Comparative analysis of distance education models in European and Ukrainian universities

Abstract

The digital transformation of social life and socio-economic changes necessitate the introduction of new, effective forms of organizing the educational process. The purpose of the articleis to investigate and systematize modern approaches to organizing distance learning across various educational systems, assess their technological and pedagogical effectiveness, and identify factors that ensure the successful adaptation of educational models to the requirements of the digital transformation of higher education. The methodological basis of the study was a set of theoretical methods (analysis, synthesis, comparative pedagogical and system-structural approaches), empirical approaches (content analysis of documents, research of digital educational platforms, generalization of pedagogical experience) and methods of an interpretative and generalizing nature (classification, typology, comparative generalization and visualization of data). The results of the comparative analysis showed that distance education in European universities is characterized by a higher level of systemic institutional integration, a developed digital infrastructure, and a pronounced student-centeredness of the educational process, whereas in Ukrainian higher education institutions, it mainly functions as an adaptive and compensatory mechanism for responding to crisis challenges. At the same time, it was established that common development vectors are inherent in both educational spaces: the intensification of digitalization, the spread of blended learning models, and the consistent development of digital competencies within educational entities. Conclusions. The transformation of education in Ukraine and Europe is taking place in the context of digitalization, internationalization, and the spread of information and communication technologies, which require a systematic, institutionalized approach to online learning, a robust digital infrastructure, and effective mechanisms to ensure the quality of education. Despite difficult socio-economic conditions, Ukrainian higher education institutions are actively modernizing distance learning practices by implementing digital platforms, cloud services, and analytical tools, aligning with a common trend among European universities towards the development of blended and hybrid learning models.