“Distance learning as a tool for enhancing university academic management processes during the war”

The ongoing war in Ukraine has posed unprecedented challenges to traditional education systems, disrupting learning and affecting education quality. As universities adapt to these challenges, the growing reliance on distance learning strategies becomes crucial for maintaining academic management processes. This paper investigates the role of distance learning tools in addressing wartime challenges and enhancing university academic management. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative data analysis of student performance with qualitative insights from educators and students affected by the war. The results prove the effectiveness of distance learning tools in maintaining education quality during the war while also addressing the unique challenges faced by universities in conflict areas. The findings reveal that distance learning tools serve as a valuable resource for universities to mitigate the negative impact of the war on education quality as part of academic management processes. However, specific challenges such as developing digital competencies, ensuring access to technology, and designing effective distance learning materials must be addressed in war-related disruptions. The quantitative analysis of student performance data highlights the potential of innovative distance learning tools in maintaining education quality during crises and wars. However, the efficiency of their use during the large-scale war in Ukraine has shown a decline and thus necessitates further research. Nevertheless, these insights provide valuable guidance for educators and academician managers to support students and educators during challenging times.


INTRODUCTION
In recent times, global crises and conflicts, including wars, natural disasters, and pandemics, have disrupted everyday life and educational systems.These disruptions have led to university closures and learning process interruptions.In such circumstances, distance learning has emerged as a practical alternative to traditional face-to-face education.
The large-scale war in Ukraine has brought new challenges to the education system.By May 2022, the war had caused over 6 million Ukrainians to flee to neigh countries, including nearly 665,000 students (16% of the total enrolled students) and over 25,000 educators (6% of the country's total educators).In addition, another 8 million Ukrainians have been displaced within their own country (The World Bank, 2022).These circumstances have created new problems for the education system and the implementation of distance learning tools.
The ongoing war in Ukraine and the necessity to adapt to the challenges resulting from russian aggression have made the digital transformation of education an urgent issue for academic management.From both theoretical and practical perspectives, it is worth examining the historical, cultural, and political factors that have shaped the development of Ukraine's education system and its current state of educational technology.Bakhmat et al. (2022) underscore the difficulties educators and students face in conflict-stricken regions, such as limited access to resources and damaged infrastructure.Bakhmat et al. ( 2022) also delve into the potential advantages of digital transformation in education, encompassing increased accessibility, flexibility, and innovation.Therefore, they highlighted the significance of fostering digital literacy skills and supporting teachers and students to utilize digital tools effectively.
Overall, addressing digital transformation challenges and opportunities in the Ukrainian education system amid war is essential, with further research required to examine digital technologies' impact on learning outcomes.Therefore, this study aims to analyze the challenges and opportunities of distance learning during the war, specifically focusing on its implications for education quality for Ukrainian universities that actively implement digital innovations.

The role of digital technologies
in the educational process Given the full-scale war in Ukraine, free access to MOOC platforms for Ukrainian citizens has offered an innovative international approach to education.This accessibility has allowed teachers and students to continue their education despite the challenges imposed by the war.However, the debate surrounding the effectiveness and quality of MOOCs is ongoing, with some studies supporting their role in providing access to education and promoting lifelong learning (Gómez Gómez & Munuera Gómez, 2021), while others question their efficacy in improving learning outcomes and skills (Butnaru et  Giannakos (2013) and Kay (2012) showed that video materials and screencasts can be more effective than traditional lectures in improving student engagement and understanding of complex concepts.However, as mentioned, the effectiveness of these materials may depend on factors such as video quality, content, and alignment with students' learning goals.
The video materials and screencasts can enhance the learning experience and give students access to high-quality, engaging educational content.However, the design and implementation of video materials and screencasts should be carefully considered to ensure their effectiveness and relevance to the student's learning goals.Indeed, video materials and screencasts can significantly improve the learning experience for students in distance education.They can offer an engaging and interactive way to learn new concepts, providing students with visual and auditory elements to enhance their understanding.
In summary, distance learning is crucial in enhancing university academic management processes during the war by providing continued ac-cess to education, utilizing digital technologies, and fostering the development of digital competencies.Additionally, distance learning emphasizes personalization, collaboration, flexibility, and adaptability, while offering targeted training programs for both teachers and students to ensure successful online education experiences during challenging times.

Impact of distance learning tools on education quality during the war
Distance learning can provide an alternative solution to the challenges faced during the war, allowing students and teachers to continue their education remotely, regardless of physical location or safety concerns.However, the effectiveness of distance learning may vary across different disciplines and fields of study.Therefore, this study analyzed a dataset related to the academic achievements of more than 200 bachelor-level students enrolled in the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy during 2019-2022.To ensure the sample's statistical homogeneity and protect personal data, the information was normalized using the max-min method in the range from 0 to 1 (from the minimum passing score to the maximum score obtained on identical scales) (Table 1).
Column 2 of Table 1 ("All Disciplines") shows the average value between the minimum and maximum grades on the normalized scale for all disciplines and students for the considered period (excluding students who had academic debts).Columns 3 and 4 show the grade values for all students in the considered period, divided by disciplines that used traditional distance learning methods (column 3) and innovative (active or interactive) distance learning methods (column 4).Column 5 reflects the average performance for 4th-year students, with the enrollment year of 2019.Finally, column 6 represents the average academic debt percentage for the entire period.
Table 1 illustrates that students' academic performance before COVID-19, during the pandemic, and during the large-scale war in Ukraine did not exhibit significant differences except for the number of academic debts.It should be noted that the analysis of average grades excluded students with academic debts.The analysis results (Table 1) indicate that student performance is heterogeneous across the years of pandemic and war.However, for disciplines that employed innovative technologies in teaching during 2021 (the active implementation of key distance learning innovations during the COVID-19 pandemic), education quality significantly improved, as evidenced by the increase in average grades from 0.27 to 0.55.Unfortunately, for these disciplines, a considerable decline is observed during the war period, with average grades dropping from 0.55 to 0.38.This decline suggests that while innovative distance learning tools improved educational outcomes during the pandemic, their effectiveness diminished during the war, highlighting the need for further investigation and adaptation of these tools to address the unique challenges presented by the ongoing conflict.
In general, the findings suggest that the application of distance learning technologies, particularly innovative ones, enhances the quality of education for students engaged in learning (i.e., those without debts).However, during the COVID-19 crisis and the war, the number of academic debts for students with more than one per semester has increased substantially.

CONCLUSION
The aim of this study was to investigate the role of distance learning in maintaining education quality during the war.The findings demonstrate that effective management strategies, the development of digital competencies, and thoughtful design and implementation of distance learning materials can address the challenges posed by such situations.
The literature review and quantitative analysis revealed that distance learning technologies can maintain or even improve education quality during the wars, despite varying effectiveness across different fields of study.In addition, the student performance data showed stable average grades throughout the crisis and the war period, indicating the potential of distance learning in maintaining education quality during challenging times, particularly for traditional distance learning tools.
Critical opportunities for improving education quality during the war include developing digital competencies through training programs, using digital learning materials, implementing effective instructional design models, and leveraging MOOCs as supplementary resources.Additionally, implementing innovative learning methods during wartime requires an individualized approach and psychological support.
Further research should explore the impact of distance learning tools on other aspects of academic management processes during the full-scale war in Ukraine, identify additional strategies for improvement, and examine the specific challenges faced by different student populations during wars to ensure equitable access to high-quality education.

Years Average Standard deviation of Student Grades* All Disciplines Selected Disciplines All disciplines for the 2019 enrollment groups Academic debt (adjusted percentage) Traditional DL tools Innovative DL tools
Note: * student grades are normalized and presented without academic debts; "x" means that the data are available for only one semester; bold values show the presence of significant changes for this observation.