An Ecological Constructivist Perspective on Online Language Assessment

Constructivist approaches to online language assessment encourage pedagogy-informed purposeful implementation of digital technologies. The intentional interplay of pedagogical and technological elements can facilitate connection leading to meaning negotiation through interaction with others. The ecological perspective further examines the role of technology in enabling mediation of language learning in the dynamic real-life contexts, both physical and virtual. Despite the growing literature on the use of digital technologies for second language learning (L2) that emphasizes feedback and scaffolding for L2 pedagogy and cognitive development, only limited attention, to date, has been given to the design and use of formative assessment tasks in online language learning. This chapter offers an ecological perspective on how technological and environmental affordances can interplay to promote meaningful online language assessment and purposeful task development. It describes formative assessment tasks that are underpinned by the constructivist learning theory and designed to respect learners’ varying cognitive, communicative, socio-emotional, and accessibility needs. The essential function of assessment to support ongoing monitoring and adjustment of online language instruction is also illustrated. In addition, the discussion highlights the importance of integrating localized feedback and adaptive scaffolding within the Zone of Proximal Development for the creation of authentic, real-world assessment tasks.