computerized-dynamic-assessment
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- PaperReCALL13 Jul 2026
The effectiveness of computerized dynamic assessment in improving L2 performance: A three-level meta-analysis
Qi Lu, Mengqi Chen, Lianrui Yang, Shaofeng Li et al.
A three-level meta-analysis of 35 studies found that computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) has large positive effects on L2 performance, with cake format (mediation embedded in the test) yielding larger effect sizes than sandwich format (mediation between pretest and posttest). Moderator analyses identified number of items, test content, and learners' first language as significant factors influencing C-DA effectiveness.
Original abstract
The growing body of research on the effects of computerized dynamic assessment (C-DA) on second language (L2) learning underscores the need for a comprehensive research synthesis to identify future research directions and inform the application of C-DA in L2 educational contexts. This meta-analysis employed a three-level modeling approach to examine the effectiveness of C-DA in improving L2 learners’ performance. It synthesized 27 effect sizes from cake format designs, in which mediation is embedded within the test sequence, and 24 effect sizes from sandwich format designs, where mediation is delivered between a pretest and a posttest, across 35 studies published between 2000 and May 27, 2025. This study also investigated the key variables that moderate C-DA effectiveness. Findings reveal large, significant positive effects of both the cake and sandwich formats on L2 performance improvement (cake format: g = 2.120, p < .001; sandwich format: g = 1.676, p < .001), with the cake format tending to yield larger effect sizes. This may be because the cake format captures gains during mediation, whereas the sandwich format reflects post-mediation outcomes. Moderator analyses show that the number of items, test content, and learners’ first language affect C-DA effectiveness in promoting L2 performance. Drawing on the synthesized findings, this study contributes to theoretical, methodological, and technological understandings of C-DA and offers suggestions for future research in this domain.
- PaperLanguage Learning & Technology1 Jan 2026
Scaffolding early-stage simultaneous interpreting learning using computerized dynamic assessment
Zhaokun Jiang
Computerized Dynamic Assessment (CDA), which provides adaptive scaffolding during tasks, was applied to early-stage simultaneous interpreting learning. In a pretest-intervention-posttest study with 35 novice interpreters, the CDA group showed greater gains in syntactic complexity and fluency and lower interpreting anxiety compared to a non-CDA group, while accuracy gains were similar. These findings extend CDA benefits from receptive skills to real-time oral production under cognitive and affective demands.
Original abstract
Computerized Dynamic Assessment (CDA) integrates assessment and instruction by algorithmically delivering immediate, adaptive scaffolding to uncover and cultivate learners’ developmental potential. Although CDA has shown promise for receptive language skills (e.g., reading and listening), its effectiveness in simultaneous interpreting (SI) remains underexplored. As a high-stakes bilingual task, SI requires the concurrent processing of source-language input and target-language output, rendering it both cognitively taxing and anxiety-inducing. To address this gap, the present study employed a pretest–intervention–posttest design with 35 novice SI learners from two intact classes, with one class serving as the CDA group (n = 18) and the other as the non-CDA group (n = 17). The CDA group received adaptive, graduated scaffolding targeting five types of complex syntactic structures, whereas the non-CDA group received static, non-graduated support. Interpreting performance was assessed using seven complexity, accuracy, and fluency (CAF) indices, and interpreting-specific anxiety was measured with a Likert-scale questionnaire. Results indicated that the CDA group achieved significantly greater gains in syntactic complexity and fluency and reported lower interpreting anxiety; by contrast, improvements in accuracy were comparable between groups. Overall, these findings provide empirical evidence that the benefits of CDA extend beyond receptive skills to facilitate integrative, real-time oral production under combined cognitive and affective pressure.