Impact of Problem-Based Learning and Multimedia Tools on English Writing Proficiency of University Undergraduates in Nigeria

The study sought to investigate the impact of problem-based learning and multimedia tools on the English writing proficiency of university undergraduates in Nigeria. The sample was made up of 200 undergraduates in tertiary institutions in the Southwest. A quota sampling technique was used to select 10 students from five Departments in the Faculty/School of Technology and Engineering in each of the four state-owned universities in the Southwest. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design involving undergraduate students from selected Nigerian universities in Southwest Nigeria. Data were collected through pre-tests, and post-tests to assess changes in students’ writing abilities and perceptions of the effectiveness of PBL and multimedia tools. Three research questions raised to guide the study were answered descriptively using mean and standard deviation. Three research hypotheses formulated for the study were tested using inferential statistics. Based on the data analysis, the t-test analysis for the study revealed that there was a significant difference between the mean performance scores of students taught English language proficiency using PBL and Multimedia tools methods. Since students taught using the PBL method had higher mean score ratings than those exposed to the Multimedia tools method , then students in the PBL group performed better than their counterparts in the Multimedia tools group. Also, the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test for the study revealed that the introduction of PBL and multimedia tools has a positive effect on students’ retention of English writing skills to a great extent with Scheffe Post-Hoc Analysis yielding and respectively against conventional method . Lastly, the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) test for the study revealed that gender differences existed in students’ performance as the female students’ performance was marginally higher than those of the male students taught using PBL and Multimedia tools strategies respectively. The study recommended that universities should incorporate PBL and multimedia-based teaching strategies into the English language curriculum to enhance students’ writing proficiency and engagement and ensure that lecturers incorporate the strategies in their classroom interaction with the students.