BeProfi: The Role of an Online Learning Platform in Strengthening Social Work Professionals' Capacity to Respond to Wartime Challenges
PREPARATORY STAGE
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has created unprecedented challenges for the country’s education system, including professional education. Access to high-quality professional learning for social workers has become significantly more limited, as many professionals are required to work under extremely difficult conditions where traditional forms of education are often inaccessible. These circumstances have created an urgent need for flexible learning solutions that enable social workers to maintain and strengthen their professional competencies, even in times of crisis.
- Social workers provide daily support to internally displaced persons, veterans, military families, children who have experienced trauma, and other vulnerable population groups. In this context, professional knowledge requires continuous updating, and access to high-quality learning has become not merely an advantage but a necessity. One of the resources that supports the professional development of social service professionals is the BeProfi online learning platform. Designed specifically for professionals in the social service and child protection sectors, BeProfi aims to strengthen their competencies and enhance their professional skills.
- The platform is built on a competency-based learning approach, with courses developed by subject-matter experts, researchers, trainers, and experienced practitioners. All courses are available free of charge, allowing learners to study at their own pace and at a time that best suits their needs.
DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS
To date, BeProfi courses have been started more than 7,550 times. Notably, over half of all learners (50.77%) successfully completed their courses and received a certificate of completion. The most frequently combined learning topics include violence prevention, the foundations of social work, case management, and the “From Risk to Resilience” approach.
Over the past few years, the BeProfi platform has significantly expanded its reach and educational activities. This growth indicates increasing interest among social service professionals in online learning and highlights the growing importance of digital educational resources in the context of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. Against this backdrop, an important question has emerged: to what extent does the BeProfi platform meet the professional learning needs of its users, and how do they evaluate their learning experience on the platform
Research Findings: High Levels of User Trust
RESULTS
As part of the master’s research project conducted by Mariana Pechonchyk, Project Manager at the International Charitable Organization “Ukrainian Educational Platform” (MCRD), in collaboration with her academic supervisor, Olha Baidarova, PhD in Psychology and Associate Professor at the Department of Social Rehabilitation and Social Pedagogy, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, a study was carried out to explore social workers’ experiences of using the BeProfi online learning platform during martial law in Ukraine.
The study focused on several key dimensions, including the platform’s accessibility, the quality of its learning content, functionality, interactivity, user satisfaction, and the barriers that learners may encounter during online learning. The findings made it possible to assess not only the platform’s technical performance but also its practical value in supporting the professional practice of social service professionals.
One of the most significant findings was the high assessment of the platform’s accessibility. When compared with other popular educational resources, 81.6% of users gave BeProfi high ratings for accessibility. This indicates that the majority of respondents consider the platform convenient for registration, navigation, and completing courses even under the challenging conditions of wartime.
The quality and relevance of the educational content proved to be another important indicator. According to the study results, 87.7% of users rated this criterion highly. Participants noted that the learning materials correspond to current challenges in social work and help them better navigate real-life professional situations. Courses that address the specifics of working in wartime and crisis contexts were especially valued.
The platform demonstrated even higher results in terms of functionality and interactivity. A total of 89.2% of respondents gave high ratings in this category. Users positively evaluated the course structure, the availability of tests, practical assignments, video materials, infographics, and other tools that support effective learning and allow participants to monitor their own progress.
The most impressive indicator was the level of overall user satisfaction.
This result demonstrates not only the quality of the educational product but also its alignment with the real needs of social sector professionals who work in challenging and emotionally demanding environments.
How is BeProfi different from other educational platforms?
The results obtained demonstrate that users highly value the relevance of BeProfi’s content specifically for the field of social work, as the platform is designed to address the needs of a specific professional community rather than a broad general audience.
Importantly, users highlighted not only the quality of the educational materials but also their practical orientation. Respondents repeatedly emphasized that the platform “speaks the language of practice.” The courses help professionals find solutions to real-life workplace situations that social workers encounter on a daily basis. This practical value became one of the key factors contributing to the platform’s high ratings.
Learning in the Context of War and Future Development Prospects
The study also demonstrated that users are able to effectively complete training on the platform even in wartime conditions. Although respondents identified power outages, unstable internet connections, high levels of psychological strain, and significant workloads as the main barriers, these factors did not affect the overall positive perception of BeProfi. On the contrary, the opportunity to learn remotely became an important source of professional support for many specialists.
The research findings convincingly demonstrate that BeProfi is currently more than just an online learning platform. It serves as a tool for professional support, strengthening resilience, continuous development, and adaptation of social workers to emerging challenges. High indicators of accessibility, content quality, functionality, and overall user satisfaction confirm its effectiveness as a resource for non-formal education. At a time when the demand for qualified social sector professionals continues to grow, platforms of this kind become an important component in developing professional capacity and improving the quality of social services in Ukraine.
At the same time, the study identified areas for further improvement of the platform. Based on the analysis of user responses, practical recommendations were developed aimed at ensuring continuous access to educational materials, minimizing technical and navigation-related challenges, strengthening the practical orientation of content, expanding interactive learning formats, and improving the user support system. The findings and recommendations obtained will be taken into account in the further development of the BeProfi platform to ensure its better alignment with the professional needs of specialists in the context of current challenges.