چکیده:
Dynamic Assessment (DA) is the integration of assessment and instruction into a unified activity which derives from Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of the ZPD. An important strand of research that will solidify a central place for DA in the L2 domain is computerized DA (C-DA) that can be used to assess a large number of students simultaneously while observing the psychometric properties of testing. The present study aimed at designing and validating a test battery of C-DA of grammar for EFL learners named Computerized Dynamic Grammar Test (abbreviated as CDGT). The software reports three scores for a test taker: a non-mediated score, a mediated score and a learning potential score. A pool of 122 homogeneous BA and MA students from different universities participated in this study. The results obtained from the test takers’ scores showed that C-DA is effective in helping students increase their performance and promote their learning development. Data analysis also indicated that C-DA is more effective for low achievers than for high achievers. A major implication of the study is that C-DA can be incorporated in informal and formal testing situations.
Designing and validating a test battery of computerized dynamic assessment
خلاصه ماشینی:
Designing and validating a test battery of computerized dynamic assessment of grammar Ghasem Modarresi1 Assistant Professor, Department of English, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran Seyyed Mohammad Alavi Associate Professor, University of Tehran Received on April1, 2014 Accepted on December 15, 2014 Abstract Dynamic Assessment (DA) is the integration of assessment andinstruction into a unified activity which derives from Vygotsky’s(1978) theory of the ZPD.
The results obtained from the test takers’ scores showed that C-DA is effective in helping students increase their performance and promote their learning development.
The researchers of the present study set out to assess the grammatical knowledge of the learners based on the principles of DA, and in so doing, they sought an alternative way to test grammar, and they came up with communicative test of grammar which is compatible with the new perspectives and recent findings regarding grammar teaching and testing in second language classrooms.
The results indicated both unassisted and assisted performance on the tests as well as the Learning Potential Score (LPS) which makes distinction between mediated and unmediated performance to predict how learners are likely respond to future instruction.
The results obtained from the study are in line with the previous research corroborating the observation that mediation in the forms of hints and leading questions improves learners’ language skills and learning potential (Kozulin & Garb, 2002; Poehner, 2007).