On the Development of a Software towards Ameliorating Iranian EFL Learners' Reading Proficiency

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Foreign Languages, Qeshm Branch, Islamic Azad University, Qeshm, Iran

2 Department of Foreign Languages, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

Abstract

This article presents the outcomes of how Dynamic Assessment (DA) may be organized to function within a class’s Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). The testing field also has recently undergone noticeable changes leading to a shift to use technology that is emerged in our era. The study investigated college students’ barriers and motivations for testing reading comprehension ability using the newly designed software. To this end, 30 participants were interviewed and the related data were analyzed thematically to identify emerging themes relating to the current status of the new testing environment. Four themes emerged relating to potential barriers and motivations and the results showed that working with the software provided positive experiences of working in a supportive environment. The study found that using the newly designed software in the classroom generally enhances learning and other outcomes. This novel software does not only aim to reduce barriers in conventional testing environment but also highlights the positive aspects which enhance motivation.

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History

  • Receive Date: 26 April 2018
  • Revise Date: 17 June 2018
  • Accept Date: 24 July 2018
  • First Publish Date: 01 March 2019

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