Dynamic Assessment: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Instruction of High Incidence Special Learners

2. Dynamic Assessment: A Practical Approach to Diagnosis and Instruction of High Incidence Special Learners 

3. Dr. Harry FullwoodTexas A&M University-CommerceDepartment of Psychology and Special EducationCommerce, Texas 75429harry_fullwood@tamu-commerce.edu

4. Significant Changes The re-authorization of IDEA and No Child Left Behind are expected to require less testing and increased use authentic measures (dynamic assessment)! Dynamic assessment may be defined as an interactive approach to conducting diagnosis focusing on the ability of the learner to respond to intervention.

5. Our purpose: Operational model of dynamic assessment will be presented Examples of the model demonstrated through the �Play Book� approach Practical experience with the model during the presentation for those who wish to participate

6. Basic Postulates Accumulated knowledge in not the best indication of ability to acquire new knowledge We all function at less than 100 percent of our capacity The best test of performance is a sample of that performance There are many obstacles that mask ability

7. Dynamic Assessment (DA) A subclass of interactive assessment �.the activity and intervention of examiners designed to produce a temporary change in the cognitive function of the consumer The term dynamic implies �change�

8. DA: The Goal �assess processes of thinking (cognition) that are themselves always changing Examiners may engage in specific teaching to facilitate �change� The basic datum in DA is a change variable

9. DA: Another Definition DA refers to assessment of thinking, perception, learning, and problem solving by an active teaching process aimed at modifying cognitive function.

10. Static Testing By contrast, static testing requires the examiner to present problems or questions, record the response and offer no attempt to intervene in order to change, guide or improve the consumers' performance.(Haywood & Tzuriel, 2002)

11. Bottom Line DA is an interactive process that fosters cognitive intervention and learning success Excellent for intervention with disadvantaged and special need learners Based on �mediated� learning Defeats �pessimistic predictions� derived from results of static testing

12. Research Conclusions Test performance improves after teaching and mediation Mediation of logic strategies leads to greater performance improvement Transfer of mediated strategies DA interested in defeating pessimistic predictions made for learners on the basis of static assessment

13. Teachers gain useful knowledge need to teach�no one suggests that IQ scores aid in selection of appropriate content or teaching strategies. Knowledge obtained by DA possible in special learners and not accessible during static testing Useful for habilitation and rehabilitation Useful in defeating pessimistic predictions regarding special learners

14. DA and Cognitive Education This presenter is an absolute advocate of DA as the essential tool for cogitative based instruction The consumer must �learn how to learn� Philosophic framework: DA based on theories from works of Haywood, Feuerstein, Piaget and Vygotsky's

15. Bright Star Program For preschool and early elementary grade consumers Objectives: a) increase learning effectiveness, b) develop efficient cognitive processes and thinking skills, c) enhance task-intrinsic motivation and d) prepare children for school learning

16. Not content orientated; rather, focused on development of cognitive processes and metacognitive operations that appear to be prerequisite to academic learning in early grades Children are expected to demonstrate higher skills of �learning to learn� than average peers

17. Research outcome from investigations suggested that Bright Star children scored higher than did the comparison children not only in the pre-teaching phase but also in the post-teaching phase In English: BS children demonstrated greater benefit from mediated instruction

18. Problems with DA NEW Metric (measuring) problems Reliability: because the process sets out to change the very learning characteristics that are being assessed Validity: subjects and approaches change in unique and unpredictable fashion

19. DA not taught in certification programs or graduate assessment courses Requires intensive training and practice Hard to do, time consuming and (at first) not liked by examiner nor examinee Resistance to change from �what we already do�

20. Examples of Mediated Instruction Intervention in the learning task of another that results is transfer of what is learned and now understood to what was already know and in a usable way. Mediated learning hooks new things learned to old things already known and understood.

21. Examples Your mother and father�and all the things they taught you�smile�and are still trying to get across Instructions with associated video tape that lead to assembly of your recently purchased Char Broiler Grill Mediated instruction requires active interaction, communication, strategy selection, the behavior and related evaluation

22. The thousands of time you have interacted with a learner in your classroom, leading the subject to step-wise processing and success. EX: long division Some real time examples:

23. Solve these problems Jane has 6 fewer dimes today than she had yesterday. If she had 12 dimes yesterday, how many dimes does Jane have today?

24. Determine the number of Modos in a game of Boboball if: there are 20 Hodos, there are 8 fewer Modos than Hodos, and there are 82 players in all. �

25. Dave gave Charlotte half of his pogs. Charlotte gave Jonnie half of the pogs she received from Dave. Jonnie kept 8 of those pogs and gave the remaining 10 to Dana. How many pogs did Dave give Charlotte?

26. Dynamic Assessment: A Cognitive Approach to Instruction of Individuals with Special Learning Needs

27. Cognitive Model (IPP) Information Processing Paradigm Input Process Output

28. Input through attention to Short Term Memory Large amount of date taken in Vision often our favorite tool Data recorded as photographs Detail limited Picture a large funnel

29. Process to Working Memory Working memory limited One bit at a time The small end of a funnel Decisions regarding what to keep and what to release What photographs go in the album (schemata)

30. Long term memory Unlimited read-able and write-able storage Organized according to existing photo albums (a new album or sub-album may be required) What we already know retained (LTM) Can be fetched if album location known Dynamic-always under reconstruction

31. Executive Control Intellect The CEO Responsible for system decisions Limited by experience, training, insult, injury and/or disease Strategy orientation-stepwise in nature A significantly critical element in cognition

32. Executive Control Function(ECF) Human store traces of earlier cognitive acts, not the products. Pictures are not just drug out in tact, but fragments of such are used to support new construction. Retrieval of information is directed by executive routines or mental activities the order of which is governed by ECF

33. Stages of Information Processing Encoding: matching pictures to know photos Elaboration: making connections to know photos Transformation: applying rules to know photos Storage: addition of pictures to photo album Retrieval: finding previously stored photos Searching: assessing photos for properties Comparing: photos are either old or new Reconstruction: modification of photo collection

34. Knowledge systems: Declarative: (shared factual information) unique learners appear like but different in extent to normally achieving peers. Procedural: (�how to knowledge�) proceduralization and compositional strategies appear limited in unique learners Conditional: (knowing when to use strategies or acquired information) executive control models appear limited in unique learners.

35. The Main Concepts Leaning is active not passive Shift from product to process Most important thing to know about a learner is what he/she already knows Watch learner learn

36. Watch learner monitor Develop Talk Aloud Protocol Develop Cognitive Portfolio

37. Who Are Those Guys Perceptual-motor or psychological process model (cracked kid syndrome) Medical model-rooted in work with brain-injured and still a possibility Behavioral Ability deficit, then skill deficit, finally inactive kid

38. Types of Strategy Based Learners Strategy Efficient: solve problem to mastery Strategy Inefficient: demonstrates some strategy selection and problem movement but �farkles�at some point in task steps and fails to reach mastery Strategy Deficient: no clue..no start..no mastery

39. SDL appears to: utilize inappropriate strategy selection demonstrate ineffective strategy execution Useful information must be linked to prior knowledge: SDL does not elaborate material spontaneously nor develops short definitional information Strategy Deficient Learners(SDL)

40. Leaning disabilities may be the result of complex multiple processes including strategy inappropriateness, higher-order activities (ECF) and inefficient retrieval constructs. It is not just an inability to spell, read or do mathematical calculations.

41. Photo Album Model Learning: a reasonable permanent change in behavior behavior not explained by organic states or conditions.

42. Input: Taken Rolls of Pictures Input: date taken in through human receptors see, hear, smell, taste and touch Taking photographs

43. Short Term Memory: Which Pictures to Keep? Executive Control System must decide what to keep and then discard What photographs will I keep?

44. Working Memory: Fetch Albums I Have Accumulated(schema) What Albums do I have that contain similar photographs Fetch them (scratch pad memory) Compare and contrasts present and new pictures

45. Long Term Memory: My Own Album Collection Family pets: my first dog, cat, fish-will include all family pets and information concerning that subject Organized into cognitive model

46. A Real Time model Think of the knowledge systems and long-term memory as the contents of photo albums you have. (children, pets, trips) Recall the stages of development used to construct these albums. Think of newly added pictures and those that are worn and faded from time.

47. Memory From the sensory registers, information is transferred into limited-capacity short-term memory to decay unless elaborated. Long-term memory is permanent storage with unlimited capacity. Information is stored by use of links, associations and general organizational plans, is semantic and decays because of loss or interference.

48. Working Memory Much more dynamic than short-term memory while sharing some of the same characteristics. Working memory is an active process that involves the mental activities leading to long-term memory store. (Photo development, organization and glue-up)

49. Organizational strategies to long-term memory: chunking:grouping for completing of a series of items clustering: organization into categories mnemonics: GBDFA and HOMES coding: images and pictures for words

50. Learning Disabilities and Strategy Inappropriateness Focus is placed on what is modifiable Rule creating and metacogntive models Environmental factors dictate strategy selection and use Active rather that passive interaction with pupil Maximize strategy use through instruction

51. Principles of Strategy Instruction Strategies serve different purposes Strategies must operate on the law of parsimony (reduced to simplest order) Effective strategies for student without learning disabilities are not not necessarily good for students with learning disabilities. Strategy instruction does not eliminate processing differences

52. Strategies must be considered in relation to a student�s knowledge base and capacity. Comparative strategy use may not eliminate performance differences. Strategies taught do not necessary become transformed into expert strategies.

53.  Where to begin? Six elements of Think-Aloud Protocol: task to be accomplished instructional procedures and material specific strategy(s) <rules> will be used by student strategy management technique to be taught outcome of training Statement for Cognitive Portfolio

54. Think-Aloud Questions How would you start to solve this problem? Do you have a plan? Why do you think that approach will work? How will you tell if your plan is working? What were you thinking then? Can you think of another way to do that?

55. A variety of learning situations must be observed to form a generalization concerning strategy ability. A picture begins to form of the strategy capabilities of the student and effective ways to approach and facilitate instruction.

56. Cognitive Portfolio Case specific and subject specific observations through Think-Aloud Protocol Determination of strategy usage and appropriateness Methods of instruction selected by the teacher, learning environment or school district concerning content remain in tact

57. If cognitive data is collected each year by the instructional and diagnostic staff, a compressive picture of the learner forms and is available for future placement. This model requires complete commitment: board level, administration, diagnostic teams, instruction and parent. Pre-service and in-service training will be required for all players.

58. The Bottom Line Learning disabilities, at best, has no single cause to treat and each individual is unique unto his/her own cognitive needs. In order to function in an included setting, this individual requires instructional models that allow for independent and successful outcomes in school.