Collective imaginary situation as a site of diagnostic assessment: a cultural-historical analysis of children’s emerging science motive orientations in a Conceptual PlayWorld

The chapter proposes a cultural-historical model of assessing children’s learning and development that demands assessment practices to move from symp- tomatic assessments of learning to diagnostic assessment of children’s maturing and emerging higher mental functions (e.g. logical thinking, focused attention, mediated memory and use of drawing marks or written words). Based on data from the digital educational experiment titled Conceptual PlayWorld@homeLIVE the chapter offers insights into how the concepts of social situation of development, zone of prox- imal development, and dialectical relationship between the everyday and scientific concept could be used to understand children’s motive orientations and to evaluate their maturing (The terms maturing functions draws from the systems of concepts in cultural-historical theory, here it is used to signify the tripartite constellation of present age, maturing functions and next age. Seen in this way it refers to the genesis and development of new psychological structures at a particular age period.) and matured psychological functions thus offering a holistic understanding of the psychological structure at a given cultural age period. Within the project, homeLIVE sessions were based on the characteristics of Conceptual PlayWorld (Fleer, Early Years 41:353–364, 2018). Examples from a child’s home setting are used to show how Conceptual PlayWorld can be used as an auxiliary tool to create condensed learning moments thus creating opportunities for both assessment and also to support childrenin giving their best performance. Through the Conceptual PlayWorld approach, the child is encouraged to explore their emerging psychological functions thus offering opportunity for new practices to emerge.