Contributions of Electronic Portfolio Assessment and Dynamic Assessment to Writing Performance

Abstract

The present study set out to investigate the effects of electronic portfolio assessment and dynamic assessment on Iranian EFL learners’ writing performance. The participants of the study included 97 Iranian female EFL learners at the intermediate level who were selected based on convenience sampling. The participants were divided into three groups: two experimental and one control. Before the treatment, they were given Preliminary English Test (PET) to assure that they were not significantly different in terms of overall language proficiency. Following that, the three groups received a writing pretest. As for treatment, the first experimental group received e-portfolio assessment and the second group was exposed to dynamic assessment while the third group served as the control group. The whole treatment lasted 20 sessions. Upon finishing the treatment, the three groups received a writing posttest. The results of ANCOVA indicated that both electronic portfolio assessment and dynamic assessment significantly improved Iranian EFL learners’ writing performance. However, there was not any statistically significant difference between the effects of electronic portfolio assessment and dynamic assessment on improving Iranian EFL learners’ writing performance. Based on the results of the present study, EFL teachers can use electronic portfolio assessment and dynamic assessment to improve learners’ writing performance.