The Efficiency of Video Feedback as a Method for Teachers to Give Feedback During the Development of Writing Skills of the Learners Who Use English as a Second Language (ESL). Sector

Abstract

Feedback given by teachers to students is one of the most productive ways of improving the performance of learners, including the learners who use English as a Second Language (ESL).However, there has been a continuing dispute over the efficiency of different feedback methods.Even though the written form of feedback is the most frequently used method of feedback used by teachers, studies have found that it has several disadvantages. This study investigated the efficiency of video feedback as a teacher feedback method during the development of paragraph writing skills of ESL learners. The study explored whether students who received video feedback reported a higher level of accuracy/ correctness in their written work when compared to those who received written feedback. It also investigated ESL learners’ perceptions towards video feedback and whether video feedback could be used as an alternative to written feedback. The sample comprised 20 undergraduates enrolled in the Industrial Management degree program at the University of Kelaniya. Over a five-week period, a test group was provided with video feedback while a control group was provided with written feedback. In addition to a comparative analysis of the accuracy of paragraph writing, a questionnaire was given to the test group at the end of the study to study their perception on video feedback. The quantitative and qualitative data collected were analyzed using SPSS statistics and thematic analysis, respectively. The findings revealed that video feedback facilitated a higher level of accuracy in the paragraphs written by those who received video feedback from teachers. The study verified that video feedback is a method preferred by and convenient for learners. It helped them to interact easily with teachers and to revise the paragraphs they were writing. The findings showed that video feedback could be used as an alternative to written form of feedback.