Beyond the red pen: Screencast-mediated feedback in L2 writing

Although research on screencast-mediated feedback has yielded promising findings, further empirical inquiry is required to deepen our understanding of its potential. Correspondingly, this exploratory study sought the perceived affordances and constraints of screencast-mediated feedback as compared to traditional text (or written) feedback. Drawing mainly upon Mayer's (2005) Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML) as the framework, university-level English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) students received screencast-mediated feedback over four writing tasks in an undergraduate course requiring them to write in academic English. In total, the duration of screencast videos ranged from 37 minutes to 100 minutes (M≈ 59 mins.), amounting to approximately 34 hours (2019 minutes) in total. Employing a mixed-method design, data were triangulated through surveys and open-ended questions. Findings revealed that most participants expressed positive attitudes toward screencast feedback, highlighting its ease of use, enhanced clarity, and usefulness for revising, organizing, and structuring their writing, as well as for strengthening arguments and elaboration. In terms of constraints, nearly two-thirds of participants reported no challenges, while others cited difficulties such as the inability to ask questions immediately, limited sense of interaction, and occasional technical issues. Overall, the study advances understanding of learner perceptions and offers implications for L2 writing feedback, particularly in relation to instructors’ digital literacy, pedagogical practices, and the practical integration of screencasting technologies in academic writing contexts.