INSTANT GRATIFICATION AND DIGITAL PEDAGOGY IN ISLAMIC HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The rapid development of digital pedagogy in Islamic higher education has opened new opportunities but also intensified the problem of instant gratification, where students seek quick answers and immediate satisfaction at the expense of patience, depth, and academic etiquette. While previous studies have examined the effects of instant gratification on academic performance, few have investigated its relationship with adab and ethical formation in higher education. Addressing this gap, the present study introduces the novelty of a conceptual framework called Etiquette-Based Digital Pedagogy, which integrates Western psychological theories of gratification with classical Islamic traditions of adab. The urgency of this research lies in the risk that digital education, if not guided by an ethical framework, may produce graduates who are technologically competent but weak in academic integrity. Using a library research method, this study analyzed contemporary literature, Islamic classical texts, and empirical studies on digital learning. The findings confirm that instant gratification correlates with superficial learning and digital distraction, while adab-based education enhances self-regulation, focus, and persistence in learning. The proposed conceptual model consists of two interrelated dimensions: Cognitive-Ethical Balance and Value-Embedded Practice which together form a framework for integrating Islamic etiquette into digital pedagogy. Theoretically, this study enriches Islamic education discourse by bridging psychological and ethical traditions, and practically, it offers recommendations for lecturers and institutions to design digital learning strategies that maintain both intellectual depth and academic ethics.