Poehnern Lantolf

Poehner and Lantolf in “Dynamic assessment in the language classroom” (2005)

This article describes using dynamic assessment (DA) and instruction as resultant from Vygotsky’s theory of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The work of Reuven Feuerstein in dynamic assessment is discussed as well as comparison of DA to formative assessment. Suggestions are given as to how formative assessment may be thought of in relation to DA principles. Formative is intended as a feedback into the teaching and learning process while summative assessment has to do with the outcome of learning. Dynamic assessment requires the help of a capable person so the learner can benefit in completing a task, but also in transferring the mediated performance to other similar tasks or tests. Although Vygotsky did not use the term dynamic assessment, his ideas concerning ZPD were similar to DA.

The interesting part about the article that got me thinking had to do with the concept of future in developmental psychology. One idea is the concept of past-to-present. This idea “…acknowledges ‘the role of the past life history of the organism in leading to its present state of functioning’ (Valsiner, 2001:86 in Poehner & Lantolf, 2005). Another idea has to do with when the future has already become present. I think this way of thinking is intriguing because we’re always in the process of changing. Our thoughts and things we’ve learned never really come to a standstill. That’s the beauty of life itself. I’ve heard it said that learning never ends. Maybe that’s why some assessments don’t really matter to some people. I’ve heard some people say that the grade they received for a certain class doesn’t really bother them because the grade is only a letter and it doesn’t mean much. The important thing is that they learned something in some way that is not reflected in the grade. I believe that dynamic assessment happens in all walks of life.