Dynamic assessment of literacy: English as a third language

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to valuate the applicability of Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and the concept of dynamic assessment to the problem of assessing reading comprehension in English as a third language (L3). The study was conducted with immigrant students from Ethiopia studying at pre-academic centers in Israel. The assessment procedure included a pre-test, mediation, and post-test. The pre-test was based on a standard reading comprehension placement exam. Based upon the pre-test material, a very detailed analysis of the required pre-existing knowledge and necessary strategies was then mediated to the students. The post-test was identical to the pre-test regarding structure, requirements in terms of pre-existing knowledge and strategies, length, etc., but with different content. The results demonstrated: (1) A dynamic assessment procedure significantly improved the text comprehension performance of L3 students; (2) The dynamic assessment procedure added information regarding students' learning potential over and beyond their initial performance level; (3) The learning potential profile of immigrants from Ethiopia is somewhat different from that of non-immigrant students.

The Comparative Effect of Portfolio and Summative Assessments on EFL Learners' Writing Ability, Anxiety, and Autonomy

“…There is now a common consensus among language educators on the significance of the role played by assessment in teaching activities and outcomes (Kozulin & Garb, 2004). However, simultaneous with the developments in the teaching techniques and theories (Zaker, 2015(Zaker, , 2016, the summative assessment approach which adopts a time-bound and narrow approach to assessment has been under serious attack (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2007).…”

“…Systematic studies are required for confirming the advantage of portfolio assessment approach over the traditional summative approach which cannot provide the immediate and contextualized feedback helpful for teachers and students during the learning process (Kozulin & Garb, 2004). Moreover, it is of outmost importance to inspect the way portfolio assessment affects EFL learners' internal factors (e.g.…”

Applying Interventionist and Interactionist Approaches to Dynamic Assessment for L2 Listening Comprehension

“…Aside from the fact that mediation in general improved the overall performance of test takers, LPS scores indicated that different test takers benefited from mediation in different degrees. Kozulin and Garb (2004) classified LPS scores in three categories: high (≥ 1), mid (.71-.8) and low (≤ .70). The lowest and highest LPS scores in this study were .75 and 1.20, respectively.…”

“…In other words, instead of focusing on students' current knowledge and skills, dynamic procedures stress students' potential for learning and explore ways to realize those potentials (Kozulin & Garb, 2004). Proponents of DA (Elliot, 2003;Kozulin & Garb, 2004;Lidz & Elliot, 2006;Poehner & Lantolf, 2013;Shabani, 2014;Wang, 2015) claim that DA procedures are both feasible and effective for obtaining information about students' learning potential. DA procedures can better differentiate students concerning their gain of new text comprehension strategies.…”

Dynamic Assessment in Combination with Video Interaction Guidance in Preschool Education

“…Definitions of the dynamic assessment (e.g. Kozulin & Garb, 2004;Sternberg & Grigorenko, 2002) have two constant aspects-active intervention by examiners and assessment of the response to intervention, which means the effect of mediational learning (Haywood & Lidz, 2007, p. 1).…”