2011 Articles

Dynamic Assessment: A Dialectical Integration of Assessment and Instruction

Vafaee, Payman

Formative assessment (FA), in contrast to product-oriented summative assessment, is carried out in the classroom for the purposes of providing students developmental feedback. With a close relationship to instruction, FA is done to analyze both learning goals and the instructional processes involved. This kind of classroom-based assessment can be used to raise the learners‟ awareness of the language content and lesson objectives (Rea-Dickins, 2001; Rea-Dickins, 2006; Rea-Dickins & Gardner, 2000). According to Rea-Dickens (2007), good FA practices provide learners with ample opportunities for language practice by involving them in collaborative learning activities and offering them self- and peer-assessment opportunities.