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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2023.17.02.23
Cómo citar:
Yemelyanova, O., Bakhmat, N., Huda, O., Shvets, T., & Boichuk, A. (2023). The educational crisis in today's information and digital
society. Revista Eduweb, 17(2), 267-284. https://doi.org/10.46502/issn.1856-7576/2023.17.02.23
The educational crisis in today's information and digital
society
La crisis educativa en la actual sociedad de la información y digital
Olena Yemelyanova
olenayemalianova@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3277-1227
PhD in Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Germanic Philology Faculty of
Foreign Philology and Social Communications Sumy State University, Sumy, Ukraine.
Nataliia Bakhmat
bakhmat.nataliya@kpnu.edu.ua
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6248-8468
Web of Science Researcher ID: R-2499-2018
Scopus Author ID: 57200174193
PhD hab. (Education), Professor at the Department of Elementary Education Theory and Methods, vice-
dean of scientific activity of Pedagogical Faculty Kamianets-Podіlskyi National Ivan Ohiienko University,
Ukraine.
Oksana Huda
gudaoksana@lutsk-ntu.com.ua
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3602-7892
PhD in Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of Higher Mathematics Lutsk National Technical University,
Faculty of Transport and Mechanical Engineering, Department of Physics and Higher Mathematics,
Ukraine.
Tetiana Shvets
taniteshvets@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9713-7817
PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Deputy Director for Scientific and Methodological Work Private school of
Athens in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Alla Boichuk
alla.boichuk@pnu.edu.ua
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6340-1894
PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Foreign Languages Vasyl Stefanyk
Precarpathian National University, Ukraine.
Recibido: 15/02/23
Aceptado: 31/03/23
Abstract
The aim of the study is to analyze the traditional education crisis and highlight the benefits and
opportunities of digitalizing educational activities. The main methodology applied in this research is a
review of current literature, as well as the experiences of teachers and students. The results show
that the development of modern information and digital technologies, and their widespread use
worldwide, significantly affect the production of goods and services, scientific work, educational
processes, cultural traditions, and social relations. The obtained results underscore the fundamental
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Olena Yemelyanova, Nataliia Bakhmat, Oksana Huda, Tetiana Shvets, Alla Boichuk
basis of the educational crisis issue in the information-digital society and distance education research
in particular. The need to transform the educational industry by incorporating Internet technologies
into the educational process represents a significant challenge for educators, especially in terms of
overcoming the educational crisis caused by the urgent need to transition to distance learning. Under
the influence of the latest digital technologies, significant configuration processes are observed in
public development of a global nature.
Keywords: digital education, information society, crisis of traditional education, modern challenges.
Resumen
El objetivo del estudio es analizar la crisis de la educación tradicional y destacar los beneficios y
oportunidades de la digitalización de actividades educativas. La principal metodología aplicada en esta
investigación es una revisión de la literatura actual, así como las experiencias de docentes y
estudiantes. Los resultados muestran que el desarrollo de las tecnologías modernas de información y
digitalización, y su uso generalizado en el mundo, afectan significativamente la producción de bienes
y servicios, el trabajo científico, los procesos educativos, las tradiciones culturales y las relaciones
sociales. Los resultados obtenidos evidencian las bases fundamentales del problema de la crisis
educativa en la sociedad de la información digital y la educación a distancia en particular. La necesidad
de transformar la industria educativa mediante la incorporación de tecnologías de Internet en el
proceso educativo representa un desafío importante para los educadores, especialmente en términos
de superación de la crisis educativa causada por la necesidad urgente de pasar al aprendizaje a
distancia. Bajo la influencia de las últimas tecnologías digitales, se observan procesos de
configuraciones significativas en el desarrollo público de carácter global.
Palabras clave: educación digital, sociedad de la información, crisis de la educación tradicional, retos
modernos.
1. Introduction
The information and digital society is now in its formative stages, leading to a confusion of trends,
extrapolations, and speculations with reality. Now each country has its own social characteristics,
products and services. Information technology and the Internet have a direct impact on the
development of the information-digital society. But the priority of the Internet entails risks of
separating traditional and innovative clusters of social organization. However, the impact of ICT
on social processes in recent decades is undeniable. The implementation of scientific and
technological development is consistent with progressive sociological theories, dominated by a
pragmatic concept, where the key role is given to efficiency. At the same time, technology,
communication, economic and social goods are also the result of the embodiment of knowledge
in sociocultural space. The development of the digital segment has caused dramatic changes in
nowadays social attitudes. First of all, this concerns such components as demographics, diversity,
mobility, and the digital society (Luna & M., 2021). Changes in society were widely discussed
back in the seventies and eighties before the Internet appearance. Having become a qualitatively
new format for digital communication, the Internet, complements traditional models of voice and
image transmission (from telegraph and telephone to radio and television).
To fully understand the development of the information and digital society tendencies, first of all
it is necessary to define the concept’s essence, its composition, and its social meaning. The term
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“information and digital society” correlates balances in the socio-cultural dimension of information
and digital technologies. Nevertheless this term is not intended to define the dynamics of modern
society as a whole. Information is an important element of any society, but its importance
depends on its ability to be used in the knowledge system. In this sense, there is another
extensive notion of “knowledge society”. This may be more appropriate, but again this term does
not take into account all the factors where the information society is based. “Knowledge society”
in its practically oriented meaning actualizes the potential of ICTs in the economic activity of
society.
The main focus of the study is to analyse the digitalization of educational processes and the
possible crisis of the learning. It is about the wide penetration of technology in society’s quotidian
life. The intense penetration of technology causes difficulties in adapting to the requirements of
modernity. This situation is characteristic of the educational industry as well, since the transition
to distance learning has created new requirements for the traditional set of competencies
updating.
The aim of the study is to analyze the traditional education crisis and to highlight the benefits
and opportunities of educational activities digitalization. The consideration of this goal was carried
out through the prism of the main research questions analysis:
1. Characteristics of modern digital society, the importance of education in human digital
activity
2. The analysis of the transformation of the educational industry caused by the Covid-19
pandemic.
3. The role of digital environments in modern educational actions.
4. Highlighting the opportunities and prospects for the further development of digital
education in the structure of an informatized society.
2. Research Methodology
General Background
General scientific and special pedagogical research methods were used to implement the main
objectives of the study. Particularly, among general scientific methods the use of analysis,
synthesis, induction and deduction was of the main importance. At the same time, in the work
were applied such methods as concretization, abstraction, comparison. This article is formed on
objectivity and systematicity principles. This article’s research process is based on a review of
modern literature on the problem of using digital education at the present stage of development
of the information society. The use of modern empirical and statistical research was of particular
importance.
Materials
The main materials of the study are official legislative acts, mainly:
1. Ukraine's Higher Education Development Strategy for 2021-2031 (Ministry of Education and
Science of Ukraine, 2022).
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2. The concept of digital transformation of education and science of Ukraine (Ministry of
Education and Science of Ukraine, 2021).
3. Laws of Ukraine “On Higher Education” (Law 1556-VII, 2014).
Studies are also formed on the basis of European legislative acts adopted by the European
Commission and the European Parliament.
These documents of legal nature influence the formation of a systematic analysis of the current
transformation in education in the world and Ukraine.
Instrument and Procedures
Based on the analysis method, the main subject of the study (the educational sector crisis) is
divided into separate elements (the study of the significance of the modern digital society, the
analysis of the main transformations in education, highlighting the opportunities and prospects
of distance learning). By means of synthesis these elements are combined and the general state
of digital education in the world and Ukraine is investigated. The authors explore the topic of
information and digital society and the impact of the educational crisis on it on the basis of
scientific concretization. Pedagogical process, methods and ways of distance education
introduction under the conditions of educational crisis caused by COVID-19 epidemic are analyzed
on the base of system principle, tendencies of modern information and digital society
development and problems of new technologies formation in pedagogical process, which
contribute to the educational crisis of recent years, are considered. On the basis of abstraction it
was possible to move from the general theoretical justification to the formulation of conclusions
and reflections. The predictive method use enabled the judgments about the prospects and
opportunities for the use of distance education in the future.
This theoretical study was divided in several stages. First stage - the state and prospects for
further development of digitalization of society, second stage - the main transformations in
education and features of the implementation of e-learning were characterized, third stage - the
prospects and opportunities of digital learning through the prism of foresight analysis were
determined. The last stage of the study enabled the formulation of conclusions and
recommendations.
3. Research Results
The information cluster has enormous scale and significance as it enables the convergence of two
major activities for social life: knowledge manipulation and communication. Information
technologies make it possible to store, organize and process enormous amounts of information
with incredible speed. New communication technologies make possible the transmission of the
content instantaneously on a global level, being able to regulate the access to information, and
to reduce communication costs. The Internet is a computer network where computers
communicate in real-time, instantly providing information anywhere in the world. Consequently,
the information and communication component overcomes localization in the physical dimension
and moves into “virtual space,” allowing simultaneous contact between an infinite numbers of
people, regardless of their physical location (Bailey et al., 2022).
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Creating a multicentric global learning system for continuous improvement of management will
be the main challenge for information society policy (Bauer, 2022). The formation of the
information society in Ukraine is an important condition of European integration processes in
Ukraine and a prerequisite for its development as a modern state. It needs an effective
constitutional and legal support. First of all, it is necessary to improve information law and
information legislation. After all, only with the effective regulation of social relations in the
information sphere the creation and development of the information society is likely (Shevchenko,
2019). The formation of the concept of the information society, which began in the late 1960s, is
still characterized by a lack of unity in the scientific argumentation of the methodological tools
and scientific vision of future social development. It can be assumed that this is due to the fact
that the concept of information society since its inception been constantly transformed under the
influence of scientific and technological as well as social progress and forms such phenomena as
“knowledge industry”, “post-industrial society”, “white collar revolution”, “information revolution”,
“information and communication technology”, “social informatics”, etc. Given the changes of the
fourth industrial revolution, the modern “information society” continues to transform in the
direction of digitalization and robotization of social life.
The modern society with its high level of information technology development, with its culture,
and structure and is an information-digital society. A society where information plays a crucial
role in how products and services are created, research, education, life, and social relations are
carried out, and civil rights are exercised. Social culture and education are changing under the
influence of information and digital technologies. The creation, processing, and transmission of
information is a technological prerequisite for the formation of an information-digital society. The
information society refers to a community where information and technological infrastructures
are used to create, store, and disseminate information through information and digital
technologies. All elements of information activity are a technological condition for the formation
of the information-digital society. The information society advocates the actualization of
infrastructural elements of the information environment based on digital technologies. They
increase their influence on all clusters of economic and economic activity. In the public sphere,
the concept of the information-digital society got its status in the 1970s. The need to focus on
socio-economic development, the construction of equipment and technology, and other
innovations associated with the widespread introduction of computer technology, the
development of telecommunications technology is emphasized. Ideas such as the information-
digital society are important because they shape perspectives on how the world works and thus
influence the decisions of individuals, companies, and governments. Despite the many challenges
to the idea of the information-digital society itself, the concept is increasingly shaping public
understanding of the social and economic changes associated with computers and information
and communication technologies. The innovativeness of ICT is primarily associated with the
formation of new perspectives on the world order, the public sector, society, business, and the
individual. Despite the contradiction of the ideas of the information-digital society, this concept is
increasingly defining the public understanding of social and economic changes related to
computers and information and communication technologies. Many agencies and institutions are
now relying on the concepts of information as a new strategic resource. Such a focus can be
misleading, especially if positioned solely on the information sector and from the perspective of
other clusters of the economy are abandoned. The information society paradigm is based on the
infrastructural elements of advanced industrial communities. The problem of developing an
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information-digital society is complex and multifaceted, so it cannot be conditioned by a single
factor. However, this problem must be solved in a multidimensional way and considered with the
help of various indicators. However, the idea of the information society had support (and
sometimes passion) and refocused attention on information and communication technologies as
a fundamental element of socio-economic development. New perspectives of the information
society have significantly changed the role of technology in both theoretical and methodological
and practical aspects.
The challenge for the information-digital society is to improve and simplify the life. Great volumes
of information can cause anxiety and fear for most people because people tend to be afraid of
what they don't understand. They may be skeptical of the inevitable changes in society brought
about by the need to be constantly in an environment filled with a variety of information. However,
it is necessary to point out the importance of such changes. The attempts to conceptualize social
perspectives involves taking into account trends of globalization and integration, which requires
reconciling the dimensions of physical and digital space. Digital innovations, by providing this
process, form the risks of society's dependence on technology, creating a sense of flawless
functioning of systems (Ogonowski, 2020). Societal change means developing processes of
interaction, so it is very important to understand how the information-digital society will affect
us. Let us consider the advantages and disadvantages of the information-digital society.
The benefits are determined by the social implications. Digital networks increase the speed of
information exchange. At the same time, they reduce the time and cost of accessing various
information. Digital networks are also of great importance for the environment, reducing paper
consumption and therefore the destruction of forests. But the use of electronic correspondence
is only the beginning. Internet searches bring us one step closer to each other. The world is
becoming increasingly digital, where the Internet facilitates economic development and the
exchange of services. For example, libraries are now easily accessible regardless of one's location
or hours of operation. There is a 24/7 access to all kinds of information. Various educational
institutions can pass on the accumulated scientific knowledge, research, and development to
everyone. If working, communicating, and buying different goods and services online, people
become members of the information-digital society.
The costs are also determined by the social implications. Now more than ever, humans have
access to an enormous amount of data. We can observe natural and man-made cataclysms online
in real-time. But a large amount of information does not allow us to be fully aware of reality, we
are very superficially aware of all the issues. We detach ourselves from what's going on because
it's far away from us. Some people even develop insensitivity to tragedy because it seems that
disasters happen everywhere. The ability to block out negative information to prevent it from
affecting us develops. The security of sensitive data is also another important online issue that
needs to be addressed. Overloading the information-digital society with negative data can become
a destructive social factor if left unchecked. From the streets, toward our computers and homes,
a lot of malicious content, such as e-fraud and all sorts of offenses, has been carried over. Digital
data cannot be fully regulated. Today, information uncontrollably serfs over the Internet and so
its security has become extremely important, as has its probability. For most economic activities
in the modern world, the main type of professional competence is the ability to find, analyze and
use information. Thus, information technology is closely related to the educational process,
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although this relationship is ambiguous. The role of information technology in education has two
tasks: to convey specific educational information to further develop the student's ability to use it
independently and the use of the Internet to develop specific knowledge and skills (segment of
higher professional education, language cluster, qualification level improvement, professional
growth in existing and new areas). The number of educational institutions around the world is
increasing and almost everyone is using multimedia and distance learning technologies in the
educational process. Learning CDs require only computers with no Internet access. Due to the
rapid spread of social media, the potential for global messaging and effective news dissemination
has developed in recent years (Massimo & Muschert, 2017). At present, there is a lack of statistical
data on practical indicators of the benefits of the Internet, especially in comparison to traditional
educational systems. Although early attempts at strategic research on the impact of the Internet
on education have noted positive results in language learning, business, higher education, and
pedagogy. Private educational institutions have continued to function routinely in markets
because they have not felt the full impact of the educational crisis. At the level of secondary
education, the actualization of the Internet segment seems ambiguous, except to meet the needs
of children with disabilities. The aforementioned lack of strategic comparative research does not
allow a clear definition of the contribution of digital technology to school education. Practice-
oriented research shows that teaching excellence remains a key element of the educational space,
and the digital arsenal can be used as a supplement to the structural elements of learning. The
main indicator from an individual's perspective is success in learning. For most students, the
transfer to distance learning was a reason to be more effective because they found it easier to
focus on the subjects; it felt as if they were watching the lesson face-to-face, which made it easier
to understand the theoretical part.
Comparative studies in contemporary scientific and pedagogical discourse argue that "education
plays an important role in technological innovation and economic growth, but modern education
is different from traditional offline education. Schools, students, and institutions are looking for
more effective ways to learn, and distance education, based on technological innovation, has
attracted widespread attention. Distance education, also known as distance learning, e-learning,
and online learning, provides regular and meaningful learning activities for students separated
from teachers (Topuz et al., 2021). Nowadays, the need to transform the educational industry,
by adding information and digital segment to educational activities, becomes a major challenge
to educators, especially to overcome the educational crisis caused by the abrupt need to move to
distance learning.
Before the COVID-19 epidemic, distance education was not a common solution to educational
problems, regardless of the degree of natural or man-made disasters. Situational distance
education has unique existential and axiological dimensions, differing from planned distance
education in several ways (See Table 1)
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Table 1.
Main features of situational distance education
Uniqueness of situational distance education
Unexpectedness
Distance education was introduced suddenly, because of an urgent need, with no
prior instruction or preparation. The educational community was forced into online
classes with no prior knowledge or skills
Global
The educational process around the world has been forced to move to the
information-digital space. Distance education has become a mandatory, universal
solution to the crisis, regardless of local preferences and needs. Whereas in the
past it was a local problem, now it is an international problem. However in the
past it was a local problem, now it is an international problem. Earlier efforts were
aimed at institutionalizing the distance format of education, but now there has
been a reorientation of pedagogical discourse toward an interpretation of
internationalization. The increase in the share of distance format in the
educational system provokes the risks of uncontrollability of the quality of
education.
Pervasiveness
The education has become a common process for all societies, dominating the
information-digital environment. It is about it quick spread. Distance education,
with its attendant terms and concepts, has shifted from an alternative to a
traditional dimension in society, correlating the balance of formal or informal
formats, online or offline venues.
Proliferation
Distance education has gone beyond its usual zone, that is, the academic
environment. For higher education, online learning is not new, but its introduction
in schools, especially elementary schools, is remarkable. Distance education has
now become a means of learning for a variety of ages, from kindergarten to
doctoral level.
Mandatory
In many educational institutions, there has been an imposition of these practices
without regard to democratic principles and procedures, even in regions where
democracy has a dominant status. It has been applied as a primary means of
completing the educational process.
Emergency
Medical Care
While distance education is often introduced because of geographic isolation,
disability, and war, during the epidemic it was used as a tool to combat medical
tragedy. The media portrayed distance education as the only means to help
schooling escape the clutches of the coronavirus
Written by the authors of the article
Thus, teaching in an information-digital environment has become a matter of integrating diverse
elements (normative-disciplinary, practical-pedagogical, human-dimensional, organizational-
regulatory, as well as technological) - provided that teachers manage the dynamics of this process
productively (Liu et al., 2022). If previously distance education was a luxury, then during the
epidemic it has acquired the status of a non-alternative learning format. The use of distance or
blended learning has become necessary rather than recommended.
Teachers’ experience plays an important role in a crisis context that simultaneously creates new
opportunities for the transformation of teaching methodologies. The educational crisis in today's
information-digital society impacted faculty work in the early days of the COVID-19 epidemic and
forced a complete rethinking of the concept of will and its value for understanding teaching in
extraordinary circumstances. At the beginning of the pandemic the vast majority of research
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focused on the problems faced by education applicants. However, further social research has
embraced the experiences of educators. Summarized reports indicate perceptions of online
learning, though with varying levels of motivation (Topuz et al., 2021). To understand the process
of creating distance learning courses, one must understand the steps that instructors take in
developing them because their most important task is to ensure that students learn quality
content. Parties interested in improving the quality of instructional materials can provide
instructors with additional resources, such as reviewing courses and projects. This can be done
by sharing existing courses or giving each other feedback on the effectiveness of elements and
content of instructional materials. Templates can also be offered to help structure and share
content (Al Lily et al., 2020). It is suggested considering a few contingencies, such as the extra
time that instructors spend developing and planning online classes and assessments, as well as
for registering, accessing, and populating digital platforms with instructional materials. The
importance of teachers' information and digital literacy, experience, and online skills should also
take into consideration. Support and encouragement of the transition to the latest technology by
the leadership of the educational institution actualize the role in the formation of distance
education. To move all existing courses into the information-digital space in a matter of days is a
massive, disruptive change. It should be realized that a full-fledged online course requires the
development of a detailed lesson plan, teaching materials. However, because of the sudden
emergence of COVID-19, most teachers face problems related to the lack of experience in online
teaching, prior training, or proper initial methodological and organizational support (Damşa et al.,
2021; Wlodarczyk et al., 2020). Stakeholders and higher education administrators had no choice
but to use online technology, i.e., distance learning, to pursue academic activities at all academic
institutions around the world. (Baldwin et al., 2018). The priority task of modern scientific and
pedagogical discourse is to classify the teaching potential by the opportunity to show all its
creativity, to correlate pedagogical and information as well as digital resources in a unified
teaching practice under strict and limited circumstances. Teaching staff must be aware of the
force-majeure nature of the current educational environment and the conditions in which online
education is implemented in the educational process. Total mobilization is needed to reorient both
the general pedagogical canons and the personal qualifications of the teacher. This can be central
to how educators cope with the constraints of the pandemic and take advantage of the potential
opportunities created by this exceptional situation. In addition, one must identify the new
constraints as a real threat and realize that free will cannot be expressed simply as a series of
mental actions, that is, desired, ideal modes of action aimed at achieving goals without specific
constraints. Rather, the notion of must include the fundamental constraints under which teachers
work, such as weak pedagogical and digital skills, technological limitations, connectivity, or time
constraints. This allows understanding the limitations that motivate the reorientation of free will
and learning goals.
Reality does not allow for long-term adaptation of teachers to the new environment and suggests
a need to engage critically with the theory, pedagogical considerations, and instructional design
associated with online and distance education. This has led to a dramatic transformation in
educational systems around the world and has forced educators to urgently transfer to the new
online mode of learning. Many educational institutions had no choice but to completely change
the format of instruction and move to online learning (Bao, 2020). Educators are demanding a
quick solution to the problem of moving to distance learning, an appropriate interim measure that
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would allow them to work as always as much as possible. Therein lies the long-term challenge
for those who support the pedagogical process.
In general, teachers approve of the introduction of virtual dimension educational technologies.
Due to the fact that the new format ensured the continuity of the educational process under
complex socio-cultural realities, teachers are aware of its relevance. A significant number of
educators faced the potential risks of failure to continue their career or professional development.
However, the virtual and digital format made it possible to survive difficult times for educators.
Of course, there are a number of disadvantages to this format of learning; among them is the
fatigue from constant videoconferencing. Another threatening factor of distance learning is a kind
of social isolation, leading to negative moral and psychological consequences.
Videoconferencing often provokes a violation of standard non-verbal communication. It requires
subjects of the educational process to be more energy-consuming in the learning process.
Technological shortcomings lead to a decrease in mutual understanding of the teacher and the
student. In turn, this understanding reduces the quality of education. If adding to everything the
moral and psychological aspects expressed by the general anxiety and stress associated with the
COVID-19 pandemic, it is possible to get risks for the moral health of the participants in the
educational process. The way out of the situation is seen as increasing interactive elements
(games, discussions and debates), which can alleviate the negative feelings of social distancing.
Efforts should be made in order to improve the quality of education and the coordination between
teachers and students in the information and digital space (Demuyakor, 2020). Thus, the question
is no longer whether the move to distance learning can provide quality higher education, but how
educational institutions can immediately and effectively embrace mass adoption of online learning
(Dhawan, 2020). Undoubtedly, the quarantine through COVID-19 entailed stress for educators.
Teachers reported that they had to work from home, unable to meet face to face with colleagues
and students. They were forced to teach in new ways, using largely unfamiliar technology, and
changing their syllabi for the semester-all of which happened suddenly and without time to plan,
implement, or adjust (Yu et al., 2021). The popularity of using information-digital platforms
increased significantly during the educational crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This has
led to the actualization of digital platforms that are location-specific and based on urgent needs.
Thus, it should be noted that in times of crisis, entrepreneurs are guided by financial, social, and
societal goals that affect their use of digital platforms. As a result, the findings contribute to
practices management and policy debates, highlighting how information and digital platforms can
be used in times of crisis to achieve transformative entrepreneurial outcomes. The capabilities of
digital platforms are closely related to the intellectual dimension, that is, they are positively
correlated with human, organizational, and relational capital. Educational institutions should
prefer intellectual capital, which will allow the reorganization of outdated models of the
educational process (Liguori & Winkler, 2020). Digital platforms are a game-changer in the
educational and entrepreneurial markets, as they facilitate the access to products and services
that subsequently lead to transformation. The main advantage of innovative models is to reduce
the direct costs of education and to improve the financial planning. This means that digital
platforms provide more user-centered innovation. Digital platforms are game changers because
they facilitate the access to products and services that subsequently lead to transformational
entrepreneurship. The humanity is a witness of a striking example of transformational
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entrepreneurship in the educational space as radical changes are taking place in society.
Transformational entrepreneurship has become an appropriate response to a number of global
problems characteristic of contemporary civilizational development. It is a relevant way to bring
the common denominator of societal goals with entrepreneurial activity. This indicates that
transformational entrepreneurship focuses on social problems and is implemented through
training or educational programs. The difference between innovative and traditional paradigms
of entrepreneurship is the use of a systematic approach and the identification of prospects for
further development of individual cases. This means the need to implement innovative solutions
to social needs that are not currently being addressed because of business interactions. Thus,
there has recently been an increased demand for transformational entrepreneurship as a distinct
type of entrepreneurial activity, which carries with it an understanding of digital transformation
in society. This is directly related to the entrepreneurial activities of lobbyists for the use of digital
platforms that address public needs related to reducing the negative manifestations of the COVID-
19 pandemic. Digital platforms have become a way of developing information and digital
technologies such as personal computers, computer, and social networks. They facilitate a smooth
flow of information by integrating external sources. Digital platforms can be used in a variety of
contexts, such as payments, accommodation, health care, and education. This means that digital
platforms facilitate the interaction between participants by offering digital content. The content
is usually shaped in some way in terms of different uses. They allow you to share knowledge and
disseminate information. It fosters diverse scientific communities, allowing the sharing of best
practices. Digital platforms enhance a culture of innovation by encouraging the use of digital
technologies. Learning is increasingly happening through the use of digital platforms. Digital
platforms use information and communication technologies to gather and disseminate information
(Liguori & Winkler, 2020).
Modern distance education using information and digital technologies is steadily moving forward
and attracting more and more people's attention, gradually giving a powerful impetus to the
development of the educational process. We consider it necessary to analyze the problems
existing in distance education and ways to improve them.
Distance education is characterized by several features (See Table 2).
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Table 2.
Main features of distance learning
Features of distance education
Accessibility
Distance education, unlike traditional education, pays
more attention to the development of innovative
technologies. There are many educational resources
and training courses with open access. But easy
access to courses does not mean their easy
completion, the test of acquired knowledge and skills
occurs at the end of the educational program. To
ensure the quality of education, information and
digital technologies provide many educational
opportunities and learning methods.
Flexibility.
In distance education, flexibility means the ability to
meet the demands of educators and give greater
independence to learners. Students can study the
way they choose and at a time that is convenient for
them. Thus, there is active learning rather than
passive learning. In distance education, learners are
responsible for their own learning progress, which
develops responsibility for their results. Collaboration
with the teacher takes place to ensure that the
learning content meets social requirements to a
certain extent. Learning becomes more autonomous,
while educational institutions have to provide
additional conditions, services, in particular, to deal
with the educational process
Popularity
It is provided with the first two points. It is the
independence of time and place and the possibility of
teaching students with different backgrounds. People
with different professions, skills, and backgrounds
can continue their education
Sharing social resources
The use of modern information and digital
technologies allows students getting more
information because the learning process changes
from passive recording of prepared material to active
selection of data by the student himself
Written by the authors of the article
In a material sense, distance learning overcomes the time and space limitations. There is no
longer a need to set up classrooms, to accommodate students for lodging. The teaching activity
is also deprived of the constraints of country, residence, natural or man-made limitations.
Particularly, the cost of an electronic information resource is much lower than that of a printed
textbook (Ahmed et al., 2022). Teachers and students are positive about the introduction of
virtual information and digital technologies in education. The latest technologies provide them
with learning materials not available at their institutions, access to industry experts, and a means
of making lucrative career connections. But distance learning is associated with social isolation,
causing depersonalization and burnout (Chick et al., 2020; Hjelsvold et al., 2020). Online classes
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result in a loss of non-verbal cues, which subsequently requires more concentration and effort
than face-to-face interaction with the instructor. Group classes can be more challenging because
there are often delays and communication problems, resulting in decreased interest and trust.
These effects are compounded by general anxiety and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
and prolonged social isolation. To address this problem, more interactive elements such as
discussions and debates need to be created. These effects are exacerbated by the general anxiety
and stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged social isolation. In order to solve
this problem, more interactive elements such as discussions and debates need to be created. This
can make more positive associations with the introduction of information and digital technology
in education. Maximum efforts should be made in order to create in-demand and quality
educational content (Ratten, 2022).
4. Discussion
In this article the current literature and the trends of modern information and digital society were
investigated. The problems of implementing the latest technologies in the pedagogical process,
and the features of the educational crisis that has arisen in recent years were analysed. Nowadays
the necessity to transform the educational sector by adding Internet technologies into the
educational process is a serious challenge for teachers, especially in terms of educational crisis
overcoming, caused by the acute need to move to distance learning. Under the influence of the
latest digital technologies, there are processes of significant configurations of public development
of a global nature. The features of this development are not always only positive. There are
problems associated with the lack of personal social communication, social distance, and lack of
motivation to learn and work.
In addition to the social context and family background, the level teachers’ qualification remains
central. Due to psychological relationship with the teacher, children develop their mental and
intellectual abilities, thinking, and analytics, which are certainly important in an information-digital
society where unlimited access to information can be paralyzing, as in its absence. New
technologies are affecting the role of the teacher, destabilizing their functions and modifying the
creative segment of pedagogical excellence and collaboration with students. They limit the
creative application of their teaching expertise and social interaction in the classroom. Apart from
personal interaction at the mentor-student level, there is no substitute for paper and pencil, as
they are important for the development of writing skills. Student tasks completed on paper
provide opportunities for both teachers and parents of students to access them. The situation will
change (and is gradually changing) with the reorientation of the Internet from an experimental
format of the learning process to a programmatic one. Following the example of other spheres of
social activity, innovations will demonstrate effectiveness in advanced countries, and later will be
implemented on a planetary scale, forming a new educational paradigm. Innovative tools will
quickly replace their obsolete counterparts (for example: three-dimensional models in physics or
medicine greatly simplify the acquisition of practical skills and theoretical understanding of a
problem). Of course, work plans and programs will need to correlate with new learning formats
and techniques. Currently, education is in a state of transformation and reorientation toward new
models of learning with new educational-methodological and organizational-technological
support. Because most multimedia products differ from the requirements of individual adaptation
to each student's needs, especially at the school level. At the university level, an overemphasis
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on the importance of the Internet as a source of information can have devastating consequences.
There is a possibility that students will replace reading and writing with searching the Internet for
texts that can be adapted to their tasks. Instead of using them as a starting point for their
research. Overemphasis on the computer screen and on multimedia educational tools carries the
risk of compromising the need for intellectual development that needs reading books and working
out creative ideas. The uncontrolled use of information and digital technologies in education can
have negative consequences, especially when teachers are inexperienced. Teacher’s development
and training will require significant investment to avoid the gap between students' awareness of
the latest technology and the skills of the teachers themselves. The introduction of the computer
as a teaching tool should be preceded by appropriate training programs in order to improve the
teacher’s qualifications. Digital-skills become a separate cluster of skills, indicating the high
qualification of the teacher.
One of the most important questions today concerns the influence of information and digital
technologies development and impact on the efficiency of the educational process. As the use of
innovative models becomes more and more popular in education, the importance of tracking their
impact on the public increases. Indicators should be identified that will show the relationship
between the use of technology and learning outcomes. It should also be understood that the use
of digital technology is insufficient; it is only a mean to promote creativity in learning,
empowerment, and educational effectiveness. Many contemporary researchers have tried to find
an answer to this question at the theoretical and empirical levels. Exploring this question, the
scientific and pedagogical discourse has encountered two problems. First, is difficult to trace the
student’s success and there is still confusion about its definition. Second, it is difficult to separate
from the sociocultural environment the development and influence of technology. Consequently,
the relationship between the development of the information and digital society and educational
outcomes is quite contradictory. However, the current literature reveals a gap in empirical
knowledge about the information society and its impact and effectiveness on educational
processes and outcomes.
As a consequence of the crisis in education caused by the COVID-19 epidemic, a record number
of educational institutions were forced to urgently pass from face-to-face to distance learning and
to completely adjust their educational activities, regardless of their competence in the
information-digital sector. Teaching became very dependent during the quarantine. Teachers
faced challenges in the new online mode of teaching, had to improve digital literacy in the same
online mode, as well as to develop and provide successful learning experiences in the new
realities.
Indeed, the educational crisis in the information-digital society had a corresponding impact on
the practice of individual teachers, which requires additional research. This process has
challenged the entire educational paradigm, which is usually the primary support structure for
the learning process. In this permanent environment, the professional competencies of the
teacher are a dynamic, development-oriented element. Thus, teaching in crisis requires the
alignment of all clusters of the educational process.
It is common to have a lecture or seminar. This means large groups of people attending the same
space at the same time, but not necessarily interacting. The same in a distance listening to a
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lecture broadcast live or in a previous recording, or perhaps reading endless journal articles and
posting their thoughts on a discussion board. Quality learning involves formal assessment, and it
doesn't have to be heavy written work with grades. Questioning techniques, both synchronous,
in the case of remote streaming, and asynchronous in the text version, which give the lecturer a
framework for answering and managing the direction of the learning, can be more valuable.
Further learning involves students communicating with each other, with activities divided between
modes of transmission, collaboration, and application. All of this can be done through accessible
digital technologies with translation platforms, shared documents, spaces, and applications. The
realization that the educational process in the classroom is different from the online classroom
with remote participants is a challenge for educators and students alike. The challenge for
educators is to help colleagues move beyond quick responses and compensating for possible poor
outcomes to fully embracing information-digital learning tools to enhance the quality of their
development. Now is the time to support teachers in their work and students in their studies.
The ICT use increased exponentially during the COVID-19 pandemic because of demands for
social distancing. This means that entrepreneurs and educational institutions have increased their
digital competencies to compete in the global marketplace. In the digital age, more and more
entrepreneurs are using different kinds of platforms because of competition. Notable digital
platforms include Airbnb, Amazon, Facebook, Google, and Uber. While these global digital
platforms are widely used in society, other types of digital platforms are created by government
agencies for societal reasons. These types of digital platforms are creating a new audience
focused on reliable, real-time information. For education, the most popular digital platforms have
been Google, Action. Digital Education, Prometheus, EduHub.in.ua, and others.
To introduce modern distance education, one should first build common information and digital
platform for distance learning with a common computer network. This platform could include
setting up a computer network and running a video broadcasting system. In building a multimedia
distance learning platform, the software is the key. In the process of building distance learning
software on a digital platform, one should pay attention to one simple and universal principle,
and that is to facilitate students' access to learning resources. In order to develop quality learning
content, teacher training in the field of information and digital technology must be strengthened.
Without the teachers’ leading the learning is impossible.
5. Conclusions and implications
In the process of a learning platform generation, it is worth thinking about improving the
qualifications of teaching staff as well.
However there are problems associated with modern distance education as well. Currently the
whole market of distance education is developing rapidly and has great potential. Though,
distance education in Ukraine is still at the stage of development, characterized by several major
problems:
1. Software Quality. The teaching is accomplished with the help of information and digital
technologies, where the teachers themselves are not of great expertise. Consequently, the
issue of improving multimedia software design is an important topic facing distance education.
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2. Uncertain policy direction regarding distance education. There is still an ambiguity in the way
distance education is promoted and the direction it should take. Distance education may be
a breakthrough for some professions, but for other students, face-to-face or blended learning
remains mandatory.
3. The lack of resources and copying of similar projects. The lack of resources is now a common
problem in Ukraine’s educational industry. A large amount of entrepreneurs create several
schools with the same approach to the educational process, teaching and learning facilities,
and software. This leads to a great loss of resources. To better understand distance education,
in order to help teachers change instructional approaches, and to explore teaching methods,
the new educational environment should be perceived with a positive attitude. Students, in
turn, should be comfortable with distance learning, they should have basic skills in the
information-digital environment. After all, if students do not know modern technologies or
have no access to the Internet, distance education will not be successful. Therefore, the
primary task for creating a modern distance education is to teach modern technologies, to
inoculate independence, and responsibility, and to provide easy access to educational
resources.
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