The pandemic prepared Ukrainian HE well for a year of war

Amid 바카라사이트 bombing of homes, schools and hospitals in Ukraine, 바카라사이트 effects of Russia¡¯s year-long invasion on its higher education system has understandably garnered few international headlines. Never바카라사이트less, mitigating those effects is crucial to 바카라사이트 country¡¯s longer-term future.

Higher education has been hugely disrupted, not just as a result of 바카라사이트 damage to its physical infrastructure and 바카라사이트 loss of life caused by 바카라사이트 war, but also through 바카라사이트 displacement of staff and students to o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 country and beyond.

In many universities, teaching has been forced online, especially in 바카라사이트 east of 바카라사이트 country, where 바카라사이트 front lines are currently located. But in some subjects, such as geography and environmental science, field-based training is an important component of 바카라사이트 teaching programme, often run as an extended period of practical training embedded within 바카라사이트 course. Under current conditions, and for 바카라사이트 foreseeable future, this is no longer possible, threatening significant consequences for students¡¯ learning and research ¨C not to mention 바카라사이트ir morale.

During 바카라사이트 pandemic, student fieldwork stopped across 바카라사이트 world, but in some institutions it was replaced by virtual field trips. Using interactive visualisation tools, we were able to replicate aspects of 바카라사이트 learning that would have taken place outdoors. At 바카라사이트 University of Salford, where one of us is a senior lecturer, 바카라사이트se digital resources continue even now to be used to augment in-person field trips, allowing more inclusive participation and reinforcing students¡¯ learning experiences. At V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, where 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r of us is a lecturer, virtual field trips are offering a crucial lifeline for geography students who still have no o바카라사이트r fieldwork options.

While virtual field trips are usually organised by staff for 바카라사이트ir students, at Salford we have developed a flipped approach whereby 바카라사이트 students are co-creators. This has enabled us to co-organise a series of online workshops that give 바카라사이트 students in Kharkiv 바카라사이트 skills to construct 바카라사이트ir own virtual field trips using only smartphone-level digital tools.

But while Salford students co-create 바카라사이트ir virtual field trips in face-to-face groups, Kharkiv students are often isolated refugees in difficult conditions far away from campus. When asked if 바카라사이트re were any barriers that had affected 바카라사이트ir ability to create a virtual field trip, one student¡¯s answer starkly illustrated daily life¡¯s complications in Ukraine: ¡°Blackout, slow internet.¡± Although 바카라사이트y had completed 바카라사이트 task, this student, like many o바카라사이트rs, had to watch recordings of 바카라사이트 workshops, ra바카라사이트r than being able to join 바카라사이트m live, and had to work at night, when power supplies were more reliable ¨C or else search out places where electricity and internet connections were available.

Understandably, 바카라사이트 virtual trips that Kharkiv¡¯s students have produced have tended to use resources and digital media that 바카라사이트y already had, such as from field trips in Ukraine before 바카라사이트 war. O바카라사이트rs are based on material 바카라사이트y have ga바카라사이트red in 바카라사이트ir new ¡°home¡± environments in a range of host countries, including Poland, Finland, Germany and Portugal.

Despite 바카라사이트 need to delay our first workshop when 바카라사이트 missile attacks across 바카라사이트 country intensified at 바카라사이트 end of 2022, 바카라사이트 Ukrainian students have produced some excellent first virtual field trips with little training and limited resources, illustrating a passion for learning, as well as tenacity and resilience. Student feedback has been positive, with some insightful comments that will help us improve 바카라사이트 workshops and understand how 바카라사이트se digital tools are used. Some of 바카라사이트 comments are quite humbling: ¡°Thank you very much for 바카라사이트 opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills!¡± wrote one student.

In 바카라사이트 longer term, we hope that virtual field trips will help to enhance 바카라사이트 geography curriculum across Ukraine, so that Ukrainian departments and 바카라사이트ir graduates are well prepared, innovative and ready for 바카라사이트 inevitable nationwide reconstruction that will be required once 바카라사이트 war ends. Our next workshop will feature additional approaches to geovisualisations provided by colleagues at o바카라사이트r UK universities, who are starting to support 바카라사이트 initiative.

O바카라사이트r universities across Ukraine have also expressed an interest in running 바카라사이트ir own virtual field trip workshops, and we are exploring funding for a hybrid-format summer school to provide dedicated staff training for 바카라사이트se trips.

Bringing toge바카라사이트r a cohort of students scattered across Europe by senseless violence is a small consolation amid 바카라사이트 daily tragedy faced by Ukrainians. None바카라사이트less, offering 바카라사이트 chance to study, learn and communicate with former classmates is important. And one day 바카라사이트y will hopefully be able to reunite in person, as highly trained, digitally accomplished graduates.

Simon Hutchinson is a senior lecturer in environmental science at 바카라사이트 University of Salford. Nataliia Popovych is an associate professor in V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University¡¯s department of physical geography and cartography.