While there is a growing interest in learner engagement with automated writing evaluation (AWE) feedback, most empirical research to date has centred on individual learners and used a tripartite approach, excluding the social dimension, which nevertheless is important for understanding the booming collaborative language learning in an era of technology-enhanced education. Focusing on collaborative academic writing in a blended EAP course, this study adopted a longitudinal case study approach to examine five Chinese university freshmen’s Learner Engagement with AWE Feedback (LEAF) in behavioural, cognitive, affective, and social dimensions over a semester, and to identify its influencing factors. Data were collected from multiple sources, including classroom observations, written documents and semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that, behaviourally, learners engaged differently in a four-step problem-oriented procedure for selecting AWE feedback and in online revision. Cognitively, they employed various strategies to process AWE feedback and revise. Affectively, they held both positive and negative attitudes towards AWE feedback for collaborative revision. Socially, learners interacted with group members as well as with other groups in AWE feedback adoption and contributed unevenly in online revision. Their LEAF developed dynamically over time, with affective engagement changing earlier and subsequently affecting behavioural, cognitive and social engagement. Among the individual and contextual factors influencing LEAF, learner-related factors exerted multiple impacts, including group role, perception of AWE feedback, writing ability, prior writing knowledge, and peer effects. This study provides empirical implications for EAP teachers to effectively integrate AWE into the collaborative learning design of blended academic writing courses.
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Jing Chen (2025) studied this question.