Andrew G. Brown

Yokohama City University, Japan

Abstract

In conversational interaction for language learning, dynamic assessment involves an expert’s strategic use of feedback and assessment with the goal of mediating a learner’s autonomous development. Traditionally a trained teacher's tool, dynamic assessment was taught to Japanese university students for use in learner-learner group conversational interaction in pursuit of two main goals: to describe the occurrence rate of learner implemented dynamic assessment and to describe usage in relation to mediation and scaffolding. Quantitative results show that, following instruction, learners did not often use dynamic assessment for the purpose of mediation. Analysis of transcripts suggests that learners used dynamic assessment to scaffold task resolution rather than mediating development. Together these results shed light on the extent to which dynamic assessment can be effectively taught to and appropriated by learners for the purposes of scaffolding and mediation.

KeyWords

Sociocultural theory, dynamic assessment, classroom research, scaffolding, mediation