Hi Ana, Mike, Sonja, and all -- For ZPD related assessment, you might
look at dynamic assessment (DA).
Like the ZPD, DA is forward/future looking in its orientation through
its assertion that mediated performance can be indicative of
independent functioning in the future. DA methods of assessment
involve mediating an examinee’s performance by providing prompts and
leading questions during the assessment intervention itself. Its
primary goal is to fuse assessment procedures with interactive
opportunities for learning, and in so doing, to produce a more
nuanced understanding of an examinee’s current and future
developmental potential.
A few references:
Feuerstein (2003) has published extensively on the use of DA in a
variety of populations. Lantolf and Poehner (2004) provide an in-
depth description of DA use in education broadly and also suggest
guidelines for its use in second and foreign language contexts.
Additionally, they have a companion paper that extends principles of
DA to formative assessment and foreign language classroom practice
(Poehner & Lantolf, 2005). See also Kozulin and Garb, who look at EFL
text comprehension through DA, and Lantolf and Thorne (2006, chapter
12) for a review of this research.
Feuerstein, R., et al. (2003). Dynamic assessment of cognitive
modifiability. Jerusalem: ICELP Press.
Kozulin, A. & Garb, E. (2002). Dynamic assessment of EFL text
comprehension of at-risk students. School Psychology International
23: 112-27.
Lantolf, J. & Thorne, S. L. (2006). Sociocultural theory and the
genesis of second language development. Oxford. à Chapter 12
addresses DA.
Lantolf, J. & Poehner, M. (2004). Dynamic assessment and L2
development: Brining the past into the future. Journal of Applied
Linguistics 1: 49-74,
Poehner, M. & Lantolf, J. (2005). Dynamic assessment in the language
classroom. Language Teaching Research 9: 1-33.
steve
______________
Steven L. Thorne
Assistant Professor, Linguistics and Applied Language Studies
Associate Director, Center for Language Acquisition
Advisor for Mediated Learning, Center for Advanced Language
Proficiency Education and Research (CALPER)
The Pennsylvania State University
Interact > 814.863.7036 | sthorne@psu.edu | http://
language.la.psu.edu/~thorne/ | IM: avkrook
On Dec 11, 2006, at 1:15 PM, Mike Cole wrote:
> There is a large literature on zopeds and evaluation. A very
> complicated
> topic.
> Ann Brown worried about this topics starting in early 1980's. The
> problem,
> logically speaking, is that zopeds are open systems. Artificially
> closing
> them
> with "levels of help"/"scaffolding" makes a link to standardized
> evaluation
> but destroys
> the essential properties of a zoped.
> mike
>
> On 12/11/06, deborah downing-wilson <ddowningw@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> hmmm. it seems to me that in teaching or demonstrating a skill we
>> perform
>> the skill in as close to the ideal form as we are able, and as this
>> teaching
>> episode is also an incidence of practice we can assume that the
>> teacher's
>> skill level improves during the interaction. I'm not sure about the
>> deeper
>> understanding, one can hope for the compassion and empathy,
>> frustration
>> and
>> impatience certainly.
>>
>> On 12/11/06, Ana Guenthner <anaguenthner@gmail.com> wrote:
>> >
>> > In response to Shirley and Deb's thoughts, to assume that the more
>> > dominant
>> > learner in a group zpd tends to lead to deeper understanding
>> would be
>> > overrating the learner. I tend to wonder if deeper
>> understanding would
>> be
>> > in the learners reflections towards compassion and empathy
>> rather than
>> > content.
>> >
>> > The notion of assuming that the more capable learner performs
>> "at a
>> level
>> > above what they are capable of outside the ZPD " as a general
>> statement
>> > somehow does not sit well with my thinking. Considering the
>> cultural
>> > historical aspect of a teacher not knowing the danger of
>> simplifying and
>> > deciding on the individual/group more capable and least capable
>> based on
>> > an
>> > inferior design of assessments.
>> >
>> > The hot topic seems to be in the design of assessments at the
>> moment.
>> Any
>> > views out there on the cultural historical impact on zoped and
>> > assessments?
>> > Would appreciate a lead.
>> >
>> >
>> > >
>> > > > On 12/11/06, Shirley Franklin <s.franklin@dsl.pipex.com> wrote:
>> > > >> You are so right, Deb.
>> > > >>
>> > > >> It is a very positive argument for mixed ability teaching and
>> > learning.
>> > > >>
>> > > >> My kids were taught is mixed ability classrooms (sadly now
>> in the
>> > > >> decline in the UK) and benefited enormously by helping
>> their weaker
>> > > >> mates . The act of simplification must involve more complex
>> thinking.
>> > > >> As a special needs teacher I know how challenging
>> simplification
>> is!
>> > > >> I have always thought this had led these 'more competent
>> peers' to
>> > > >> greater , deeper understandings. It is something we frequently
>> > > >> discuss in my teaching seminars.
>> > > >>
>> > > >> Like Deb, I would love some other references to this.
>> > > >> Shirley
>> > > >>
>> > > >> On 10 Dec 2006, at 23:55, deborah downing-wilson wrote:
>> > > >>
>> > > >>> A question that comes to me occasionally - but never when
>> I'm
>> near
>> > > >>> someone
>> > > >>> to ask-
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> It seems to me that the "more capable" member of the ZPD, by
>> nature
>> > > >>> of the
>> > > >>> interaction also performs at a level above what they are
>> capable
>> of
>> > > >>> outside
>> > > >>> the ZPD -
>> > > >>>
>> > > >>> deb
>> > >
>> > > >>> On 12/10/06, Mike Cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:
>> > > .
>> > > >>>>
>> > > >>>> The difficulty at the cultural-historical level that
>> bothers me
>> is
>> > > >>>> that it is even more difficult than in the
>> > > >>>> ontogenetic case to figure out who the more capable
>> person/social
>> > > >>>> group
>> > > >>>> might be.
>> > >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > xmca mailing list
>> > xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>> > http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Deborah Downing-Wilson
>> _______________________________________________
>> xmca mailing list
>> xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
>> http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca
>>
> _______________________________________________
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