Student Satisfaction on Teaching Strategies and Multimedia Usage in Online Arabic Language Course ^†

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine student satisfaction based on online teaching strategies as well as multimedia usage in an Arabic language course. Based on a convenient sampling technique, the survey was distributed online to 213 students of UiTM Malacca branch in order to identify the factors contributing to student satisfaction. This descriptive and analytical study used quantitative methods using SPSS and a PLS-SEM procedure to analyze the relationship between variables. The results indicate a significant and positive relationship between student satisfaction and multimedia usage during Arabic language ODL sessions. Interestingly, the data analysis reported a significant relationship between teaching strategies and student satisfaction.

1. Introduction

Open and distance learning (ODL) has long been introduced and has been implemented in most Malaysian learning institutions, from preschool to tertiary education, since as early as the 1950s, and it was first offered by Stamford College [1]. Currently, this is an effective and much-needed approach to prevent coronavirus from spreading as it is a life-threatening pandemic [2]. According to UNESCO (2002) [3], ODL is a teaching and learning session that takes place beyond rigid time and space between instructors and students. The diversity and breadth of the scope covers broad aspects of access, curriculum as well as elements [1].

Therefore, in order to achieve student satisfaction in teaching and learning, various measures and strategies have been used by educators today [4,5,6]. Among the strategies adopted is to increase the use of integrated online multimedia [7]. Thus, many learning courses are conducted online including Arabic language courses at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). In short, Arabic language subjects are offered at UiTM as elective subjects that emphasize the mastery of four skills, namely reading, listening, writing and speaking [8,9].

To achieve integrated online student learning satisfaction is not as easy as expected due to many lecturers who are less skilled. Among the reasons students do not achieve a high level of satisfaction is because of the difficulty in understanding Arabic grammar. The Arabic grammar structure reportedly has a negative impact on student academic achievement [10], which is distinctively different from most students’ first language, Malay language. In addition, students also face difficulties in adapting to online learning because it takes a long time and energy to be familiar with the various elements of multimedia. Moreover, different courses and lecturers may use different multimedia platforms and teaching strategies, causing students’ focus to be interrupted. This then leads to an increase in student workload and decreases student satisfaction with their learning sessions. Undeniably, it is necessary to improve multimedia skills since it is also in line with the development of the current era of globalization. In addition, lecturers also need to devise various strategies so that students can master Arabic language skills well after the completion of the courses [11]. Other than that, lecturers also need to devise various strategies so that students can master Arabic language skills well. Therefore, the objectives of this study are to examine the influence of Arabic language teaching strategies on student satisfaction and also to review the influence of multimedia use on student satisfaction. This is imperative to determine a more effective and efficient learning environment, especially for the students to enhance their Arabic language skills.

2. Literature Review

2.1. Teaching Strategies

A variety of teaching strategies provide an optimal effect on Arabic language learning. Certainly, learning sessions at the university level differ from primary and secondary school levels. This is due to the lecturer as a facilitator to the students [11,12] and as a strategy to master the Arabic language, although in essence, the teaching approach is not much different for all levels of educational institutions. Nevertheless, it can be noted that the lecturer’s strategy as a facilitator clearly encourages good moral growth to continue learning Arabic [12]. It also helps to continuously increase the students’ learning efforts as it can foster independence and cooperation among students when the study sessions are conducted by lecturers [13].

In addition, the UiTM curriculum and syllabus prioritize basic language skills in order to facilitate students in learning the Arabic language from basic to advanced levels. This is related to the stages of human thoughts, which has been much debated by psychologists and philosophers. Humans have a unique mind with the ability to think from the basic level of knowledge up to evaluation. Previous studies have examined how student innovation development improves students’ high-level thinking skills. Multimedia and innovation do not only allow student engagement but also create active interaction in the learning environment. It even generates pleasant and enjoyable learning sessions, especially during ODL [11,14].

Therefore, cooperative teaching is implemented in an orderly and structured manner through a combination of lectures and student activities. A more effective strategy practiced by lecturers is incorporating interactive games that help improve students’ Arabic language skills [15]. Studies in the past have created space and opportunities for many lecturers and students to build games based on multimedia technology. This strategy has proved to have a more positive effect in improving Arabic language skills, where students are also able to acquire a quick response based on the game score and evaluation system that is automatically displayed to students. Thus, students can immediately acknowledge their level in Arabic language learning [7,16,17].

It is also crucial for lecturers to encourage the students to refer to other sources to improve their understanding on a topic in Arabic language. This is also reported by Haroon (2000) [18], who studied the strategies of mastering Arabic language through the reading of various sources other than relying solely on the modules provided to the students at the University of Malaya. It was found that students’ assessment results improved significantly compared to students’ results that referred to only one particular source.

Other than that, student–lecturer active discussion also helps to improve students’ thinking skills. Through a study conducted, students would undergo discussion activities based on the materials prepared by the lecturer. Next, in small groups, students would discuss and present the results based on the discussion. This tremendously helped students to have a better understanding of the topics because the lecturers created an active learning session.

To ensure student satisfaction, methods such as simulation, role play and drills are also practiced in order to enhance basic Arabic language skills [19,20]. Previous studies have shown that learning Arabic at UiTM gave students the potential to learn Arabic better because it emphasized the elements of simulation, role-playing and drills. As a result, it was found that there was a significant relationship between activities during learning sessions and student satisfaction [19]. It was also reported that UiTM students were able to speak Arabic more confidently and fluently through simulation and role play activities during (ODL) [20]. Hence, simulation and role play methods positively contribute to the aspect of speaking skills while drills further strengthen students’ mastery in learning Arabic language.

In general, lecturers need to be resourceful in strategizing and diversifying activities when integrating ODL and Arabic language learning. Student satisfaction evidently can be achieved if the activities incorporated are appropriate and effective to help students understand and master the Arabic language. Thus, a hypothesis for this study is that teaching strategies positively and significantly influence student satisfaction in learning Arabic.

2.2. Multimedia Usage

The subject syllabus content cannot be presented well without the use of teaching aids by lecturers. In a learning environment such as ODL, teaching aids based on multimedia technology greatly help student satisfaction in learning Arabic language. Since then, UiTM has intensified the efforts to facilitate lecturers and students to conduct teaching and learning more smoothly by developing the U-Future platform [21]. Previous studies have clarified that the U-Future platform is appropriate and up to date to assist ODL sessions. Reference materials can be directly accessed without the need to be downloaded as it will overwhelm laptop storage capacity. In addition, lecturers can also compile lecture plans according to the subject syllabus via this platform. Various types of audio, video, documents and question sets can be developed to facilitate students even beyond ODL sessions [21,22]. However, other than U-Future, other online platforms such as Google Classroom, Moodle, Edmodo and Microsoft Teams are also used to aid the teaching and learning sessions [22]. Thus, student satisfaction increases whenever ODL sessions are implemented in an orderly and systematic manner.

In addition, there are also other multimedia-based teaching aids for students to access continuously, such as the teaching videos developed by lecturers. Students with internet connection issues have the opportunity to access the video materials provided at any time with ease. Furthermore, video development accelerates the process of student comprehension as students have an array of different learning methods to suit different student learning styles. This has been proven in many past studies revealing that video is very suitable for language learning because it includes interesting pictures with sound as well as graphic features. As a result, students’ interest in learning is also increased [16,23].

Moreover, due to the pandemic, Google Meet, Zoom, GoToMeeting and Cisco Webex platforms are also actively employed in almost all walks of life, including by lecturers and students. This is especially vital in language learning as these platforms can optimize two-way interaction between lecturers and students. It has been found that integrated online learning through platforms such as Google Meet, Zoom, and Cisco Webex are suitable for teaching and learning sessions involving discussion and question-and-answer activities. Through these platforms, lecturers can also demonstrate various interactive materials such as engaging Microsoft PowerPoint slides, audio and infographics [6,11,13,22,24].

Question-and-answer and interview sessions can also be conducted using applications such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, WeChat, Line or Bip. Students who are embarrassed to ask during Google Meet, Zoom, GoToMeeting and Cisco Webex online meetings can also inquire through the app instead. This makes it easier for both lecturers and students to interact with ease. Other than that, it has been shown in past studies that WhatsApp and Telegram apps are most widely used during ODL sessions. This evidently shows that learning still happens continuously without limitations by using these apps as they can be easily accessed using smartphones [15,22,24].

On the other hand, the “less serious” online platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok provide more widespread social media exposure, including in language learning. For instance, learning Arabic language should go beyond the university scope and students are able to explore Arabic holistically. Social media platforms provide students a chance to gain extensive knowledge, which benefits student’s experience in learning Arabic language. It is clearly stated in a study that a social media platform, Facebook, is suitable to be applied in learning sessions as it is verily up to date [24].

Overall, teaching aids based on multimedia technology provide students with a higher level of satisfaction compared to only a rigid and traditional teaching and learning session. Contemporary and relevant teaching aids also assist ODL sessions in being a pleasant experience for both students and lecturers. Hence, another hypothesis of this study is the positive and significant influence of multimedia usage over student satisfaction in learning Arabic language.

3. Materials and Methods

The primary data for this descriptive and analytical study were obtained through questionnaires administered to the undergraduate degree students from three UiTM campuses in Melaka, which are Kampus Alor Gajah, Kampus Bandaraya as well as Kampus Jasin. A convenient sampling technique was used in this study and the survey was conducted online using Google Form to collect the responses. The entire population for this study was 460 students that came from five different faculties in UiTM Melaka, which include Faculty of Art and Design, Faculty of Business and Management, Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics, Faculty of Hotel and Management and Faculty of Accountancy. The minimum sample size for this study was 129 students that have been identified primarily by referring to the GPower software (Aichach, Germany). Luckily, 213 students responded to the survey for this study. A seven-point Likert-based scale was adopted to represent the respondents’ preference. The description of the Likert scale used included 1—Strongly Disagree to 7—Strongly Agree. The data were next analyzed using SmartPLS 3.0 software (Hamburg, Germany) to gather the responses [25].

Before data analysis was initiated, a data cleaning process involving several tests such as incomplete data detection and isolated data was performed. Of the 215 questionnaires distributed, 213 questionnaires were retained for the purpose of further analysis due to incomplete responses from the remaining two respondents. Next, the partial least square structured modeling (PLS-SEM) procedure was performed, which involved two stages of analysis, namely, the item measurement model as well as the structure measurement model. Through this software, data would be re-sampled to as many as 5000 samples to produce expected standard error and t-value [26,27]. SmartPLS 3.0 is able to assimilate sampling errors that can influence the value of correlation coefficients between the variables while improving the accuracy of theoretical tests [28]. This software will also ensure the convergent validity and discriminant validity of the data.

4. Results

4.1. Measurement Model

Under this section, the testing of the validity and reliability of the data will be performed. Three criteria are required in this section, namely, convergent validity, discriminant validity and internal reliability of the research items [29]. Convergent validity refers to the level to which several items can measure the same concept. This validity will be achieved when all AVE (average variance extracted) values exceed 0.50 and CR (composite reliability) exceeds the minimum level of 0.6 in social science research (Hair et al. 2012). The construct reliability or factors studied were tested using Cronbach’s alpha and rhoA values. The minimum value required is 0.7 [30]. The findings of this study have indicated that the minimum requirements for convergent validity, discriminant validity and reliability of the questionnaire items have been met. The results of the analysis are summarized in

Table 1. Convergent Reliability Test.

Construct	Item	Loading	Cronbach	rhoA	CR	AVE
TS	SP1	0.876	0.921	0.932	0.946	0.746
	SP2	0.891
	SP3	0.886
	SP7	0.825
	SP9	0.849
	SP10	0.855
MU	PM3	0.682	0.889	0.902	0.911	0.562
	PM4	0.709
	PM6	0.693
	PM8	0.747
	PM10	0.809
	PM11	0.736
	PM13	0.791
	PM14	0.817
SS	KP1	0.784	0.932	0.950	0.940	0.757
	KP2	0.865
	KP3	0.917
	KP4	0.900
	KP5	0.878

TS: Teaching Strategies, MU: Multimedia Usage, SS: Student Satisfaction, rhoA and CR: Composite Reliability, AVE: Average Variance Extracted.

(Figure 1).

4.2. Structural Model

This study was conducted to investigate the UiTM Melaka students’ satisfaction in learning Arabic language online. To meet this purpose, two hypotheses were constructed among the study variables. The SmartPLS 3.0 bootstrapping function [25] was employed to test the significance level and t-value for all path coefficients in the study model. The analysis proved that a path coefficient of multimedia usage was found to affect student satisfaction significantly at the level of 0.05 with a value of t ≥ 1.645, except for the teaching strategies factor, which was found not to affect student satisfaction.

Next, the quality of the research model was determined through the values of effect size (f²), R² and Q² [28]. The analysis shows that the effect size (f²) has diverse values, from a small effect size (0.038) to a large effect size (0.057). In addition, the value of R² is large at 0.406 while the value of Q² which exceeds 0 (0.387) indicates that the study model has sufficient predictive relevance [28].

Table 2. Path Coefficient Test Results.

Hypothesis	Correlation	Std. Beta	Std. Error	t-Value	Result	R2	f2	Q2
H1	TS → SS	0.189	0.097	1.951 *	Supported	0.406	0.038	0.387
H2	MU → SS	0.476	0.096	4.878 *	Supported		0.057

* p < 0.05, t-value is larger than 1.645.

represents the analysis of the research hypothesis and quality models (Figure 2).

4.3. Importance–Performance Matrix Analysis

In order to obtain the diagnostic value of the model, IPMA analysis was performed [31]. This evaluation is based on a comparison between the average value of student satisfaction (SS) with PLS expectation, which calibrates the importance of each construct in the research model. In other words, through the analysis of IPMA, the significance and achievement of each factor that affects student satisfaction will be identified.

Table 3. IPMA Analysis.

Construct	Importance (Total Effect)	Performance (Index Value)
Student satisfaction	-	70.770
Teaching satisfaction	0.189	74.973
Multimedia usage	0.466	80.672

clearly reports that the multimedia usage factor (MU) is the most important factor with importance value of 0.466 and performance value of 80.672, compared to strategic teaching (TS) with importance and performance values of 0.189 and 74.973, respectively. By considering this IPMA analysis, lecturers need to focus on these two aspects, especially multimedia usage, which has been found to be the most important factor in influencing a student to achieve learning satisfaction.

5. Discussion

Language learning, especially as third or foreign language, requires a tremendous amount of hard work as students are expected to master the skills within the duration of the course. As tertiary level students, they are usually more independent compared to younger learners, however, the lecturers’ or instructors’ roles as facilitators greatly help them in engaging with the lessons, especially now that ODL is being implemented due to the pandemic. Lecturers’ teaching strategies are today, more than ever, highly significant as students may find it challenging to adapt to ODL. Multiple studies have proven that teaching strategies positively influence student satisfaction in traditional classrooms, and through Smart PLS analysis, this study has also revealed similar findings where teaching strategies are reported to be significant. Activities such as role plays and drills allow students to fluently demonstrate their Arabic vocabulary and construct sentences confidently, even through online platforms such as Google Meet, Cisco Webex and Zoom, among others. In addition, it is also shown in the analysis that students highly appreciate lecturers that incorporate cooperative teaching by creating activities that involve both lecturers and students.

In relation to teaching strategies, the Smart PLS analysis has also revealed a positive and significant relationship between the use of multimedia and student satisfaction at UiTM Melaka. These findings directly proved that the use of multimedia in learning Arabic language is a major key to student satisfaction. Multimedia is an interactive software or application that integrates text, color, images, graphics, sound, animated audio, and full motion video in one application. This multimedia learning system offers a better method to improve students’ understanding in various languages. Studies conducted showed that the use of multimedia gathered a positive response and greatly helped students in learning language more easily and effectively [32,33]. This approach also increases effectiveness and students’ interest in their tasks that are related to language learning. Therefore, it is not surprising that this learning desire will provide motivation and satisfaction to students to accept and continue studying via ODL sessions [34].

These findings evidently indicate that teaching strategies and multimedia usage are important factors in influencing students to achieve satisfaction in language learning. According to Buasuwan (2018) [35], the application of technological innovation improves social life and daily lifestyle tremendously as well as making routines easier than ever before. Undeniably, the use of technology also has a positive impact on lifestyle and education. Looking at current developments, the education sector is also highly influenced by the implementation of ODL, which is supported by technology applications. Although educators around the world would still use conventional methods in their teaching, technology-based teaching is often used effectively in the teaching and learning session.

6. Conclusions

In conclusion, lecturers are required to have technological competencies and skills in line with the Industrial Revolution 4.0 objectives. Lecturers certainly play an important role in generating students’ thinking skills to ensure they have a high level of imagination and creativity in the learning process. In addition, everyone in the education sector must cooperate and commit to their roles in achieving a transformation in education. The development of technology that is ever so dynamic and multi-functional should be the transformation catalyst for an innovative education system. This means that the lecturer’s role in creating an interesting learning environment is eminently critical, so that students’ learning development is not neglected.