Is Screencast Feedback Better Than Text Feedback for Student Learning in Higher Education? : A Systematic Review

Although the positive affordances of screencast feedback for student learning have been identified, the Higher Education (HE) system remains tied to electronic written (text) feedback. One factor in this stasis is the lack of robust evidence regarding the relative effectiveness of screencast feedback. This paper addresses this research gap. A systematic review of empirical research examined the effect of the medium of feedback (screencast vs. text) on student learning in HE. Fifteen of 502 studies were selected for analysis. Eleven studies indicated overwhelming positive perceptions of screencast feedback highlighting that it is more personal, supportive, detailed, helpful, and easier to understand in comparison to text feedback. Lecturers also offered overwhelming support for this medium stating that it was more engaging and impactful because it offered more detail, more teaching opportunities and increased the connection between the student and lecturer. Despite these positive perceptions, seven studies employing direct measurements of student learning presented inconclusive evidence to warrant adopting screencast feedback in HE.