A Computerized Dynamic Assessment Platform for EFL Listening Comprehension

Traditional assessments in EFL listening primarily report scores without revealing learners’ specific difficulties, leaving students uncertain about how to improve and teachers unable to adjust instruction. Dynamic Assessment (DA) addresses this gap by combining assessment with mediation, yet its traditional one-on-one format is impractical for large classroom.
This project introduces a Computerized Dynamic Assessment (CDA) platform designed for individual instruction in large scale EFL context. This platform delivers graduated, pre-scripted manual hints in multiple modalities (text, audio, image, video) and generates detailed learning logs that track attempts, hints use and completion time. These features provide individualized scaffolding for learners and equip teachers with diagnostic insights for targeted instruction.
A quasi-experimental design was conducted with low-proficient Chinese undergraduates across four intervention sessions. Listening comprehension was measured with pre- and post-tests using CET-4 listening tests, and platform logs were analyzed for hint trajectories and efficiency. Results showed significant gains in listening performance, alongside reductions in hint usage and task completion time, indicating both enhanced comprehension and efficiency.
The CDA platform demonstrates that individualized mediation can be scaled to large classrooms without overburdening teachers. By combining DA principles with multimodal support and learning analytics, the platform offers a practical and innovative solution for EFL listening education. Future research may explore its long-term effects and applicability across different learner groups and contexts

Computerized Dynamic Assessment (CDA), EFL listening

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