ESTIMATING THE CAUSAL IMPACT OF BLENDED DIGITAL PEDAGOGY ON UNDERGADUATE STUDENTS’ HIGHER-ORDER COGNITIVE SKILLS: EVIDENCE FROM A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL INTERVENTION IN KWARA STATE TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

This study estimates the causal impact of blended digital pedagogy on undergraduate students’ higher-order 
cognitive skills using evidence from a quasi-experimental intervention conducted in University of Ilorin and Kwara 
State Polytechnic. The study responds to the growing need for empirical validation of digital instructional 
approaches in Nigerian tertiary education, particularly in relation to higher-order cognitive outcomes such as 
analysis, evaluation, and creation. Grounded in constructivist learning theory and Bloom’s revised taxonomy, 
blended digital pedagogy is conceptualized as the integration of face-to-face instruction with structured digital 
learning tools aimed at promoting active and reflective learning. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest non
equivalent control group design was adopted for the study. A total of 60 students participated, comprising 30 
undergraduate students from the University of Ilorin (treatment group exposed to blended digital pedagogy) and 30 
students from Kwara State Polytechnic (control group exposed to conventional instructional methods). Data were 
collected using a validated Higher-Order Cognitive Skills Assessment Test (HOCSAT) administered before and 
after the intervention. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to estimate the effect of the intervention 
on students’ performance while controlling for pretest scores. In addition, gender and institution proprietorship were 
included as demographic variables to examine group differences. The findings indicate that students exposed to 
blended digital pedagogy demonstrated significantly higher posttest scores in higher-order cognitive skills compared 
to those taught using conventional instructional methods. The ANCOVA results reveal that the intervention had a 
statistically significant effect on students’ performance after adjusting for baseline differences. Furthermore, the 
analysis shows that while gender did not produce a statistically significant difference in performance, institution 
proprietorship (university versus polytechnic context) contributed to variations in learning outcomes, suggesting 
contextual influences on the effectiveness of instructional strategies. The study concludes that blended digital 
pedagogy has a significant positive causal effect on the development of higher-order cognitive skills among 
undergraduate students. It recommends the integration of blended instructional approaches in tertiary institutions, 
alongside targeted training for educators and improved digital infrastructure. The study also contributes 
methodologically by demonstrating the applicability of ANCOVA in quasi-experimental educational research and 
provides context-specific evidence to inform policy and practice in Nigerian higher education.