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Abstract Digital technologies offer innovative approaches to assessing interactional competence (IC) by simulating authentic communication scenarios; yet they require redefined constructs to address technology‐mediated interaction dynamics. This study develops and validates an IC rating scale for the computer‐based paired discussion tasks in College English Test‐Spoken English Test Band 4. Using a multiphase mixed‐methods design, the study derived scale categories from theoretical models and content analysis of speech samples ( N = 60). These categories were refined through expert workshops ( N = 4), followed by a Rasch calibration of descriptor difficulty based on rater responses ( N = 315). Finally, raters ( N = 7) conducted trial ratings of the speech samples, after which interviews were conducted to examine the scale's practical application and its effectiveness in assessing IC performance. The findings provide a contextually grounded conceptualization of IC and establish a methodological framework for developing IC scales in technology‐mediated interaction contexts.
Sa et al. (Mon,) studied this question.