych, Dmytro Balashov, Svitlana Liulchak
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Revista de Tecnología de Información y Comunicación en Educación • Volumen 16, N° 4. Octubre-diciembre 2022
45
trends and military realities was made. The paper also includes a SWOT-analysis of the strengths
and weaknesses of MOODLE platform, one of the most widespread in Ukrainian higher education.
4. Results and Discussion
Educational distance learning environments in Ukraine: development opportunities
Due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine restrictions are causing the
development of digital education (Vijayashree & Srinivasa, 2021). Learning actors began to
increasingly implement distance education through the use of many online platforms, courses, or
webinars (Pinheiro & Santos, 2022). The transformation then influenced most educational
institutions to adopt new digital educational practices. In order to support education in an uncertain
period, the powerful electronic resource “Coursera” was the first to allow universities free access
to 3,500 courses (Ayoub et al., 2020).
As a result of full-scale Russian aggression against Ukraine (February 24, 2022) there is a new
requirement to expand the network of national digital systems for e-learning. Office of the
President of Ukraine in collaboration with UNICEF contributed to the development of several
digital learning environments for distance learning for students in Ukraine. (Ministry of Education
and Science of Ukraine, 2022). For example, an accessible electronic platform “United Ukrainian
University” (UUU) was created.
There are many other opportunities for Ukrainian students to organize effective learning. In
particular, in cooperation with Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012
the center of e-learning “EdX” was formed. This platform is now open-access and runs on a free
system called OpenEdX. A variety of courses, both general and specific, are taught here. In a
simplified mode, such online lectures translate some courses held at Harvard and other worldwide
academic institutions (Abbasi & Foudi, 2020). There is no charge for Ukrainian students to join
these courses, but there is a fee to obtain an official certificate. The educational resource “Udacity”
is specifically designed for students in technical fields.
A Ukrainian electronic system called Prometheus allows university professors to distribute and
publish courses and lectures for free. Separately, the courses consist of video conferences in
which students and everyone else can debate with ejectors. Note that such discussions are open
to teachers, academics, students, or anyone else who wishes to participate. Prometheus
seminars are always available. The mentioned electronic system also has mobile applications for
iOS and Android. The Ukrainian e-resource “Maidan Open University” acts as a remote system
to promote the study of civic education. (Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, 2022).
“Maidan Open University” owns more than 30 free courses for Ukrainian students. On this
platform, lectures are organized by well-known Ukrainian professors. As a result of the successful
completion of the selected courses, participants are issued a certificate confirming their training
on this resource.
Moodle and Prometheus platforms in the context of military realities: peculiarities of use
Moodle platform has gained particular popularity in Ukraine against the background of the
deployment of Russian military aggression, which has taken a leading position in many leading
universities: Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University, Ivan Franko Lviv National University,
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46
National University “Lviv Polytechnic”, Volyn National University and so on. The advantages of
this educational platform are openness, free of charge (which is also very relevant in conditions
of limited funding), and ease of general management. This educational environment is sufficiently
flexible in application and meets the requirements for the organization of the distance learning
process for both synchronous and asynchronous learning system (Vijayashree & Srinivasa,
2021). The problems with rearranging the new work requirements that many faculty members
have had are partially solved by the introduction of preparatory courses. For example, the National
University “Of Lviv Polytechnic” introduced a special discipline “Fundamentals of creating a
distance learning course on the platform Moodle”, designed for 1 credit ECTS with a practical
direction of the main work. (Vega Falcón, 2020). Additional advantages of the Moodle electronic
environment in a military environment were a number of features (See Table 1).
Table 1.
The main advantages of the educational electronic environment Moodle
Additional benefits of Moodle
Ability to upload and share digital documents
Libraries and other information institutions are
restricted in the midst of hostilities, exposing them
to additional hazards. Teachers have the ability
and platform to post their own lecture texts or other
instructional materials so that students can access
them remotely with the least risk to life and limb.
Open discussion
The possibilities of online chat, discussion of
grades, consideration of other issues are
supported by the system. This creates a number of
advantages in a distance education environment.
Conducting tests and open evaluation log
The platform allows you to arrange open-ended,
closed-ended tests, creative tasks, etc. Thanks to
this it is possible to determine an objective
assessment, which would take into account the
performance of various tasks in percentage form.
Versatility
The educational environment based on Moodle is
equally functional for the exact and humanities.
Authors’ development
At the same time, certain problems and features of using Moodle in the educational process are
relevant, which can determine the future and prospects for further implementation and use of this
system in universities (Kaya Keles & Keles, 2018). Despite all the notable benefits of
implementing information and communication technologies, some methodological elements of the
arrangement of educational and methodological materials and work in this electronic educational
environment requires improvement (See Table 2).
Nataliia Bakhmat, Maryna Burenko, Volodymyr Krasnov, Larysa Olianych, Dmytro Balashov, Svitlana Liulchak
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Table 2.
Problems of using the Moodle environment
Problems of using the Moodle environment
Privacy
Only verified users from students and teachers get
access to the information in the Moodle system. At
the same time, the system cannot guarantee
whether this information will not be spread on open
platforms (students often use social networks to
communicate and spread such information). In
addition, everyone with a username and password
will have access. For this reason, unauthorized
people can gain access to Moodle.
Biased evaluation and restricted access issues
The first problem gives rise to the second: students
can turn to their colleagues to help them solve
problems. In Ukrainian reality, such cases are quite
common. This creates unequal opportunities for
others. It is difficult to solve such a problem: it is
said about personal logins and the need to change
them when you first log in.
Authors’ development
For this reason, the use of Moodle has certain challenges, which in the conditions of open military
confrontation are extremely relevant. Because of the inability to fully control the educational
process, some universities associated with the Ukrainian defense sector have refused to use this
platform (Vega Falcón, 2020). Some technical institutions of higher education, which are on other
educational electronic environments of their own design, have done the same (Schrenk, 2020).
Another system, which is limitedly used in Ukrainian universities, is the educational environment
“Prometheus”. This platform is a commercial technology, which can automate the entire
educational process. Like Moodle, the environment has a modular structure that allows you to
increase, improve and upgrade the content. Advantages can be considered user-friendly
interface, automatic execution of administrative functions, general accessibility in understanding
the mechanisms of the system, centralized information database, performance, and available
technical support. The Prometheus system is much better protected against extraneous
interference, works more stably, with less chance of hang-ups. The purpose and functionality of
Prometheus can be compared to Moodle, but the popularity of this environment is limited. Weighty
disadvantages Prometheus is the high cost of this platform, as well as the range of tools for the
development of distance courses, is much easier.
Model for the formation of a quality educational electronic environment
STEP 1.
When forming educational electronic environments, it is necessary first of all to take into account
their main objectives. The educational digital environment should contribute to the formation of
students' digital competencies, provide learning outcomes that meet the basic requirements of
providing key knowledge and professionalism in specific areas of study, structuring educational
materials so that students have the opportunity to learn their own level of mastered knowledge
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and skills, providing professional mentoring support, etc. (Tytova & Mereniuk, 2022). (See Figure
1).
Figure 1. The main objectives of educational electronic media, which should be considered in the
formation of educational electronic media.
Author’s development
STEP 2.
Consideration of the main components of e-learning system and outcomes. The introduction of
e-learning environments in educational work promotes effective user involvement in learning with
information and communication technologies (Bader et al., 2022). By organizing training based
on electronic courses, using a variety of tools and resources of electronic environments,
participating in project work using modern technologies, students master basic relevant skills of
working with electronic materials and information, gradually developing key digital, information,
communication competencies, mastering the skills of independent learning activities (See Table
3).
Table 3.
Key elements of electronic educational systems
The main components of the e-learning system
Open access
We are talking about access to educational
curricula, familiarization with the programs of
disciplines, practices. Access to publications of
electronic libraries and educational resources
Fixation and monitoring
There is a record of the educational process,
monitoring the results of the development of
certain educational programs.
Formation of the student's electronic
portfolio
This step is necessary for individual analysis of
the acquired skills of each student. Note that
the person-centered approach should be the
main one in the e-learning system.
Interaction
Synchronous and asynchronous interaction
between participants in the learning process.
Ease of use
Electronic platforms and resources should
preferably be user-friendly
Authors’ development
Nataliia Bakhmat, Maryna Burenko, Volodymyr Krasnov, Larysa Olianych, Dmytro Balashov, Svitlana Liulchak
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STEP 3.
Consideration of modern learning and digital requirements. This study highlights those
requirements that characterize the e-learning system as a whole and, according to the authors,
are important in the formation of an educational digital environment (See Table 4).
Table 4.
Key requirements for the educational environment (consideration of pedagogical trends and war
conditions)
Key requirements
1. Functionality
The presence in the system of a variety of both
educational and purely technical functions. We are
talking about forums, chats, course management,
analysis of the effectiveness of participants in the
learning process
2. Reliability and security of data
This requirement includes not only the
convenience of updating content but also the
principle of protection from various external
influences. During military hybrid attacks, the
security of the educational environment is
important, so the focus should be on platform
security.
3. Stability
Based on the sustainability of the electronic system
4. Support of basic educational standards
Work should be based on the basic standard for e-
learning SCORM (the basis for the international
exchange of electronic materials, courses,
programs).
5. Development of a knowledge testing
system
Assessment of the quality of knowledge of
students in synchronous or asynchronous learning
6. Accessibility and usability
The convenience parameter makes the platform
competitive. The system should be simple, clear,
and accessible to use. Learners should not have
any barriers to accessing education.
7. Prospects for the development of the
system
The e-learning system should be a constantly
evolving learning environment.
8. Quality technical support
In wartime, due to various information attacks,
maintaining a stable environment is essential.
High-quality technical support also implies a quick
response and elimination of errors in the system
itself.
Authors’ development
If all the proposed steps are taken into account, it is possible to create an effective educational
electronic environment capable of resisting hybrid threats, to perform its main function, to be
understandable to all users.
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5. Conclusions
Russian military aggression has prompted a shift toward distance learning. Since the beginning
of the COVID-19 pandemic, educational environments have established themselves. In particular,
the electronic platform United Ukrainian University (UUU), Prometheus, the Ukrainian electronic
resource “Open Maidan University”, etc. was formed. The importance of educational electronic
environments in war conditions is extremely important not only in terms of the educational
component but also because of safety for the life and health of higher education applicants.
Ukrainian students have unique opportunities for mostly free participation in various international
and national E-learning systems.
Moodle platform is especially popular in Ukraine, it is popular in many leading universities and
has proved itself positively in war conditions. Among its main advantages are high functionality
and relative ease of use. At the same time, disadvantages related to security are tangible. The
study proposes a certain model for developing an online distance learning environment that can
be effective in the face of hybrid information attacks. In particular, we are talking about three
systemic steps necessary to form a universal educational environment: determining the main
tasks they should solve, taking into account the main components of the e-learning system and
their results, addressing modern learning and digital requirements. The proposed paradigm is
only theoretical, attempts to further implement it in practice will require additional clarification and
research.
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