An Interventionist Dynamic Assessment Approach to College English Writing in China

ABSTRACT

This article explores the value of dynamic assessment (DA) for college English writing (CEW), a required course for millions of students in China that typically enrolls 50 students in each class. An interventionist approach to DA, in which mediation and administration are standardized, was selected and supplemented with a construct-descriptor-based rating checklist as a writing assessment before and after an eight-week instruction phase. The DA group received graduated mediation that focused on the constructs and descriptors from the scale, while a control group received holistic corrections. Data were processed through ANOVA and MANCOVA revealing variable development concerning specific constructs but overall significantly greater improvement by the DA group. The results are interpreted according to the degree of change as indicative of the zone of proximal development. The value of the construct-driven scale and associated descriptors through the mediational process are also discussed. It is argued that interventionist DA is equipped to identify the components and processes within a construct, and in so doing offers the possibility of fine-tuning teachers’ and learners’ understanding of problem areas for individuals.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the participants for their contribution to the present study. Thanks also go to the professional support and valuable suggestions from Mathew Poehner and James Lantolf, Guest Editors of the special issue, Gary Ockey, LAQ Co-Editor, the other editors, and the anonymous reviewers, whose insightful comments have enhanced the quality of the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was conducted and supported by the National Social Science Fund of China (NSSFC) under grant ID 17BYY015 together with the 10th batch of the China Foreign Language Education Fund (CFLEF) with ID ZGWYJYJJ10B062.