DISTANCE LEARNING IN A CYBER ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY: BEST EXPERIENCE FROM INDONESIA

Backgroung: The quality of online learning is a demand for the State Islamic Institute of Syekh Nurjati Cirebon as a pilot project for a cyber-based Islamic university which since 2021 has had a distance learning program of Islamic Education Study Program. The Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) and Academic Partnership and The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) organizations provide some criteria for the quality of online learning. Mixed research with sequential methods was carried out on the study program academic community using closed and open questionnaires online and through some focus group discussions. The results show that from 8 quality dimensions (leadership management, student and learner profile, student information and support, assessment and integrity, infrastructure, learning media and resources, learning design and development, curriculum design, and learning outcomes) the average score is in the range of 84-86. This shows that the implementation of the distance learning program is good, with the curriculum design dimension having the highest score while learning outcomes having the lowest score. This is supported by the results of open statements and some focus group discussion agendas that the curriculum is very in line with the development and profile of the study program. However, until now the study program has not had any graduates. Optimizing and updating the Learning Management System, standardizing assessments, and accuracy of feedback are the aspects that need to be improved by the distance learning program. Objective


INTRODUCTION
The process of institutional transformation of the Syekh Nurjati Cirebon State Islamic Institute towards a cyber-based university as a main distinction and superiority compared to other State Islamic Universities in Indonesia is still ongoing.This transformation is supported by the 2021 policy which is mandated to become a pilot project for State Islamic Universities and virtual cyber universities.This transformation was carried out to create a "world-class university".
An important and necessary aspect that must be fulfilled in implementing a Cyber Campus is implementing e-learning (digital learning) in terms of learning so that learning materials can be easily accessed by students.E-learning facilities will help accommodate distance learning and give students the opportunity and freedom to express questions because they can be asked directly in the e-learning.As stated in the Regulation of the Minister of Education and Culture of the Republic of Indonesia Number 7 of 2022 Chapter VII Article 42.
Distance learning has several characteristics, such as: open, independent learning, learning anywhere and anytime, based on information and communication technology (KEMDIKBUD, 2020); Controlled entry, student-focused, attendance may be required, offcampus, and technology-based (Al-Arimi, 2014).Distance learning has unique challenges that require special attention in terms of standards and quality.One institutional organization that is very concerned about the standards and quality of distance learning is The Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) with a formulation called "Quality Assurance Framework".This framework contains 10 criteria (AAOU, 2020).Meanwhile, APEC (2019) suggests 9 criteria, and Academic Partnership (2019) suggests 10 aspects of developing an online learning environment.The results of a literature review conducted by Sisalima et al. (2022) suggest that there are 18 dimensions with 8 main dimensions such as: 1) Assessment and continuous improvement; 2) Technological infrastructure and equipment; 3) Learning strategies; 4) Content and learning resources; 5) Student Support and Guidance; 6) Assistance and technical support; 7) Course information or academic program; and 8) Rules and regulations.In line with the suggestions made by Assaraira et al. (2022).
Apart from quality, interaction in online learning is an important factor in developing student abilities.The interaction between teachers and students influences students' effects directly and also influences the psychological atmosphere and learning engagement (Sun et al. 2022).The important role of teaching presence and social presence in predicting the satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in online learning environments (Turk et al., 2022).A similar thing was expressed by Yu (2022) where there are 9 factors; behavior intention, instruction, engagement, interaction, motivation, self-efficacy, performance, satisfaction, and self-regulation influence online learning outcomes.Both are pillars (Archambault et al., 2022)  However, several studies show that online learning is less effective.The results showed that students considered online learning less effective than traditional face-to-face classes overall but were satisfied with the customized online courses, specifically citing prompt instructor feedback, interaction among students, and effective assignment design (Lee, 2022).
Likewise, Herwin et al., (2022) found that the performance of lecturer facilities and admin services is the main factor in student satisfaction.6 statement items were developed referring to previous studies.This study provides benefits in developing policies, infrastructure, media, and technology to form a quality Islamic cyber university and produce graduates who are competitive and in line with the demands of current developments.
Early study by Sousa et al. (2022) show that there is still a high level of preparation required, as digital education includes technology and infrastructure, but also and especially the sharing of knowledge and relationships between those actors, and there is a lack of pedagogical models that focus on all digital education processes, from the learning design process to course planning, digital learning content creation, learning activities, and assessment methodology, leading to effective learning.

METHODS
This research adopts mixed methods approach especially sequential explanatory design.
The population in the study is the total distance learning student of the Islamic Religious ).The questionnaire was prepared using a Likert scale with a range of 1 -4.All of the research instruments consist of 8 dimensions according to the criteria from AAOU and APEC.Thus, the research instruments used have met the reliability criteria with a Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.99 (>0.70).The data was analyzed using SPSS and the triangulation method.

QUANTITATIVE RESULTS DATA
This research also produces data that is categorized based on 8 aspects of distance learning.The research results can be presented in the following diagram:

8
Based on the graph above, there are three aspects below, all three of which are the ability to explain the vision, mission, and goals.This was revealed when a Focus Group Discussion was held that the study program managers were still focused on managing the Learning Management System and had not been optimal in socializing it.Monitoring and evaluation based on written guidelines is very necessary in achieving the Vision, Mission, Goals, and Strategy as expressed by students in suggestions and managers in the FGD activities held.
The second dimension, the student and learner profile are good with a score of 84.85.

Students choose to study in the Distance Learning Program of the Islamic Education Study
Program based on the interest and reputation of the institute, preparing themselves well for college, good academic guidance services that understand students' needs and challenges, and providing feedback, support, and counseling services.The third dimension, information, and student support at the State Islamic Institute of Syekh Nurjati Cirebon is good with a score of 85.68.Information about lectures is easy to access, e-learning is easy to use and supported by online references, content is easy to access, administration services are easy and fast, menu displays are easy to use, personal data feels safe, there is technical support if there are problems, there is a complaints menu and a helpdesk.10 Academic integrity in assessment is an aspect that students are fully aware of, the availability of assessment rubrics and the presence of lecturers for clarification are two aspects that still require improvement in this dimension.
The fifth dimension, Infrastructure, Media, and Learning Resources has an average score of 85.6.This shows that the study program has an information system that is easy and fast, can be used on various devices, has a studio room that is complete, conducive, comfortable, and has adequate capacity for various activities, the room facilities function well, the internet connection is stable, there are synchronous facilities, asynchronous materials are available and easy to access, equipped with videos, various sources, technical support, clear external reference information, and provide additional insight.The ease and responsiveness of information systems in various devices, speed of access, and diversity of sources that provide additional insight are superior aspects of learning.
Meanwhile, other aspects of infrastructure and media are relatively uniform and good.
The sixth dimension, Learning Design and Development has a score of 85.9.This shows that the material has been structured logically and is easy to understand, the learning method supports understanding, activities in online learning encourage participation, it is user-friendly and stable, there is a menu for giving suggestions, it is open to innovation and method improvements, learning resources support it, task instructions are clear and easy understood, course content supports the process, course learning outcomes are explained and presented in the Learning Management System with appropriate evaluation.

QUALITATIVE RESULT DATA
Apart from qualitative data, this research also collects qualitative data as contained in the Google form that has been distributed.According to research needs, this data is taken from suggestions and input from students and managers which can be presented as follows: The academic portal application often experiences problems, so sometimes we have problems in the process of uploading answers.Hopefully, the future will be better

LMS Infrastructure D5
• Suggest simplifying the information system user interface by creating intuitive and user-friendly navigation.
• LMS needs to be developed so that the display is simple, easy to use, and the information is complete • Consider developing a mobile app so students can easily access information from their devices.Overall it is good, but for the assignment column, please provide a comment space so that the tutor can provide feedback.

•
Improve the portal features.Hopefully, the features will be even better, including synchronous integration • Improvements to the distance learning Academic Portal application, for example, biometric-based automatic attendance, and an online meet link that is integrated with the distance learning program academic portal to make it easier.
• Improve e-learning facilities through e-learning standards by creating cellphone-based applications that can be uploaded to the Play Store or App Store.

•
There is a feature for the comments column in the assignment section LMS Infrastructure D5 • Need to increase capacity so it doesn't go down frequently

15
• Hopefully, in the future, the E-Learning used will be better and updated so that learning can be interactive, integrative, and connected.Thank You 2 • Materials and electronic guidebooks are not yet complete, it is recommended that they be available in the future.

•
Much clearer and available guidelines in document form Policy D1 • holding e-learning improvement and standardization workshops Development 3 • The assignment format so that it can be opened directly in a new tab does not need to be downloaded so that it is easier to give assessments directly.Thank You • There is a notes menu for assignments in each student's file, the rest is very good and helpful.More modules, preferably • As long as students are given assignments, they respond to what is given by the lecturer, hopefully, the distance learning program of the Islamic Education Study Program will be more successful and can be added to other majors.

4
• There are no course modules to serve as a learning guide • Already good.Create groups of the same courses and create content together The e-learning provided is very good, but there must be an online video feature so that synchronous learning activities can be monitored optimally by the management.

•
Complete teaching instruments are available so that students can carry out online lectures, and discussions as well as structured assignments that prioritize improving students' skills to develop material/theory and learn in a very good independent way • Semester Learning Plan Template tailored for each course for 14 meetings • Provide standard modules for each course so that tutors can easily convey the material Lecture modules and learning resources D7

•
In my opinion, to make it easier for synchronous learning activities to be recorded in the portal.

•
The rest of the application is good for providing an online discussion menu (synchronous) in the portal.It is also good to prepare asynchronous activities by the manager so that you 16 don't use the standard one which no longer has a time limit for use.

•
Student attendance should be provided in the portal and cumulative grades can appear in the final grades • Especially for the online discussion menu, so that the display makes it easier to understand messages it is better if the display is loaded according to the student's name and the replies are interactive under each name like Facebook, and if there are questions in the discussion it will be loaded like a Facebook status where the reply is immediately visible below • In the future, it is hoped that there will be a menu Program management even though it has not yet been fully understood.Jandigulov et al. (2023).
"Connectivist Leadership" redefines the leadership paradigm for the 21st century by recognizing that leadership is a dynamic, connected, and collective influence process, based on the principles of digital knowledge and interpersonal neural networks (Corbett & Spinello, 2020).
Understanding student profiles allows e-learning platforms to meet learners' needs, guide their behavior, and provide personalized learning experiences.The opportunity to study online without leaving teaching duties is an opportunity for students, especially with Demographic aspects of education level, skills, motivation, needs, goals, study habits, and online behavior are aspects of personal learning that need to be taken into account.The different demographics of the distance learning program of Islamic Education Study Program students who are spread across various provinces require more skills for tutors to be able to build discussions and collaboration.As Koo et al. (2021) found, male students with low socioeconomic backgrounds and humanities majors had higher levels of acculturative stress and lower satisfaction than male students.other.
Several facilities to provide information services and student support have been provided by study program managers.Lecture information is contained in the academic portal, administration services are good through the helpdesk provided.The IT infrastructure for academic services has been well-designed.Limited personnel to manage information and support via social media still needs to be improved.Likewise, technical guides in various forms (documents, videos, social media) need to be provided to help students, including online guidance services in final assignments.With good information and support, students feel more connected, motivated, and ready to face challenges in online learning.Student support is closely related to interaction in learning to achieve learning outcomes.The three interaction types in PII-purposeful interpersonal instructional interaction, purposeful social interaction, and supportive interaction-have been associated with important student outcomes such as perceived learning, satisfaction, and academic achievement (Mehall, 2020).Online instructors need to be provided with technology digital learning that can facilitate the academic engagement and achievement of students from various backgrounds in online learning (Kaufmann & Vallade, 2022).
The assessment has been carried out clearly and transparently, the results are confidential, there is a plagiarism policy, an assessment rubric, instructions for carrying out assignments are also provided by the teacher, the assessment is by the achievements, the results are by the student's understanding, provide an accurate picture of performance, the assessment is objective and accompanied by feedback constructive one.Integrity and authentic assessment need to be integrated into online learning platforms.This is done to face the challenges of online learning, academic institutions must ensure integrity, adapt assessment methods, and ensure The institution has provided an adequate budget for infrastructure maintenance and development, information system access is also very easy to access via various devices.
Learning resources are also available in video and non-video form.However, LMS updating needs to continue to be improved, external learning sources need to be more focused, learning resources need to be standardized well, discussion menus need to be given timings, and comments or feedback on assignments need to be provided in the LMS menu, LMS integration with libraries and resources.others need to continue to be improved.To face the challenges of online learning, teachers must pay attention to technological infrastructure, choose appropriate learning media, and utilize a variety of learning resources to achieve learning goals (Alam, 2022).
Online learning design and development have a crucial role in online learning.The material has been arranged logically and is easy to understand and is contained in teaching materials which are prepared by combining text and audio-visuals.The activity design in Virtual Class encourages participation and is user-friendly and stable.Assignment instructions are clear and easy to understand, course content supports the process, and course achievements are explained and presented in the LMS with appropriate evaluation.However, it is necessary to add additional learning resources in the form of videos, standardize activities in the LMS, and integrate synchronous learning support.The distance learning program of Islamic Education Study Program managers must periodically evaluate the curriculum and be sustainable (Rhim & Han, 2020).
The distance learning program of the Islamic Education Study Program is expected to have sufficient competence to become a teacher.These graduate competencies can be achieved through a curriculum designed according to existing profiles and competencies.Standard policies for online learning are in place and socialized, conformity of courses with learning outcomes, LMS design in line with the curriculum, interesting, innovative, and interactive curriculum, and conformity of achievements with the curriculum.However, the implementation of practical courses in the curriculum needs to be designed to be able to measure collaboration skills and abilities, it needs to be designed for accumulative achievement in each course and also for the achievement of graduate learning outcomes in general.The curriculum needs to be evaluated periodically and continuously (He & Fu, 2022).
based on cyber through the Decree of the Director General of Indonesian Islamic Education Number 1175 of 2021 and strengthened through the Decree of the Minister of Religion of the Republic of Indonesia Number 860 of 2022.There are three main tasks carried out by the Syekh Nurjati Cirebon State Islamic Institute concerning its designation as a Cyber-based State Islamic Higher Education Pilot Project, namely; a) implementing cyber-based education programs Distance Learning in a Cyber Islamic University: Best Experience from Indonesia ___________________________________________________________________________ Rev. Gest.Soc.Ambient.| Miami | v.18.n.5 | p.1-23 | e06947 | 2024.4 which will be the frontier for advocacy for the Open Islamic Education Resources (OIER) movement; b) organizing a teaching and learning process based on Digital Multimedia University (DMU) to develop State Islamic Universities as Knowledge creation and transmission; and c) organizing technology-based distance education or network-based, digital which include the ability to (a) Build Relationships and Community, (b) Incorporate Active Learning, (c) Utilize Learning Agents, (d) Embrace Learning Mastery, and (e) Personalizing the Learning Process.

Figure 1
Figure 1Distribution of average ratings for each dimension

Figure 2
Figure 2Distribution of average Management and Leadership Ratings

Figure 3
Figure 3Distribution of Average Student and Learner Profile Ratings

Figure 4
Figure 4Distribution of Average Information and Support Ratings

Figure 5
Figure 5Average Distribution of Assessment and Integrity Ratings

Figure 6
Figure 6 Distribution of Average Infrastructure, Media and Learning Resources Ratings

Figure 7 Average
Figure 7Average Distribution of Learning Design and Development Ratings

Figure 8
Figure 8Distribution of Average Dimensions of Curriculum Design Ratings
of synchronous lectures provided by the distance learning program of the Islamic Education Study Program so that the recorded lectures can be accessed by students Source: Prepared by authors 4 DISCUSSION Management and leadership are important aspects of managing higher education.The vision, Mission, Objectives, and strategies of the distance learning program of the Islamic Education Study Program have become a direction and inspiration for the academic community in carrying out their respective roles.Several policies have been prepared by the study program which serve as directions for implementing e-learning.However, massive socialization and implementation monitoring and evaluation still need to be improved through various existing social media.Management functions (planning, organizing, monitoring, and evaluating decision-making) in e-learning are running well.The strategy for Achieving the Vision, Mission, Objectives, and strategies of the distance learning program of the Islamic Education Study Program has been prepared by the distance learning program of Islamic Education Study

Distance
Learning in a Cyber Islamic University: Best Experience from Indonesia ___________________________________________________________________________ Rev. Gest.Soc.Ambient.| Miami | v.18.n.5 | p.1-23 | e06947 | 2024.17 scholarship support.Students have pursued interest and preparation well and are supported by academic supervisors and several support services provided by the management.However, activities outside of lectures still need to be improved to improve collaboration skills and other soft skills needed by teachers in the technological era.Alignment of student profiles with the personification of the learning situation can create a more effective learning process.

Distance
Learning in a Cyber Islamic University: Best Experience from Indonesia ___________________________________________________________________________ Rev. Gest.Soc.Ambient.| Miami | v.18.n.5 | p.1-23 | e06947 | 2024.18 that students can demonstrate their abilities authentically.Assessment is an essential feature of the teaching and learning process, is properly managed, and reflects external standards (AAOU, 2023).

Table 1
Domain Aspects of Standardization

Table 2
Respondents' Suggestions Obtained from Google Form Other input was collected from the Distance Learning Program of Islamic Education Study Program managers, including study program leaders, lecturers, tutors, and staff.The results obtained from Google Forms and FGD can be presented as follows:

Table 3
The Study Program Managers' suggestions obtained from Google form and FGD