Abstract
This study investigated the impacts of computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) on a TOEFL iBT reading exam among 185 upper-intermediate EFL Iranian learners. The exam included five question types: Vocabulary, detail, negative fact, purpose, and inference items whose answers yielded three types of scores: Actual, mediated, and learning potential. Results indicated statistically significant differences between actual and mediated scores with various reading ability levels in using hints in the question types. Even though C-DA improved the scores in the mediated test items and resulted in significant correlations, there was no empirical evidence that C-DA was conducive to a comprehensive diagnosis of the ability in the Zone of Actual Development (ZAD). The study had direct pedagogical and methodological implications by suggesting more individualized and, accordingly, more effective mediation to learners, such as the interactionist approach.
Highlights
Static and traditional forms of assessment have been limited in putting together a comprehensive view on the learners' ability where the target of assessment relates to skills and knowledge only
This study examined the computerized dynamic assessment (C-dynamic assessment (DA)) impacts on EFL learners' performance in a TOEFL iBT reading exam
To check the exam construct validity, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was performed at the item level for the actual and mediated scores and it showed that the actual and mediated scores of each item loaded onto each factor and that the 16 factors had loadings that ranged from .91 to
Summary
Static and traditional forms of assessment have been limited in putting together a comprehensive view on the learners' ability where the target of assessment relates to skills and knowledge only. Anchoring learning in a socio-cultural context is another approach that calls for participants to be part of a learning activity where much scaffolding is needed to diagnose the LP of these learners. Leaners can show evidence of successful learning in the presence of a more competent peer who can engage them in mediation activities and tasks using specific strategies and skills (Vygotsky, 1986), and they have to self-regulate their learning to move from their actual to proximal zone of development (Lantolf and Poehner, 2004). The Zone of Actual Development (ZAD) serves as a diagnosis of what learners currently need to move to the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) (Bakhoda and Shabani, 2019a, 2019b; Hidri, 2014; Poehner and Lantolf, 2005). Unlike the ZPD, the ZAD cannot inform us much about the learners’ ability (Hidri, 2019)
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