Exploring Students’ Preferences and Satisfaction in Using Digital Media for Arabic Language Learning in Islamic Higher Education

This study investigates students’ preferences and satisfaction regarding the use of digital media in Arabic language learning at Islamic universities. This study uses a qualitative approach with a survey method. The data collection technique was through an online questionnaire distributed to students of the Arabic Language Education study program at three Islamic religious universities. The data was analyzed with descriptive statistics to determine the preferences of media use and the level of satisfaction of students with the media they used. The results of the study show that the majority of students choose digital media that are audiovisual and interactive in supporting the learning of receptive skills and Arabic grammar, such as Duolingo, Memrise, Al Jazeera Learning, YouTube, Google Translate, Ma'ani Dictionary, DeepL, Gemini AI, TikTok, cakeAI, and ChatGPT. Among these media, the most widely used media by students are YouTube, 40.8%, and Google Translate, 31.5%, and the rest are other media. Specialized learning apps like Duolingo and Memrise are used on a limited scale. In terms of satisfaction, 97.6% of respondents felt satisfied to be very satisfied with the use of digital media. The factors of ease of use, accessibility, a large selection of materials and increasing motivation to learn are the main reasons for the high level of satisfaction. The findings suggest that digital media holds significant potential for further development as an effective and adaptable tool for Arabic language instruction in modern educational contexts.