Learning Mahārah Kitābah in the Digital Era: Students’ Experiences and Challenges in Using Digital Technologies

Kholida Nur

doi:10.61650/ajme.v3i2.1277

Authors

Kholida Nur Universitas Ma’arif Lampung, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61650/ajme.v3i2.1277

Keywords:

Mahārah Kitābah, Arabic Writing, Digital Technologies, Student Experiences, Digital Literacy

Abstract

The rapid advancement of digital technology has transformed the learning of Arabic writing skills (Mahārah Kitābah) in higher education, creating new opportunities as well as challenges for students. This study aims to explore students’ experiences and challenges in learning Mahārah Kitābah through the use of digital technologies at Universitas Ma’arif Lampung. Employing a descriptive qualitative approach, the study involved ten students from the Arabic Language Education Program as research participants. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and documentation and were analyzed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings indicate that students utilized various digital platforms and artificial intelligence-based applications, including Google Docs, Canva, CapCut, ChatGPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, and LanguageTool, to support different stages of the writing process. These technologies assisted students in generating ideas, organizing texts, revising language, developing digital writing products, and presenting their work in more engaging formats. However, students experienced several challenges, particularly in transferring ideas from Indonesian into Arabic, constructing grammatically accurate sentences, and selecting appropriate Arabic vocabulary. The findings also reveal that limited digital literacy and insufficient experience in utilizing educational technologies hindered students from maximizing the potential of digital tools. In addition, limited creativity in developing writing content and digital products remained a significant challenge. Despite these challenges, digital technologies provided students with opportunities to engage in more flexible, interactive, and meaningful writing practices. The study concludes that the integration of digital technologies can enrich Mahārah Kitābah learning when supported by adequate digital literacy training, continuous pedagogical guidance, and learning activities that foster creativity, critical thinking, and independent learning.

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