Dynamic assessment and the zone of proximal development as a framework for mediator-learner interaction¶

Theory · All theories
Evidence · 1 claim (1 mixed) · 1 study (1 review), q2 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 1 claim rests on one study

Description¶

The forum presents Poehner's (2014) account of dynamic assessment (DA) within Vygotsky's sociocultural theory. DA aims to bridge the zone of proximal development, "the gap between what learners can achieve through mediation and what they can achieve independently." The mediator-learner dialectic presupposes joint engagement, and mediator involvement should push the student toward self-regulation while maintaining "a delicate balance of explicitness and scaffolding in the interaction."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Mediator intervention must be calibrated so that its necessity decreases as students progress towards self-regulation

Constraints¶

• The mediator's involvement should not exceed its purpose, in the interest of promoting learner agency

Target Learners¶

• second language learners

Target Learning Objectives¶

• second language development through mediated interaction

Claims¶

• Teacher repetition and translation as unplanned scaffolding can hinder rather than facilitate learning [~W]

Related Theories¶

• Dialogic teaching as distinct from ordinary classroom conversation
• Zone of Proximal Development: the gap between independent and assisted problem solving
• Sociocultural Theory
• Feuerstein's mediated learning: human mediation as prerequisite for direct learning
• Interactionist dynamic assessment grounded in Vygotsky's ZPD
• Interactionist vs. interventionist approaches to Dynamic Assessment
• Zone of Proximal Development as an assessment and instruction tool
• Sociocultural account of CALL feedback as scaffolding toward desired performance
• Zone of Proximal Development as learners' responsiveness to culturally appropriate mediation

Examples¶

• Mediation typology of implicit-to-explicit moves in SCMC DA
• Use interactionist DA to give learners more opportunities to interact and improve writing accuracy
• Pursue SCT-L2 research on L2 as a psychological tool, the teaching-learning dialectic, Dynamic Assessment, and comparative theory work

Key Sources¶

• Dean, A. C. (2014). The Interactional Dimension of LOA: Within and Beyond the Classroom. Teachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1176847