Research project CALL for Dynamic Assessment

The development of the information society, and the widespread use of communication technologies such as social media, have transformed learning in the modern classroom. Teaching languages now demands adapting to technological shifts, creating engaging strategies.

This study explores how text chat mediated dynamic assessment (DA) can enhance language development. Grounded in Sociocultural Theory, employing mainly conversational analysis, this design-based study reveals that text chat can be used as a mediational tool to provide DA to learners.

While introducing the three-phase scale to be used in text chat interactions, this study suggests the Collaborative Group Dynamic Assessment approach to implement the scale in the everyday classroom. This approach uniquely promotes teacher mediation and peer scaffolding simultaneously, enhancing learning experience. The findings of the study offer insights into the current discussion on DA in computer-assisted language learning (CALL).

The full title for this project is “CALL for Dynamic Assessment: Using Text Chat for Second Language Development in Higher Education”.

This is Piyumi Udeshinee’s PhD thesis project. Supervisors are Ola Knutsson and Sirkku Männikkö Barbutiu.