HYBRID LEARNING IN MEDICAL EDUCATION: A CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THE INTERACTION BETWEEN ACADEMIC AUTONOMY, DIGITALIZATION, AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

Abstract

Modern medical education in Ukraine operates under prolonged crisis conditions, creating an urgent need for flexible educational models capable of ensuring the continuity of the learning process. While hybrid learning has gradually evolved worldwide as part of the digital transformation of education, in Ukraine it has become an essential mechanism for adapting to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the full-scale war. Security risks, power outages, forced displacement of students and academic staff, and unequal access to digital infrastructure have necessitated the search for optimal approaches to integrating theoretical instruction with practical clinical training. The aim of this study was to analyze the characteristics of hybrid learning in medical education and to develop a conceptual model illustrating the interaction between academic autonomy, digitalization, and social inclusion. The study was conducted at Donetsk National Medical University during the 2024–2025 academic year using a crosssectional design and an anonymous questionnaire survey. The study included 53 sixth-year medical students (Specialty 222 “Medicine”) who had studied under a hybrid learning model for at least one semester. The questionnaire consisted of 24 items grouped into four sections: access to digital infrastructure, organization of the educational process, assessment and academic engagement, and socio-geographical characteristics. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods. The findings demonstrated that digitalization is a necessary but insufficient condition for the effectiveness of hybrid learning. Nearly half of the respondents (47.2 %) positively assessed its impact on learning outcomes; however, a substantial proportion emphasized the importance of organizational flexibility and expanding opportunities for clinical training. Video lectures and digital educational resources were identified as the most effective instructional tools (56.6 %), while simulationbased training received high effectiveness ratings from 73.6 % of respondents. At the same time, socio-geographical factors, including forced displacement and limited access to clinical training sites, significantly affected students’ ability to participate fully in the educational process. Based on the findings, a conceptual model of hybrid learning was developed, incorporating three interrelated components: academic autonomy, digitalization, and social inclusion. Academic autonomy ensures the adaptability of managerial decisions and the flexibility of educational organization; digitalization provides the technological environment necessary for implementing hybrid learning; and social inclusion guarantees equitable access to education regardless of students’ location or security conditions. The practical experience of Donetsk National Medical University confirms the effectiveness of the proposed model and highlights its potential for implementation in other higher medical education institutions in Ukraine.