An Exploratory Study Of L2 Student Engagement With Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE) Feedback

In recent years,the effectiveness and accuracy of automated writing evaluation(AWE)feedback have been hotly debated for the sake of its effect on learning promoting in classroom teaching.However,intricate mediating factors tend to be involved to unlock the benefit of AWE feedback.In addition to the quality of AWE feedback,student engagement with AWE feedback is much likely to play a critical role in promoting learning.Yet,related empirical studies from the perspective of students,by contrast,have been under-researched.Thus,more evidence of how students engage with AWE feedback is expected to reveal the mediating factors in the learning promotion effect of AWE feedback.The present study aimed to investigate student engagement with AWE feedback over time within the framework of three facets of student engagement(Fredricks et al.,2004)in L2 formative writing context.The multiple-case inquiry addressed three research questions in accordance with the purpose of the research:(1)How does L2 student behavioral engagement with AWE feedback change over time?(2)How does L2 student affective engagement with AWE feedback change over time?(3)How does L2 student cognitive engagement with AWE feedback change over time?To answer these questions,the present study observed revising performance of three non-English majors at a university in Guangdong after they received AWE feedback for a semester.Mixed methods were used to look into students? engagement with AWE feedback over time in L2 formative writing context.Quantitative and qualitative data comprising procedural information as well as students? perceptions were collected via stimulated recall and semi-structured interview.Results show that(1)students? behavioral engagement with AWE feedback increased over time in a non-linear way;(2)most students? affective engagement changed from positive to negative;(3)students? cognitive engagement remained stable from the middle stage of the experiment,and students at different levels of language proficiency differed in the use of learning strategies;(4)five possible mediating factors including students? perceptions on AWE feedback,AWE scores,students? individual characteristics,types of feedback,and topics and genres of writing tasks were identified to cast certain effects on the change of student engagement with AWE feedback respectively.Such findings have significant implications for both teaching of EFL writing and design of AWE systems.