Does Written vs. Video Feedback Affect Students’ Online Learning and Alliance with Their Teacher?

Abstract

The demand for online college courses has increased, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior research regarding methods of providing feedback to students in online courses has demonstrated that there may be many benefits to providing feedback to students in video rather than written format. Their research suggests that recorded video feedback provides a deeper bond between teachers and students. The main goal of this study was to add to the growing body of evidence around the use and impact of video feedback and to build upon these studies by using a larger sample size and assessing teacher/student bond with a reliable and valid measure (i.e., the Learning Alliance Inventory [LAI]) through a field experiment. A sample of 119 students enrolled in two psychology courses at a public southwestern university were randomly assigned to receive personalized written or video feedback on course written assignments. Results indicate that LAI scores and academic performance measures were not significantly different between students who received video or written feedback. Future research and educational implications are discussed in the context of the use, value, and implementation of video and written feedback.