Promoting second language writing through technology-driven multimodal text feedback

ABSTRACT

Purpose

Despite the increasing use of technology-driven multimodal pedagogies in second-language writing education, there is a dearth of studies investigating the value and design of multimodal text feedback. Based on Chong’s (Chong, S. W. 2019. “College Students’ Perception of e-Feedback: A Grounded Theory Perspective.” Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 44 (7): 1090–1105. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1572067) tripartite conceptualization of written feedback, this article examines the effectiveness of the multimodal text feedback approach by exploring its influence on the technical, socio-emotional, and personal aspects of feedback.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted in a second-tier university in southeastern China. The researchers collected 57 participants’ responses to a questionnaire survey regarding the effectiveness of multimodal text feedback and then conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 participants.

Findings

Qualitative and quantitative analysis confirms multiple positive impacts of multimodal text feedback, such as improving technical features of students’ writing and enhancing teacher-student relationships.

Originality/value

The findings not only inform language-writing instructors with regard to the process-based design of multimodal text feedback but also lead to the proposal of a comprehensive conceptual framework for evaluating the interplay between different aspects of feedback.

KEYWORDS:

• Text feedback
• second-language writing
• multimodality
• effectiveness of feedback
• technology-driven

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Beijing Foreign Studies University [grant number: TJW2021735301]; Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (IRTSHUFE) [grant number: 2020110925]; Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press [grant number: WYZL2022ZJ0002].

Notes on contributors

Weimei Li

Ms. Weimei Li is an assistant professor in the School of Foreign Studies, Zhejiang College of Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. She is interested in technology assisted language learning.

Xiuwen Chen

Dr. Xiuwen Chen is an associate professor in the School of Foreign Studies, Shanghai University of Finance and Economics. She is interested in language policy and multilingual education, technology assisted language learning.

Lihe Huang

Dr. Lihe Huang is an associate professor in the School of Foreign Languages, Tongji University. His research interest centers around multimodal studies and pragmatics.