The application of zone of proximal development (ZPD), as a major tenet of Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory (SCT, 1978), has recently been invited in the L2 learning/teaching profession. This study mainly examined whether Iranian EFL learners’ interactions in diverse ZPD-activated proximal contexts through the use of storytelling instruction could improve their oral (speaking) proficiency and at...

The current paper examines the instructional implications of Vygotsky's (1978) seminal notion of Zone of Proximal Development, originally developed to account for the learning potential of children, and investigates ZPD applications to the concept of teacher professional development. Specific attempt has been made to see how a number of assets at the teacher's disposal namely diary writing, pee...

Intelligent tutoring Systems (ITSs) adapt content and activities with the goals of being both effective and efficient instructional environments. They have goals for students to be challenged and guided in an optimal way--without being too overwhelmed with difficult material or too bored with easy or repetitive material. We propose a particular definition of the zone of proximal development (ZP...

The present article describes how scaffolding is implemented in an intelligent tutorial system call NTUs (Number Transcoding tUtorial System), and what are the results of the system tested empirically on a group of grade students in fostering their number concepts. To use NTUs. the system first analyzes a user’s errors on a number transcoding task, and the results of analysis are used to infer ...

The paper reviews the research on use of Dynamic Assessment (DA) in language classroom instruction for group learners. DA assesses learners’ abilities a comprehensive scope Zone Proximal Development (ZPD) from one continuum actual independent performance to other potential with external support, and also sees support offered as driving force advancing development within ZPD. With its unique vie...

BACKGROUND/AIMS To observe the effects of vitrification on spindle, zona pellucida, embryonic aneuploidy and DNA injury in in vivo-maruted, in vitro-mature and immature human oocytes. METHODS Between January 2009 and February 2015, 223 immature oocytes from 450 infertile patients, and 31 in vivo-mature oocytes from 3 infertile couples were collected. Of the 223 immature oocytes, 113 were used...

This paper presented an in-progress research model to develop, design and test an innovated acculturated adaptive web-based learning systems which based on Vygotsky' s zone of proximal development (ZPD) development theory. Based on ZPD related theories and researches, this research proposed to use cognitive apprenticeship instruction model as design guides to develop the activity functions to s...

Purpose: To apply educational models of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and approaches to assisted performance to existing knowledge about surgical skill acquisition, and thus provide a framework for potentially enhancing surgical education. Summary: The stages of the ZPD appear to be consistent with existing psychomotor theories of skill acquisition. The fourth phase of the ZPD, where t...

One of the theories accounting for pragmatic development of L2 learners is Vygotsky’s (1978) sociocultural  theory.  This  study  investigated  the  development  of  EFL  learners'  pragmatic competence through the lens of an important concept of Vygotsky’s theory, i.e.  the  zone  of proximal  development.  The  study  was  conducted  to  answer  two  questions.  The  first  question was wheth...

Complex domain calibration is an efficient method to correct the amplitude and phase of a spectrum obtained from a Fourier transform spectrometer. This method is, however, not directly applicable in the occurrence of a zero path difference (ZPD) shift between a scene interferogram and calibration blackbody interferograms. This situation is likely to happen for a system with thermal instabilitie...