8 takeaways after a day with Dylan Wiliam…

UNPACKING FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT 

1
How memory works- storage strength and retrieval strength are increased by restudying an item and / or retrieving it from memory. “Retrieval has a greater impact than re-study.” To avoid students’ perception being that they are overwhelmed by tests, ensure the framing of this is focused on retrieval practice and learning. Time must be built into the curriculum planning for retrieval and the flexibility needed to respond to feedback gained from students. 
2
Decision-driven data collection, rather than data-driven decision-making. E.g. Rather than a formula that suggests all students with a certain score receive a particular intervention / action, instead decisions are made about interventions and data supports / questions that decision.

3
The Three Key Shifts : 

• A shift in how we think about learning - from a focus on performance to learning 
• A shift in how we think about aptitude - from the proportion and complexity of taught material retained to the time taken to learn that material
• A shift in how we think about teaching - from a linear process to a contingent process

4
Turning feedback into “Detective Work” - Instead of “Ensure you use BIDMAS throughout your calculations.” It becomes, “In two of your calculations, you haven’t used BIDMAS. Can you find them and fix them?” (Be sure to keep the feedback dialogue going to ensure students correct the right work in the right way.) Fig.2
5
Comment-only Marking - no grades / scores. Deliver any grades separately from the feedback- not at the same time. 
6
Explicit reference to success criteria - does not mean continuous reference to the MYP criteria! For that experiment / essay / artwork / performance / calculation - what does success look like? How will students know that they have been successful (without grades or MYP criteria)? 
7
Make the purpose of feedback clear to students - “I’m giving you this feedback because I have high aspirations for you and I want you to do well”
8
Challenge, and then support - make the task challenging, and then reframe / adapt the level of support where needed. E.g… 

• Instead of “Here is how to work out the area of a trapezium, now do 20 to show you understand” (students that understand complete quickly and need more work or another task, students that don’t understand complete fewer more slowly). 
• It becomes, “Here’s one way to work out the area of a trapezium, how many more ways can you find to work it out?” (students that understand work through the challenge of thinking of different ways, rather than repeating the same skill, students that don’t understand have the opportunity to spend time practising the method with the teacher / peers until they’re confident.) 

Final mini-takeaway… “Feedback should cause thinking and provide guidance on how to improve.” Providing Feedback that Moves Learners Forward  Fig 1- the consistent action by teachers in studies / research that leads to students reaching their learning goals. 

Fig 1 Dylan Wiliam, Make Feedback into Detective Work - Tips for Teachers. 6 min Video. 
Fig 2 Dylan Wiliam, Dylan William Unpacks Formative Assessment- 3 min Video.