The Impact of Computerized Group Dynamic Assessment on Iranian EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension Across Gender

Framed in Vygotskian sociocultural theory, this study aims to investigate the effect of computerized group dynamic assessment (GDA) through software on Iranian male and female learners’ listening comprehension ability. Data were collected through the administration of listening comprehension pretest and post-tests among 140 participants divided into male and female learners into the experimental and control groups. There were 35 male and 35 female learners in each group of the study. Participants in the experimental groups were exposed to GDA in order to interactively work on the selected tasks of listening comprehension, and the teacher provided the necessary support as well. Quantitative analysis of the pre- and post-tests of listening comprehension among male and female groups was conducted through two-way analysis of variance and covariance. Results revealed that both male and female learners in the experimental groups significantly outperformed the learners’ listening comprehension in the control groups. However, there were not any significant differences between the gender groups’ listening comprehension ability in the experimental groups. Findings contributed to the effective employment of GDA through software in order to improve the learners’ listening comprehension ability, denoting that teachers are recommended to be aware of technological devices in paving an interactive way for learners to develop their language skills and sub-skills.