Digital transformation of higher music education in Ukraine: Challenges and innovative practices

Abstract

The study aims to examine how digital transformation is reshaping higher music education, a field that relies on performance-based pedagogy, ensemble interaction, and tacit knowledge transmission. It investigates how these distinctive requirements were affected by the rapid shift to online and hybrid learning, especially in Ukraine, where digitalization intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing war. The research adopts a mixed-method approach that combines institutional analysis, student and faculty perspectives, and case vignettes from leading Ukrainian music academies. The primary empirical component focuses on Bohdan Khmelnytsky Melitopol State Pedagogical University, which has become a key site for experimenting with digitally supported music instruction and assessment. The findings indicate that persistent systemic challenges remain, including infrastructural limitations, unequal digital access, and significant obstacles in adapting performance evaluation to online environments. At the same time, the study identifies emerging innovative practices such as hybrid juries, asynchronous performance submissions, and cross-border masterclasses that illustrate the adaptability and resilience of music programs under crisis conditions. The results suggest that digital transformation in higher music education is not limited to technological adoption but involves deeper shifts in pedagogy, assessment frameworks, and institutional governance. These insights highlight how Ukraine’s experience can inform the development of sustainable, inclusive, and digitally connected music education systems internationally.