Technology-enhanced humanities education in Ukraine: A scoping review and instructional design framework

Abstract

Purpose. Digital technologies can sustain educational continuity and expand humanities learning, but their pedagogical value depends on the conditions under which they are selected, implemented, and evaluated. This study aimed to identify the conditions and to develop a contextualized instructional design framework for technology-enhanced humanities education at Ukrainian universities. Methodology. We conducted a scoping review informed by the Arksey-O’Malley framework, later methodological guidance, and PRISMA-ScR. Scopus database served as the primary bibliographic one, while ResearchGate was used as a supplementary discovery platform. The search yielded 436 records; 222 unique records remained after removal of 214 duplicates. After title/abstract and full-text screening, 33 studies were included. We charted study characteristics and applied iterative qualitative content analysis. Policy documents and competence frameworks were examined as auxiliary sources, and pedagogical modeling was used to integrate the findings. Results. The 33-study corpus comprised one publication from 2022, two from 2023, nine from 2024, 16 from 2025, and five from 2026. The synthesis identified five interdependent categories: organizational and infrastructural; methodological and didactic; resource and content; assessment and learning outcomes; and ethics and academic integrity. These categories were reorganized into an operational model that links contextual preconditions, constructive alignment, humanities-specific learning activities, authentic assessment, and observable outcomes. Accessibility, cognitive-load management, privacy, integrity, bias awareness, copyright, and human oversight function as cross-cutting safeguards. Conclusions. The review supports a shift from tool-centered digitalization to outcomes-first course design. The proposed framework can guide course planning, faculty development, and continuity measures in disrupted settings; however, it is an analytically derived, provisional model rather than a validated effectiveness instrument. Future work should test its indicators in Ukrainian humanities courses through expert appraisal, pilot implementation, and learner-outcome studies.