TUTORS AND STUDENTS ACTIVITIES IN ONLINE ARABIC LEARNING: A FREEDOM TO LEARN PERSPECTIVE

Arabic learning amid the Covid-19 pandemic has changed offline to online. At the same time, the government launched a merdeka belajar (freedom to learn) program. Therefore, activities that support Arabic learning are needed. This article aimed to describe the tutors' and students' activities to improve the student’s Arabic skills at UIN Antasari Banjarmasin from freedom to learn perspective. A descriptive qualitative method was used by collecting data using a survey towards students, and interviews with tutors and Language Development Unit (UPB) staff. The results of this study described tutors' and students' activities in online Arabic learning. Tutors' activities are described by the personality of tutors, teaching materials, media, methods, and learning motivation. The students' activities are described by the process of online Arabic learning and the efforts made to improve their Arabic skills. Based on tutors' and students' activities, it was found that tutors and students applied a good learning culture through activities that support the mastery of Arabic in listening, speaking, reading, and writing.


Introduction
The Covid-19 has spread to the world and changed human life interaction, and educatioan is no exception. 1 Indonesia's education system is forced to use an online learning system. This system is an old system more widely called remote learning which, according to Cinkara & Bagceci has been carried out since the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 2 This occurs because the population is increased and education is 1 A. Muradi, M. S. Jailani, Sufyati HS, I. S. Wekke, & H. Noor, "Revitalization of Education for Children in Indonesian Families During the Covid-19 Pandemi", Ilkogretim Online-Elementary Education Online, Vol. 20, No. 3, 2021, 481-490. 2 E. Cinkara & B. Bagceci, "Learners' attitudes towards online language learning; and corresponding success rates", Turkish Online Journal of Distance Education, Vol. 14, No. 2, 2013, 118-130. Arabiyât people here are the teachers and learners while the internet connection is a network that connects teachers, teaching materials, and learners.
According to Saifulloh & Darwis, in Covid-19, learning management is very important to provide excellent service to students to increase the effectiveness of learning. Because, during this pandemic, with all its problems, extra effort is needed for teachers so that learning objectives can be achieved properly. Learning is not merely a transfer of knowledge, but the result of learning is the application of the knowledge obtained from the result of the construction process of power thinking and the students' ability. 10 Apart from the problems in online learning, there are some stories of success in learning. For example, Herlina stated that five aspects show the success of teachers in managing online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic is 1) innovation of complete learning design, 2) various teaching methods, 3) the application used is in accordance with the learning material, 4) good communication between teachers and students, and 5) low internet data/quota. 11 Before the pandemic happened another research had already been carried out on online learning, which was written by Nafiah & Hartatik. The research shows that the use of Google Class Room (GCR) in online learning improve student abilities in making learning tools through three stages, which are 1) lesson planning using the GCR application, 2) implementing learning by uploading material to be studied and practiced by students, and 3) evaluating the assignments done by students and then correcting and re-uploading. 12 The results of the previous research show that among the successes of online learning, including language learning, are how the activities of teachers and students in learning are enacted. From the perspective of freedom to learn program, learning activities is an important point which is a reflection of independence and pleasure in learning. Some previous studies focused on line learning management, not specifically discussing learning activities of teachers and students. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to describe the activities of tutors and students in Arabic learning independently and focuses on the goals in the perspective of freedom to learn.

Arabiyât
The subject in this research was students/participants of Arabic and teachers/tutors in the Language Development Program at UIN Antasari. The author used a survey technique using a questionnaire in collecting the data, interviews, and documentation. 14 The questions in the questionnaire include tutor activities in both verbal and non-verbal learning interactions, 15 while the students' activities questionnaire include activities in the form of effort made by students in improving language skills. Aminoto T. (2014) argues that learning activities include eight activities, namely visual, oral, listening, writing, drawing, metrics (conducting experiments), mental and emotional. 16 These eight activities are simplified into four activities related to the four language skills and the effort made by students in improving these four skills. Meanwhile, in obtaining the validity of survey items or research questionnaire is through the Forum Group Discussion (FGD) which was attended by Arabic learning experts and writers.
In this research, the survey was conducted twice. Total respondents of the first survey on even semester of the 2019/2020 academic year were 1079. The total respondent from the second survey of the odd semester of the 2020/2021 academic year were 1,396. The survey items use the respond criteria Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (DA), and Strongly Disagree (DSA). The data sought through these techniques which are related to tutor and student activities in learning Arabic. The data collected were then analyzed using inductive analysis, the interpretation of the data associated with the theory related to the research study, and then derived to be the answer to the problems that have been proposed in this study. 17

Arabiyât
Based on to the table above, the tutor's personality according to the students is very good. Thus, in general it can be said that tutor performance personality aspect is very good. The tutor uses various learning sources 31,3 2,1 8,3 58,2 2 The tutor uses a variety of learning media 23,3 36,5 30,7 9,5 3 Tutor use variety of teaching method 55,4 29,7 14,9 0 From the table above, it can be seen that the tutors did not various sources, media, and learning methods yet. In response to this, the attention focused on the minimal use of learning source and learning media by the tutor. Related to the Arabic tutors' efforts in improving the students' ability to speak Arabic, as seen in the table above, the tutors had carried out this by playing Arabic audio to be listened when learning process take place inside or outside the class. Thus, the Arabic tutors had made enough efforts to keep students motivated to improve their Arabic skills, especially in listening skills. In speaking skills, Arabic tutors also provided guidance to students by asking students to repeat vocabulary pronunciation. From these data, it can be concluded that the tutors have tried maximally to improve the students' ability to speak Arabic. In reading skills, the tutors have tried to improve the students' ability. Based on this data, it can be concluded that Arabic tutors have encouraged students to help themselves to read Arabic texts from various sources. Based on the table above, the tutors have tried to improve the students' ability in writing skills. Based on this data, it can be concluded that Arabic tutors have motivated students to help themselves to communicate in written Arabic. Based on the survey results regarding student activities in online learning, 64.5% of students answered disagree and 4.6% answered strongly disagree. It shows that students face significant obstacles in participating online learning. The survey results also showed that the main factor of the problem was trouble connection or network disruption. Therefore, we need a more effective way to solve these problems.

Arabiyât
Regarding quota, it has become a government policy that students get quota assistance from the campus. This has been done by UIN Antasari. Meanwhile, there were also problem students face related to the trouble internet connection due to weather factors, making it difficult to access the lesson. In order to solve this second problem, the tutors created learning videos or looks for learning videos according to Arabiyât the topic. The video was shared to students to enable them to study through the link, even though it is outside the meeting schedule. This is based on the advice of a tutor who states: "The complaints are more to students. There are some students in remote areas that are difficult in conducting teleconferences effectively. The impact is that students are not able to understand the material. To solve this problem, materials are presented through videos on YouTube. The relevant video material made or looked for by tutors". Therefore, social media platforms that are already available become alternative tools for tutors and students in Arabic learning. 18 Based on the survey results regarding the students' efforts to improve their abilities, it can be seen from table 8 that 58.6% of students learned independently by listening to Arabic songs. Meanwhile, in the second item, 32.2% of students answered strongly agree and 46.7% of students answered agree. The last item, 59.4% of students answered that they could understand the Arabic material or explanation delivered by the tutor. The table also shows that more than 30% of students did not do what was asked in the survey items. This is being the concern of UPB administrators and tutors to make students get motivated to learn Arabic through the media available in their environment. It can be seen from the table 9 that 20% of the students answered strongly agree, 60.9% answered agree and 19.1% answered disagree on the first item. On the second item, 6.3% of the students answered strongly agree that they always repeat the pronunciation of Arabic vocabulary outside of UPB learning. In addition, one of the efforts of students to improve their speaking ability in Arabic is having friends to talk 18 A. M. Albantani, "Social Media as Alternative Media for Arabic Teaching in Digital Era", Alsinatuna, Vol. 4, No. 2, 2019, 148-161. Arabiyât with or have a dialogue. Students' response to this last item was 19% strongly agree and 55.2% agree. Meanwhile, 25.8% of those who disagree or do not have friends speak Arabic. In short, it can be concluded that the students have tried in order to improve their speaking skills of Arabic. The table above shows that 48,9% of the students answered strongly agree, 47,6% of the students answer agree, 3,5% of the students answer disagree and nobody answered strongly disagree for the first item. The second item is understanding the Arabic texts. Students' response to this item was 40.2% strongly agree, 51.9% agree and 7.9% disagree. In short, it can be concluded that more than 90% of students have made significant efforts in mastering Arabic through reading a lot of texts. Reading lots of Arabic texts might help someone to master it. Based on the survey results, it shows that more than 50% of the students had already made efforts to improve their Arabic writing skills, including those four activities. In other words, they really pay attention to the importance of foreign languages in order to support their studies.

Discussion
Kristanto stated that there are two fundamental factors that drive the creation of freedom to learn. They are innovation and learning culture. These two spirits actually lead to the teacher. Innovation for teachers is how to carry out learning well based on theories, approaches and principles of instructional design. The learning culture for teachers is the availability of facilities and learning resources for students so that students can learn well. 19 Furthermore, Sherly et.al said that the purpose of "freedom of learning" is to improve the quality of human resources, in this case teachers and students. 20 So, the concept of freedom to learn is to develop teachers and students potential in order to improve the quality of learning independently. 21 . Freedom of learning also aims to make students feel happy in learning.
In order to realize freedom to learn, innovation in learning activities is needed. The series of learning activities begins with a mature learning plan, including online learning training through learning management systems (LMS), and making online learning guidelines for tutors. This is held as an innovation in response to the arrival of new adjustments in learning. This innovation was carried out in order to support the idea of freedom to learning. This is done because the teacher's role is as a facilitator of learning 22 and also taking an important part in achieving learning goals. 23 Meanwhile, for students, this is done to help them to learn independently and creatively. 24 The change in the teaching and learning system from offline to online has led to adjustments that must be made by both tutors and students. Students are required to be able to face these changes. The success or failure of students and lecturers in facing these changes is determined by their readiness to face them. 25 Talking about tutors, based on the results of student responses to the personality of the lecturer/tutor consisting of neat clothes, facial expressions, responsiveness and the tutor's role in class management, the results show that more than 80% of students strongly agree. (Table 1 and 2). Regarding the appearance of the tutor, according to Gumelar, it is an attracton for interpersonal relationship such as physical attraction. This interpersonal attractiveness is understood by the author from two aspects, namely physical 26 appearance such as neatness in dress and social interactions in the form of facial expressions, responsiveness and class management. According to Gumelar & Haris, the appearance of a tutor is an attraction and a benchmark for a person's character. 27 This means that the tutor has presented a good model for students in teaching, and this can be a way of creating fun learning.

Arabiyât
In online learning, tutors are required to use methods that can motivate students to learn independently. 28 Based on the survey results, more than 50% stated that tutors used a variety of media and methods. It was found that there were also more than 58% stated that the tutors had not provided variations on the material content yet. To make freedom to learn successful, it does not only focus on content but also on the critical thinking skills development. Therefore, Arabic teaching materials should be varied or based on the level of learning. The teaching materials are also in accordance with the conditions of the learners. 29 It is presented not only through printed materials but also integrated with the current media, for example the material is given via video, YouTube, and others. Then, it needs the tutor's creativity in using social media as a learning tool. 30 In the transformation of the curriculum, through the idea of freedom to learn, learning materials are arranged to develop literacy. In terms of content, learning Arabic is included in the literacy density because learning a language means learning the skills namely listening, speaking, reading and writing. 31 In primary and secondary education, this is included in basic literacy.
In independence aspect, the students have developed language skills. This can be seen from the survey results (table 7-11). From that table, it can be seen the activeness, creativity and innovation in the development of their Arabic skills. Based on table 7-11, it can be seen that the interest and motivation in learning Arabic is good. This is not in line with Albantani & Madkur that found the interest and motivation of Indonesian students low in learning Arabic. 32 Thus, among the factors of interest and good motivation to learn is due to the role of the teacher. According to Zurqoni et.al the language skills of students need to be improved. Learning Arabic is expected to be abse to provide knowledge and skills for learners. 33 For sure, this is an important factor in realizing the existence of foreign languages as the language of Arabiyât communication between students. 34 Therefore, many practices in speaking Arabic need more emphasis. 35 The tutors' strategies in improving Arabic language skills for students were already good. This can be seen from the results of the survey in table 3-6, where tutors have given their best in guiding students in various activities so that the students can improve their Arabic language skills. The tutor's efforts also become motivation for students to take online lectures and it effects their achievements. 36 Both the students and the tutors have a positive effect on improving abilities. Therefore, the effectiveness of learning from the use of media and motivation as well as from tutors affects the development of competencies and skills. 37 Regarding the use of online learning media in freedom to learning perspective, tutors are expected to understand the use of all applications that help ease students' learning. Therefore, the application is useful and can be used for all. Tutors are also expected to change the way of learning online by using a variety of applications but not burdening students in learning. 38 One of the keys to create student satisfaction in learning is good communication and interaction between tutors and students. Here, the role of tutors is to help students in learning. In this sense, tutors are expected to have personal and professional competence in carrying out Arabic language learning. 39 The student satisfaction makes the concept of freedom to learn well done, so that students feel happy following the learning. 40 The students' satisfaction can provide positive energy for lecturers, so there is an inseparable reciprocal relationship. According to Yamin, Syahrir and Mustaghfiroh, to achieve the concept of freedom to learn, two things are needed, namely commitment to independence and commitment to learning. 41

Conclusion
The purpose of freedom to learn is to create an innovation and a learning culture for teachers and learners. Innovation is an important part for teachers to affect the learners' independence in learning process. This is where positive habits are formed in learning, including learning Arabic. Among the examples of positive habits in improving the four Arabic language skills are doing various linguistic activities. These habits make students have independence and a good learning culture. Therefore, the concept of freedom to learn is oriented towards independence and learning culture that in turn leads educators and students to have learning for pleasure. In this study the authors reveal the activities of tutors and students in Arabic learning. This is limited to the appearance of tutors in interacting with students and students' activities in improving the ability of the four Arabic skills. Meanwhile, things that have not been revealed yet, such as how optimally tutors use materials, media and online Arabic learning strategies.[]