Feedback in Computer-Assisted Language Learning: Meta-Analysis

Primary Author: Adnan Mohamed

Faculty Sponsor: Joy Egbert

 

Primary College/Unit: College of Education

Category: Arts and Education Sciences

Campus: Pullman

 

Abstract:

 

Feedback is a well-known advantage for language learning. Research on feedback in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) demonstrates that feedback has a significant effect on student language learning. However, a comprehensive review (e.g., Azevedo & Bernard, 1995; Kang & Han 2015; Li, 2010) revealed that there has never been a meta-analysis synthesizing the effectiveness of feedback in CALL studies and the moderators moderating the effectiveness of feedback in CALL. With the aim of summarizing years of research on feedback in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) studies and identifying the moderators of feedback in CALL, a meta-analysis was conducted. By establishing rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, the investigator located 21 primary studies that met clearly defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings indicated under the Random Effect (RE) model that feedback in CALL has a significant medium effect size on student language learning outcomes (g = 0.56). However, the effectiveness of feedback in CALL is moderated by a host of variables, including learners’ proficiency, measures of proficiency, and so on.