Video screen capture to document and scaffold the L2 writing process

Abstract

This chapter explores the potential of video screen capture (VSC) as a technology that can provide new insights when investigating learner-computer interactions in CALL research, and that can play a mediating role in second language (L2) writing pedagogy. Arguments are put forward as to why CALL researchers and language educators should be interested in this accessible and flexible tool. Three studies are described to consolidate these arguments. The first one, a usability study, investigates L2 learners’ dictionary search processes in the context of the design of an online dictionary prototype. The second study examines the composition processes and strategies of L2 writers. The third study looks at the pertinence and added value of integrating VSC in the L2 writing class. Affordances of VSC arose from these studies. VSC emerged as a powerful documentation tool enabling the collection of process-oriented learner data and new forms of dynamic corpora. It also emerged as a retrospection tool capable of supporting L2 writers in their literacy development and as a scaffolding tool to provide multimodal feedback on L2 written output.