Towards an effective dynamic model of assessment and learning: a new pedagogical idea for the classroom teacher

Field: Arts and Humanities (Social Sciences)

Dynamic assessment is an interactive approach to conducting assessment focusing on the ability of the learner to respond to his own learning. It is a new idea whose development has come from Vygotsky and Feuerstein ; to Vygotsky for the need to assess both the zones of actual and proximal development and to Feuerstein for creating procedures attempting to do just that. Today, drawing on advances in neuroscience research, dynamic models of assessment and learning aim to place additional tools in the hands of educators to enable them to identify and develop the cognitive processes children need to achieve high academic standards while learning how to learn. Dynamic assessment explores how each mind works and how each individual can learn to assemble and to use knowledge better. This paper describes the conceptual foundations and findings of an ongoing research effort specifically referred to as the MindLadder cognitive program which is developed to better understand (a) the process of knowledge construction in the primary school child and (b) how teachers can best infuse advances in this area into the classroom environment. Based on mediated learning theory and constructivism, this research program can support the achievement of students with general and special learning needs from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds. ________________________________________________________________________ Classroom teachers and school psychologists are very familiar with two types of testing practised in the schools today psychological tests which are given to determine the eligibility of students for a variety of learning settings and achievement tests which are given to determine student learning outcomes. Both of these tests try to meet and to improve student needs. The dynamic model of assessment and learning however represent a distinct type of assessment procedure which provides information very different from either of the current prevailing types. This dynamic model of assessment according to Jensen (2000) intends to play a key role as an integral part of a range of deliberate efforts to help students learn how to assemble and use knowledge. Dynamic assessment is an interactive approach to conducting assessment within the domains of psychology, speech/language, or education that focuses on the ability of the learner to respond to intervention. The term dynamic assessment (DA) refers to an assessment of perception, learning, thinking and problem solving by an active teaching process aimed at modifying the individual’s cognitive functioning.( Tzuriel, 2003). The idea of actually intervening in testing situations in order to discover the individual’s learning potential was introduced by Haywood etal., (1992) and Tzuriel (1992) in his DA tasks for young children. In recent years, more researchers have been using DA for intervention purposes. ( Lidz and Elliott, 2000; Tzuriel, 2003; Jensen, 2003; Lidz, in press ). As far back as in the seventies, DA and intervention were already used by Vygotsky (1978) and Feuerstein etal (1979) in their scaffolding and mediated learning experience procedures. Vygotsky (1986/1934, 186-87) first described the process in the following way. Most of the psychological investigation concerned with school learning measured the level of mental development of the child by making him solve certain standardized This conference proceedings may be used for private study or research purpose only.