Managing Educational Program of Indonesian Islamic Higher

Education by Digitalization

Dede Rosyada

, Andriyani

and Marhamah

State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta

Jakarta Muhammadiyah University

Jakarta Islamic University

Keywords: Educational Program, Islamic Higher Education, Digitalization

Abstract: Islamic Higher Education (IHS), particularly institutes and colleges are mostly organizing pure science, such

as Islamic Philosophy, Islamic history, Arabic literature, and even Qur’an exegesis. Indeed, these departments

never give skill training to enter labor market, while the alumni need it. Thus, such Islamic higher education

should be creatively to innovate and redesign curriculum by adopting Indonesian Qualification Framework

(IQF), combining knowledge and skill even in the different discipline. Then, for perfecting knowledge

competence among students, all learning materials, modules, papers, e-book, should be digitalized and are

stored in the accessible repository, to make it easy for students to learn anytime and anywhere. And to help

them flexible in learning, IHS also should extend the function of internet for being the tool of learning by

developing online classes, online communities amongst all classmate students as peer group, and to help them

broadcasting their academic experience, new discoveries, and content of learning for discussion.

1 INTRODUCTION

Indonesia is implementing a unique system in

managing higher education by organizing dual

system between ministry of higher education and

research and ministry of religious affairs. Bill of

higher education number 12 year 2012, mandated to

the Indonesian government to develop Islamic higher

education (2012), beside madrassa and the other

education programs from other religions. Islamic

higher education is consisting of three kinds,

university, institute and college. Islamic college is

focusing for a small groups of Islamic study, while

Islamic institute is organizing a big number of islamic

disciplines, and university is extended to develop

secular science by a mission to integrate general

science and religious doctrine (Minhaji, 2007).

Nowadays, Islamic higher education has been

developing significantly by improving the number of

institutions. Ministry of Religious Affairs is

mandated to manage 17 state universities, 34 state

institutes and 7 state colleges, and the others are 96

religious faculties of the secular and private

universities, 48 private religious institutes, and 499

private religious college (Direktorat Jendral

Pendidikan Islam Sub Direktorat Kelembagaan

Diktis, 2017). The challenges for Islamic higher

education are producing creative and innovative

scholars and preparing them to enter the market, as a

mission from Indonesian Qualification Framework

(IQF), while core business are mostly non market

oriented. The coming of digital era amid the

implementation of IQF are being favorable to solve

such problems in all kinds of academic works, market

access and opportunities, networking, research,

curriculum development, learning process and

material. How to manage Islamic higher education by

optimizing digital facilities for academic works,

curriculum, learning process and materials, research

and community outreach. These are some focuses in

this paper.

1.1 Modernizing Islamic Higher

Education by Digitalization

Almost all Islamic universities, institutes and colleges

in Indonesia today are operated in a digital

community. They got all information about the

campus live from website, whether academic

reputation, faculty and department, curriculum,

teaching, research and publication, conference and

community outreach program, social expectation,

student body, dormitory, all are available in such

Rosyada, D., Andriyani, . and Marhamah, .

Managing Educational Program of Indonesian Islamic Higher Education by Digitalization.

DOI: 10.5220/0009944124392443

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Recent Innovations (ICRI 2018), pages 2439-2443

ISBN: 978-989-758-458-9

2439

digital information. “Digitalization can thus be

understood and used as a means for modernizing

teaching, research, and higher education institutions’

administration to successfully deal with the

increasing heterogeneity of students, to manage the

trend of academic achievement and to provide

individual support despite large numbers of students.

Digitalization also contributes to modernization in

terms of general technological measures such as

infrastructure (Wi-Fi) that are (or should be)

implemented in all higher education institutions as

part of a “digital mainstreaming” (Dräger, 2017).

A long with it, digitalization as part of

modernizing university in term of campus services for

the students, are also needed to facilitate learning

process to develop technology based learning. Some

key elements to be placed are including:

1. Availability of Digital repositories / Digital

databases

This enables the capture, storage, easy retrieval

and reuse of instructional and learning content.

Knowledge resources that are to be shared

among a community of learners could be placed

in a digital repository. Further, access to standard

digital databases would also be required to

provide learners with a vast array of information.

2. IT infrastructure

Information technology infrastructure involving

a combination of appropriate hardware, software,

network connectivity etc, and Internet / Wi-fi

facility is required. The availability of

videoconferencing and web- conferencing tools

also need to be looked at.

3. Technology deployment in knowledge

dissemination

Faculty members need to look at usage of

presentation software, statistical tools, and other

software packages. The utilization of graphics,

simulation, and other such mechanisms

positively influence the effectiveness of

knowledge dissemination.

4. Automation of processes

The automation of processes such as tracking of

learner performance, learner assessment, library

related transactions, etc. is required to enhance

effectiveness of the learning process.

5. IT-enabled culture

The institution, faculty members and learners

should accept the wide usage of information

technology in the education process. Such

extensive usage of digital instruction tools,

digital resources, etc. and knowledge sharing /

information sharing in a digital mode may

require a cultural change to avoid resistance

(Meenakumari & Krishnaveni, 2010).

Digitalization in Islamic higher education will

enable to increase the number of participation of the

society, not only the traditional students 19 year old

secondary school graduates, but also single fathers,

female managers, the old retirement people to kill

their spare time while enhancing understanding about

religion to guideline their live. And also,

digitalization will enable students to extend their

networking across the world for developing their

academic experience and even for business

communication. For those purposes, Islamic higher

education should modernize its curriculum while

appreciating the market request.

2 LITERATURE STUDY

2.1 Curriculum Development to Adopt

IQF

Main mandate of Islamic Higher Education (IHE) is

to develop Islamic knowledges that mostly aren’t

connected to the market work, while all alumni of

undergraduate studies from educational system in

IQF, must be able to enter labor market. That is a

dilemma of Islamic higher education by a mission to

maintain some Islamic disciplines, such as theology,

philosophy, Qur’an exegesis and so forth, while in the

other side, it has to give a great attention market

linearity for the alumni. So, a modern Islamic higher

education is requested to reformulate its curricula by

regarding both the uniqueness of Islamic discipline

and market demand. Curriculum, actually, is general

description about some attainable core competencies

by students, description of learning activities, and

also learning environments. Ronald C Doll, as it was

cited by Dede Rosyada, stated, that curriculum is all

provided experience for the students under the

guidance of university (Rosyada, 2013). Islamic

higher education, institutionally should provide

academic program for its students both for knowledge

competence and skill of works relates to the market

needs, locally, regionally or even for global

competitiveness, whether in line with the discipline

of department or beyond it.

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As a developing country, Indonesia needs to

upgrade knowledge and skills of its workforce in

order to sustain national economic growth, as well as

maintain a competitive position globally, and it

should be started from the education programs,

particularly at the university, where some Indonesian

human resources are educated and well provided to

enter labor market, including in the Islamic higher

education, and mostly are majoring in pure

knowledge, such as philosophy, history, literature and

so forth, but, all alumni need to get better job in the

professional workplace. In the specific terms, this

means that Islamic higher education is also mandated

by IQF to produce more qualified people in skill and

expertise, to access better jobs, earn higher salaries

and improve their quality of life. In this context,

higher education institutions have to re-conceptualize

the notion of learning result as a means of building up

knowledge and skill simultaneously. Higher

education needs to be balanced between student

expectations and market requirements (Aylwin &

Farcas, 2017), it means that all curricula of Islamic

Higher Education in Indonesia should be

reformulated with regard to the knowledge

competence as well as keep caring to the skill training

to enter the marketplace in the professional field.

For those purposes, IQF is regulating that level

6 and 7 in the structure of leveling of Indonesian

education programs, as the level of bachelor and

specialist, and all students from such levels are

promoted to be knowledgeable workforce, skillful,

and they have a specific expertise. These regulations

are stipulated in the guideline book for reformulating

learning achievement from higher education

programs. Based on such regulation, that educational

programs from bachelor degree should achieve some

following criteria:

1. Attitude is a right and cultured behavior as a

result of internalization and actualization values

and norms reflected in spiritual and social life

through the process of learning, student work

experience, research, and / or community service

related to the learning programs.

2. Knowledge are the mastery of concepts, theories,

methods, and / or philosophy of a particular field

of science systematically, and are obtained

through learning process, student work

experience, research and / or community service

related to learning programs. What is meant by

student work experience is an experience in

activities in a particular field at a certain period

of time in the form of job training, practical work,

field work practices or other similar forms of

activities.

3. Skills are the ability to perform performance

using concepts, theories, methods, materials, and

/ or instruments, and are obtained by learning

process, student work experience, research and /

or community service related to learning. The

skill element is divided into two general skills

and special skills which are interpreted as

follows (Direktorat Pembelajaran dan

Kemahasiswaan Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan

Tinggi, 2014):

a. General skills are general work skills that

must be possessed by each graduate in order

to ensure the equality of graduates' ability in

accordance with the program level and type

of higher education; and

b. Special skills are special work skills that

each graduate must have in accordance with

scientific field of the study program.

The main mission of IQF is adopting learning

programs for every department to the labor market,

without differentiating pure and applied science. All

those study programs should give a great attention for

all students to get job training in accordance with the

labor market, and they get professional jobs soon after

graduation. Such training can be organized by the

campus it self and certified by credential office, or

appreciating professional works experience that has

been done by the students during their study, and also

is certified by the same agency. So, the model of

curriculum in pure science, optionally cane mixed

between knowledge and skill training, both in line

with the discipline of department or beyond it.

This is the uniqueness of Islamic Higher

Education today, where it should adopt IQF that gives

a great attention to the labor market, particularly for

educational program from 6 and 7 level, whereas

level 8 and 9 are dedicated to produce scientific

people for developing and discovering new

knowledge, new theories and new technologies. So,

such level magister and doctor are provided to

educate scientist candidates, with a specific product

new discovery in all disciplines and branches of

science, knowledge and even in humanity. Indonesia,

actually needs a lot of scientists to discover new

theories, and to develop new applied technology that

can escalate the economical growth of Indonesia, by

developing high-tech economy, mechanization of

agriculture.

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This new innovation of redesigning curriculum,

learning programs, some training and skill

certification should be informed to the wide

community through digital publication and web based

information. So, all Islamic Higher Educations,

should have internet connection, and data center with

several servers, therefore everything can be

disseminated to the society by internet services, and

will be easily reaching the targeted group of people.

By such modernizing, Islamic Higher Education will

be attended by a big group of people, because it is

trusted, and expected.

3 DISCUSSION

3.1 Digital Learning Program

Core business of Islamic higher education are mainly

Islamic religious courses as humanities, and are

mostly delivered directly by teachers to the students,

or are transformed by professors to the students.

Anyhow, today is a modern day, and everything is

organized by using internet, because the challenge of

the future is requesting all the Indonesia people to

know much about the development of human

civilization, and also to have high capacity in using

information technology as a tool of learning.

Modernizing Islamic higher education is perfecting

learning facilities, and learning process are completed

by digital data center, and also supported by the

system of learning through Information and

Communication Technology (ICT). Digitalizing

learning programs at least consists of three program,

knowledge management, e-learning and e-

assessment.

3.2 Knowledge Management

Knowledge management is one kind of management

that relates to the process of managing knowledge

consists of generating, transferring and using of

knowledge. So, for web base management of

knowledge, Islamic higher education should provide

some important aspen of knowledge management as

follow (Giebel, 2013):

1. Create knowledge repositories

2. Improve knowledge access

3. Enhance knowledge environment and

Manage knowledge as an asset

Knowledge repositories actually is a place

where knowledge is stored and can be extracted on

demand, whether as e-book, e-journal, academic

paper, thesis or dissertation. All those publication will

be easily accessed by all students, in anytime and any

places, and in anywhere. So, learning process will be

happening without limitation of class rooms, learning

schedules, existence of teachers and lecturers.

Learning isn’t always needs teachers and lecturers as

resource of knowledge. A lot of teacher’s positions is

now substituted by repositories or web base data

center that is containing research result and so forth.

Repositories as a big collection of knowledge and

science from any disciplines, for facilitating all

students to extend learning activities through e-

learning and also virtual learning. Beside

repositories, that containing storage of learning

module and learning assessment, digital

infrastructure is also facilitating digital media for

learning to access learning module and assessment

(Meenakumari & Krishnaveni, 2010).

Some of the aspects that have enabled

transformation of Islamic higher education landscape

and enhancing knowledge management include the

following:

1. World Wide Web (WWW), The World Wide

Web has revolutionized information

dissemination and sharing. Internet

technologies have enabled learners and

instructors to communicate with each other

effectively.

2. Collaboration tools the use of collaboration

tools such as email, e-groups, instant

messenger, have enhanced learning

effectiveness.

3. Digital content Faculty members create

instructional content in digital form, so that it

could be easily managed and reused. Further,

access to digital resources such as digital

libraries, and digital assets of information has

made management learning more effective.

4. Online learning, (e-learning) helps to

complement the traditional mode of education

and also as an exclusive mode of learning.

This has been made possible by technologies

of the digital era. The establishment of ‘online

universities’ that leverage the advanced

technologies of the digital era is one of

hallmarks that has revolutionized management

education (Meenakumari & Krishnaveni,

2010).

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3.3 E-Learning

Emerging digital technology is enabling Islamic

higher education in Indonesia to develop learning

model, from face to face learning process that needs

classroom, schedule, and availability of teachers or

lecturers, to the unlimited learning activities, learning

activities can be done by students in anytime and

anywhere. The students can enhance their capacity in

academic and skill by their initiatives, creativity and

innovation. Some e-learnings that can be

implemented are as follows (Delich, et.al., 20018);

1. Online meeting; this is unmeasurable

classroom, because the students are being

anywhere, maybe in their office, home, or in

the park, as long as they are connected to the

programs, they will be participating in the

learning process. Nowadays, such online

classes can be facilitated by the use of web

conference, virtual classroom tools, such as

WebEx, Skype, and also Microsoft live

meeting.

2. Communities of practice; much of social

computing revolves around the formation of

communities of practice, which are groups

with a common interest. With technologies

that ease the sharing of experiences,

information, and resources, whether across the

hall or around the world. They can contribute

greatly to the dissemination of knowledge and

skills within an organization, as when, for

example, the group serves as mentor to a new

member.

3. Personal broadcasting tools include: blogs (web

logs), moblogs (mobile blogs), vlogs (video

blogs), podcasts, vodcasts (video podcasts).

Instructors can use these technologies to bring

diverse elements into a course to assist in meeting

a variety of learning styles. These technologies

can also be used for updating students on current

activities and projects.

Islamic higher education, universities, institutes

or colleges are expected to develop the capacity in

academic services toward students by facilitating

them digital repositories, to store some modules,

papers, or other publication related to the learning

program. Then, digitalizing academic services is also

can be extended to the learning process by developing

virtual classes, web conference, Skype, and other

system that is relevance for flexibility in learning

process, maximum in learning result.

4 CONCLUSION

Modernizing academic services among Islamic

higher education institutions in Indonesia is

veryurgent, whether in the context of promoting the

competitiveness of alumni, or to develop academic

services for students to increase the competence of

them, both in academic field as scientist and in the

skill of work to enter labor market. Digitalizing

academic services at least covering two field of work,

facilitating digital data of learning material, modules,

papers or even e-book. And then, virtual classroom,

online meeting conducted by teachers or lecturers,

sharing learning material each other, and sharing

information to promote knowledge capacity, skill of

work, and also to share working information.

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