Dynamic Assessment
Dynamic Assessment
-A strategy for assessing language in children from culturally and linguistically diverse populations -Focuses on learning rather than norm comparisons -Designed to support and evaluate children's use of learning strategies
What do results mean?
-Children who make large behavioral gains and/or efficiently use cognitive strategies are posited to have normal language learning abilities -Small behavioral gains and/or difficulty in efficiently deploying strategies during the teaching phase are thought to be associated with LI -Examiner observations of child modifiability during the teaching phase has consistently differentiated children with LI and those with typical language ability with acceptable levels of diagnostic accuracy
DA Basic Framework: Posttest/ Retest
-Compare performance to pretest -Assess transfer of strategies
4 Components of Mediated Learning Experience
-Intentionality -Meaning -Transcendence -Competence
Limitations of DA
-Little reliability and validity -Teacher intensive -Concepts and terminology of DA may be unfamiliar to teachers/clinicians - will require explicit teaching by the examiner to inform members of DA techniques -School districts may require standardized scores for eligibility
Modifiability
-Observations during sessions including child responsivity, transfer of information learned from one task to another, and examiner effort/ support provided -Child's ability to learn
DA Basic Framework: Teach
-Use mediated learning experiences -Thought to minimize assessment bias related to lack of experience because the focus is on measuring the learning process rather than measuring static knowledge -Help child develop strategies -Observe the child's modifiability & rate the child's responsiveness to instruction
Transcendence
Bridging of concepts & events beyond the immediate task; introduction of abstract ideas -Help child think hypothetically -"What would happen if_____?)
Meaning
Focus the child's attention on what is important. -Help's the child to attend to important features of the task and ignore unimportant features -Help's child understand why task is important
Competence
Help the child develop plan -Help them think through how they will use targeted strategy -Discuss appropriate times to use particular skill -Teach child to be self-regulated & active participant in own learning
Intentionality
Related intent to change child functioning to the child. Tell them the target and the reason for the MLE -Teaches and creates awareness in the child
What has DA been used for?
Word learning, narrative production, categorization