How IT-studios changed the approach to education in Ukraine: 2023-2024 survey results

In 2023, the “Updated informatics — IT-studios” project was officially launched in Ukraine. It has brought in leading IT specialists so that children develop quality digital skills from the first grade and then become programmers, developers, testers, etc. and compete in the global job market.

During the school year, students had more than 500 interactive exercises and 320 classes. The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, together with partners within the framework of the EU4DigitalUA project, conducted research based on the results of the academic year to find out how it was possible to help teachers modernise the teaching of informatics and adapt the educational process to the modern needs of students.

1210 teachers took part in the survey, as well as 1195 parents who answered part of the questions together with their children.

“IT-studios is a rethought approach to teaching computer science through digital educational materials for students and teachers, with maximum focus on practice and application of skills in real situations. More than 30% of the country’s educational institutions already use IT-studios in the educational process. Educational resources of modern informatics change the idea of modern education and lay the foundation for the future, where technology becomes the driving force of the country’s development,” said Valeria Ionan, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine for European Integration.

According to the results of the study, 86.7% of the teachers surveyed actively integrate the platform into the classroom, making it an additional resource. At the same time, 13.3% of teachers successfully use IT-studios as the main teaching tool in every lesson. In addition, 24.4% of teachers use a platform for advanced learning, which allows students to acquire more advanced knowledge within the school curriculum.

“The results of the survey show that IT-studios open up new opportunities for practical learning of informatics, and modern digital tools help make learning more interactive and adapted to the needs of participants in the educational process. Positive feedback about the platform confirms that the development of digital education brings real results. The integration of digital resources into the educational process allows students to better master the educational material and prepare for the future in the world of technology,” emphasized Dmytro Zavgorodnii, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine for Digital Development, Digital Transformations and Digitalization.

IT-studios proved to be a flexible tool that could be adapted to different educational programmes. For example, more than 72% of teachers consider the platform to be a successful supplement to textbooks. Around 70% use it to organise students’ independent work and individual lessons. This is particularly important in the context of modern education, where a personalised approach is becoming increasingly important.

“The successful integration of “Updated informatics – IT-studios” into Ukrainian schools is a key achievement in our joint efforts to modernise education through the EU4DigitalUA program. The positive feedback from teachers and parents will allow us to improve the curriculum for next year, ensuring that it will continue to provide the best digital competencies,” says Maria Gaston Betran, FIIAPP technical institutional coordinator of the EU4DigitalUA project.

The educational resources of updated informatics are intuitive and convenient for students and teachers. The numbers speak for themselves: 92.8% of respondents rated the platform’s navigation as very good. The average satisfaction score was 4.16 out of 5.

“The EU4DigitalUA project is introducing new ways of teaching informatics in Ukrainian schools. The European Union is proud to support this important project that is transforming classrooms and helps laying the foundation for a stronger digital society in Ukraine,” said Stefan Schleuning, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

There are plans to improve the functionality of the platform on a regular basis. More than half of respondents (56%) said they would like to see more features in the IT studios, including simulators, virtual labs and gaming environments. Almost a third (30%) suggested the integration of external resources and automatic code checking, which would make the learning process even more efficient. And 20% of respondents noted the need to create a dynamic map of student progress.

If you are a parent and would like to know if your school is already using the Updated Informatics – IT-studios platform, please contact your Informatics teacher.

If you are a teacher, take the opportunity to be part of an educational innovation. Join the platform at it-osvita.diia.gov.ua and open new opportunities for your students.

One decision can change the future of education. Become a driver of change, help children adapt to the demands of the digital age and make learning more exciting and effective.

Learn more about IT-studios and teachers’ feedback on the platform’s possibilities in the guide “How to get a modern IT education in computer science classes” on Diia.Education.

The guide is available at https://osvita.diia.gov.ua/guides/modernizing-computer-science-education-with-it-studios 

The project is implemented at the initiative of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine within the framework of the EU4DigitalUA program which is financed by the European Union and implemented by the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP) within the framework of the second component “Institutional strengthening and capacity development”.