A Decriptive Overview of Dynamic Assessment

Abstract

Dynamic assessment (DA), deriving from the Vygotskian Sociocultural theoretical approach, has attracted considerable attention from researchers in the fields of psychology and general education, but it is still regarded as a novel approach within the field of second language acquisition. DA can be defined as an approach not only focusing on assessment as its name suggests but also aiming to instruct learners through hints or prompts, which are forms of mediation within the framework of sociocultural theory. With the increasing number of studies on DA in the field of second language teaching, DA seems to have promising effects on language teaching and learning processes. This study aims to provide a brief overview of what DA is by addressing the theoretical framework of DA, the fundamental principles of DA, its principal components, the criticisms leveled at DA, and the advantages DA offers. The data was collected through the literature review method (Machi & McEvoy, 2016). As a result of the literature review, it was found that although DA has been criticized in some ways, it has been found useful in not only uncovering success in past learning but also furthering it by discovering the underlying reasons for poor performance and intervening to improve it through dialogic interaction. It can be suggested that DA can be used effectively in formal language learning environments to reveal learners’ abilities at a certain time, to promote their growth, and to predict their future potential.