Upingakuneng (when they are ready): Dynamic Assessment in a third semester Yugtun class

Abstract

Set against instructional practices that promote competition and individual performance, Dynamic Assessment, in our view, offers a more appropriate form of pedagogy for learners from cultural backgrounds that favour cooperation during joint activity. Indeed, these learners appear to be disadvantaged when negotiating the contrasting values and practices of their school and their community, a factor that likely contributes to the high attrition rates of Yup’ik Eskimo learners in secondary and tertiary education. This article considers the use of DA in a university Yugtun language course. Three DA sessions between a Yup’ik instructor/mediator and a Yup’ik heritage learner are discussed. Data include three 15‐minute videotaped mediation sessions, dialogue journals and student tests. Through detailed analysis of the mediational episodes we discuss not only how the learner moves towards self‐regulation in the use of grammar charts, but also how the interactions between the learner and the mediator become more reciprocal over time.