computerized dynamic assessment of incidental vocabularies: a case of iranian esp learners

Dynamic assessment (da), stemming from both vygotsky’s (1978) learning theory and feuerstein’s (1979) theory of mediated learning experiences, focuses on instruction and assessment and aims to promote learning through mediation. as a result of the paucity of research on incorporation of da into english for specific purposes (esp), this study enjoyed a quasi-experimental approach to investigate the effectiveness of da on incidental vocabularies with a focus on electronic engineering students. the preliminary english test (pet) was administered to ensure participants were homogenized in terms of their proficiency level. then, a list of random target words was incorporated into a table based on paribakht and wesche’s (1999) vocabulary knowledge scale (vks). the vks was administered to the pilot group to check whether they had previous knowledge of the target words incidentally acquired during the reading activity. finally, thirteen unfamiliar words out of the thirty words of the vks were included in the mediation test (a multiple-choice of 13 items), that was delivered through the researcher-developed website designed for this purpose. as a triangulation, the participants’ evaluation of computerized dynamic assessment (cda) was also elicited using a survey adopted from nirmalakhandan (2007). the results of the qualitative and quantitative phases indicated that the students’ incidental vocabulary learning was dramatically enhanced using target cda, employing structured prompts for the mediation process. the results of this study help both teachers and learners to utilize a step-by-step procedure for the purpose of enhancing both teaching and assessment of esp learners' vocabulary.