Dynamic Assessment and the Legacy of L.S. Vygotsky

Abstract

This article discusses the relevance of Vygotsky's ideas to the development of the dynamic assessment model. The article first describes the dynamic approach to assessment, outlining its definitive characteristics of pretest-intervene-post-test, focus on cognitive and meta-cognitive processing, and relatedness to instructional practices. The primary models of dynamic assessment are briefly reviewed. Vygotsky's ideas regarding the Zone of Proximal Development and the need to interact and to try to produce change as a means of understanding the learner have influenced development of the dynamic assessment model.