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Frontiers in Educational Research, 2026, 9(8); doi: 10.25236/FER.2026.090814.

Teaching College English Listening through Computerized Dynamic Assessment

Author(s)

Liang Qiangmei

Corresponding Author:
Liang Qiangmei
Affiliation(s)

School of Business Foreign Languages, Shenzhen Polytechnic University, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Abstract

In traditional listening instruction, measuring learners' listening ability solely through independent performance fails to capture their developmental potential. Dynamic Assessment (DA)—grounded in Vygotsky's sociocultural theory—addresses this limitation by assessing both matured abilities and emerging capacities through dialogic mediation. Computerized Dynamic Assessment (CDA) extends this framework by automating graduated prompts, combining the scalability of interventionist approaches with the responsiveness of interactionist ones. This study investigates the effects of a CDA-based listening approach on Chinese undergraduate EFL learners' comprehension performance. Adopting a single-group pretest-posttest design, the research measured both independent and mediated scores, and further disaggregated outcomes by proficiency level to examine differential mediation effects. Paired-samples t-tests, Cohen's d effect sizes, and subgroup analyses were employed. Results indicate that CDA not only facilitates immediate comprehension gains through contingent mediation but also provides differentiated diagnostic information about learners' listening difficulties across proficiency bands. Pedagogical implications for integrating CDA into college listening curricula are discussed.

Keywords

Computerized dynamic assessment, L2 listening, sociocultural theory

Cite This Paper

Liang Qiangmei. Teaching College English Listening through Computerized Dynamic Assessment. Frontiers in Educational Research (2026), Vol. 9, Issue 8: 104-110. https://doi.org/10.25236/FER.2026.090814.

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