Abstract
Under the influence of Vygotsky, dynamic assessment (DA) has recently crept into the realm of L2 testing to assess learners’ cognitive modification through the concept of mediation and zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Ableeva, The Effects of Dynamic Assessment on L2 Listening Comprehension 2008; Lantolf, Sociocultural theory and the pedagogical imperative 2010). Computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) is introduced as a technological offshoot of DA which has the applicability to provide a more vivid picture of learners cognitive functioning (Poehner, 2008). DA proponents proposed that the presentation of mediations is the only option to assess and assist learners’ ZPD and cognitive functioning. In this study, response latency (RL), with the potentiality to analyze on-going information processing of mind, is employed as a measurement tool in assessing learners’ cognitive functioning via C-DA form of an L2 reading comprehension task borrowed from Philips (Longman complete course for the TOEFL Test: preparation for the computer and paper tests, 2001). A software was programmed based on Campione and Brown’s (Dynamic assessment: one approach and some initial data, 1985; Dynamic assessment: an international approach to evaluating learning potential, 1987). Graduated Prompt Approach, an adapted version of Guthke and Beckmann’s (Dynamic assessment: prevailing models and applications, 2000), and Aljaafreh and Lantolf’s (Mod. Lang. J 78:465–483, 1994) hierarchical presentation of mediations to record the learners’ passive RL. The results reveal that learners’ with larger ZPD not only reached the answer with implicit mediations but also reflected shorter RL in reaching the correct answer. The learners’ information processing also expedited through presentation of mediations.
Highlights
Under the influence of Vygotsky, dynamic assessment (DA) has recently crept into the realm of L2 testing to assess learners’ cognitive modification through the concept of mediation and zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Ableeva, The Effects of Dynamic Assessment on L2 Listening Comprehension 2008; Lantolf, Sociocultural theory and the pedagogical imperative 2010)
The results reveal that learners’ with larger ZPD reached the answer with implicit mediations and reflected shorter response latency (RL) in reaching the correct answer
The obtained results from empirical analysis of the collected data are categorized as follow: a) successful
Summary
Under the influence of Vygotsky, dynamic assessment (DA) has recently crept into the realm of L2 testing to assess learners’ cognitive modification through the concept of mediation and zone of proximal development (ZPD) (Ableeva, The Effects of Dynamic Assessment on L2 Listening Comprehension 2008; Lantolf, Sociocultural theory and the pedagogical imperative 2010). The abstraction in comprehension processes causes difficulty in crystallization of mind procedure of Bakhoda and Shabani Asian-Pacific Journal of Second and Foreign Language Education (2016) 1:2 processing information To understand these higher and lower-information processing, cognitive psychologists concentrate on the text and discourse comprehension (see Graesser et al 1997) because of the convenience of presenting context stimuli to reach the rationale behind the comprehension processes. The former is measured based on the immediate starts and stops of the timer, managed through computer or programs (such as CATI and CAPI), to record learners’ time spent in answering the question after the presentation of question while the latter included both the question presentation and the learners’ spent time to answer the question They are two types of response latency measurement, the studies by Mulligan et al (2003) and Mayerl and Urban (2008) demonstrated that the same result could be achieved from both response latencies, active and passive time latency. The more accessibility, strength and stability in attitudes and responses tend to quicker reaction to the question, which take fewer time for the respondents, whereas less accessibility, strength, stability in respondent’s attitudes bring them greater deal of time (Bassili and Krosnick 2000; Fazio 1990)
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