Designing and validating a test battery of computerized dynamic assessment of grammar

Dynamic Assessment (DA) is the integration of assessment and instruction into a unified activity which derives from Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of the ZPD. An important strand of research that will solidify a central place for DA in the L2 domain is computerized DA (C-DA) that can be used to assess a large number of students simultaneously while observing the psychometric properties of testing. The present study aimed at designing and validating a test battery of C-DA of grammar for EFL learners named Computerized Dynamic Grammar Test (abbreviated as CDGT). The software reports three scores for a test taker: a non-mediated score, a mediated score and a learning potential score. A pool of 122 homogeneous BA and MA students from different universities participated in this study. The results obtained from the test takers’ scores showed that C-DA is effective in helping students increase their performance and promote their learning development. Data analysis also indicated that C-DA is more effective for low achievers than for high achievers. A major implication of the study is that C-DA can be incorporated in informal and formal testing situations.