Self-education in the digital environment: vectors of continuous professional development for academic staff at a Ukrainian technical university

Abstract

This article examines the role of self-education in sustaining continuous professional development among academic staff at Ukrainian technical universities amid the combined pressures of digital transformation and wartime disruption. It focuses on how lecturers adapt their professional learning practices to air-raid alerts, power outages, unstable internet connectivity and unequal access to digital infrastructure. Drawing on relevant academic literature and reported professional experiences, the study identifies several interconnected vectors of self-directed learning, including artificial intelligence (AI) tools, informal collegial exchange, open educational resources, asynchronous webinars, independent academic reading and low-technology reflective activities. Particular attention is devoted to AI-assisted learning and its potential to facilitate lesson planning, academic writing, information synthesis and pedagogical innovation. Simultaneously, the article highlights significant challenges associated with inaccurate AI-generated content, excessive technological dependence and the potential deterioration of critical reading, analytical reasoning and independent scholarly judgement. Furthermore, it considers how disparities in electricity supply, internet connectivity and technological resources may exacerbate existing inequalities in professional development opportunities. The findings indicate that professional learning under wartime conditions is characterised not merely by disruption but also by adaptive strategies integrating digital technologies with interpersonal interaction and offline knowledge acquisition. The study emphasises the importance of developing institutional frameworks that promote critical AI literacy, acknowledge informal and low-technology educational practices, and ensure equitable access to professional learning opportunities. Ultimately, the article contributes to understanding how Ukrainian technical university lecturers maintain professional competence, intellectual autonomy and educational resilience under extraordinary circumstances, offering practical recommendations for establishing more flexible, inclusive and sustainable systems of continuous academic professional development.