<p>Although student’s decision to review digitally-delivered feedback has received more attention over the last decade, the relationship of audiovisual formats of feedback and student’s academic engagement have rarely been investigated. This quasi-experimental study explores how written feedback and two video-feedback formats, each showcasing the instructor’s presence in different ways (audible or visual), influence students’ perceptions of feedback effectiveness, their decisions to review the messages, and their academic achievement. Given the pivotal role of student engagement in effectively processing instructor feedback, we further examine whether student engagement mediates or moderates the relationship between feedback format and both feedback review and academic achievement. Utilizing a digital learning platform, a total of 176 undergraduate students received generic feedback messages the day after submitting each assignment. Feedback was delivered in video format, with a particular focus on the instructor’s audible (VFA, <i>n</i> = 66) and visual presence (VFV, <i>n</i> = 72), or in written format (WF, <i>n</i> = 38). Results indicated that students were highly satisfied with the perceived effectiveness of the feedback format they received, and no significant differences in feedback review rates were observed across formats. However, students in both the VFV and VFA groups outperformed those in the WF group, with no significant differences between the VFV and VFA groups. Additionally, academic engagement moderated the relationship between feedback format and feedback review decisions, and mediated the relationship between feedback format and academic performance. These findings underscore the complexity of feedback effectiveness and suggest that instructor presence in video-feedback may impact academic outcomes. This study provides valuable insights for instructional designers and educators aiming to optimize feedback delivery in digital learning environments.</p>