Dynamic assessment: Some thoughts on the model, the medium, and the message

Abstract This article reviews the current state of knowledge in the area of dynamic assessment, and discusses a number of issues associated with development and application of these procedures. Evidence for five stable research findings are elaborated. These include demonstrations that: mediation during the course of the assessment is associated with improved performance on a variety of tasks for a variety of learners; practice alone does not account for the effects of improved learner performance; two of the most powerful components within the mediational effect seem to be verbalization and elaborated feedback; mediated interventions seem to be associated with the greatest degree of improvement for lower functioning students; and, IQ is outpredicted by learning indicators when the criteria involve process dimensions rather than static scores. The article concludes with observations and questions to promote thinking about dynamic assessment model as a viable contribution to the assessment repertory.

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