Computerized Dynamic Assessment of Vocabulary Knowledge (CDA-V): Vocabulary Depth Assessment and Zone of Proximal Development

Abstract

This study presents the Computerized Dynamic Assessment of Vocabulary (CDA-V). The CDA-V is an existing depth of vocabulary assessment approached with Dynamic Assessment. The Word Associates Test (Read, 1993) and Graduated Prompts (Gutiérrez-Clellen & Peña, 2001), respectively. As a result of this combination, the CDA-V measures both depth and partial depth of vocabulary knowledge. The impact of the CDA-V’s Graduated Prompts was examined with 32 native English speakers. I focused on four aspects of the CDAV. The impact of mediation on the CDA-V’s duration, the usefulness of the CDAV’s scores, the types of errors produced throughout the CDA-V, and the connection between typing correctness and speed and depth of vocabulary knowledge. Results indicated that mediation greatly impacted the CDA-V’s overall duration. To minimize this impact an appropriate cut off point maintain the benefits of mediation such as assessing partial knowledge while limiting the negatives of a longer duration. Additionally, the results showed that CDAV’s scores were useful. Specifically, the CDAV did not produce a ceiling effect and the scores recognized the differences between individuals with similar amounts of knowledge. Also, the results indicated that collocation errors occurred significantly more than association errors. Furthermore, an analysis of typed responses in the study revealed that if typed correctly individuals are significantly more likely to answer the subsequent CDAV question quickly. In addition, the fewer number of mediations used predicts faster typing speeds. In other words, the amount of mediation significantly predicts the speed of the preceding typing task. I argue that depth and Dynamic Assessment more accurately assesses how well an individual ‘knows a word’ than current vocabulary assessment standards. Additionally, I demonstrate that depth and Dynamic Assessment can be recognized as a potential new alternative in vocabulary assessments. Finally, potential practical applications of the CDA-V and recommendations for further research are discussed. Ultimately, the CDA-V may be the first depth assessment approached with Dynamic Assessment, thus encouraging future unorthodox vocabulary assessments to improve the assessment of whether an individual ‘knows a word’ and the degree to which they ‘know the word’.