---
title: The Big Evidence Debate – Catch Up
description: CEM is proud to have hosted the first Big Evidence Debate, where leading experts in the field debated on the value of meta-analysis in education. The panel reflected on the evolution of evidence-informed practice over time, and it's role in future policy-making.
---

[Cambridge Insight Blog ](https://www.cem.org/blog)

# [The Big Evidence Debate – Catch Up](https://www.cem.org/blog/the-big-evidence-debate-catch-up)

 Written by [Cambridge CEM](https://www.cem.org/blog/author/cambridge-cem) | Jun 27, 2019 12:44:00 PM

On Tuesday 4th June 2019 we held the first ever Big Evidence Debate. Leading educational experts Dylan Wiliam and Larry Hedges gave fascinating keynote presentations, and thought leaders and educational practitioners joined them to debate the contribution that meta-analysis and randomised control trials make to understanding what works in education.

The discussions sought to address some of the important challenges and explore what the profession has learned from the use of this evidence.

Contributors debated how evidence is gathered and used, reflecting on how ideas about the use of evidence have evolved over time, and discussed what this all means for the future of quality evidence-informed practice in the education community.

## Watch the presentations and panel discussions

### Youtube links

[Youtube - DYLAN WILIAM - Why meta-analysis is really hard to do well in education (With CC)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5h0Uq5eD-8)  
[Youtube - LARRY HEDGES - Meta-analysis and Evidence Based Policy (With CC)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOiAzdXM58c)  
[Youtube - Panel - Is meta-analysis the best we can do? (With CC) ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO9EkQP5qEM)  
[Youtube - Panel - Where is the value in meta-analysis in education? (CC in progress)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAPJsnp1xZs)  
[Youtube - Panel - ‘Don’t do meta-analysis’, or ‘Do it more carefully’? (CC in progress)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnykFsTQvns)  
[Youtube - Plenary (CC in progress)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lctWI1aqL18)

### Videos

 

 

 

 

 

## Presentation Slides

[View Dylan Wiliam’s presentation slides here](https://www.dylanwiliam.org/Dylan_Wiliams_website/Presentations_files/2019-06-04%20The%20Big%20Evidence%20Debate%20%28Durham%29.pptx)

## Read the whole blog series from the panellists

[Where is the value in meta-analysis?](https://www.cem.org/blog/where-is-the-value-in-meta-analysis) By Dr Niki Kaiser  
[Systematic reviews and meta-analyses – what’s all the fuss?](https://www.cem.org/blog/systematic-reviews-and-meta-analyses-whats-all-the-fuss) By Megan Dixon  
[Meta-analyses and the making of an evidence-informed profession](https://www.cem.org/blog/meta-analyses-and-the-making-of-an-evidence-informed-profession) By Phil Stock  
[The Big Evidence Debate: Introducing the 50% rule](https://www.cem.org/blog/introducing-the-50-rule) By Lee Elliot-Major  
[Is meta-analysis the best we can do?](https://www.cem.org/blog/is-meta-analysis-the-best-we-can-do) By Professor Steve Higgins  
[Meta-analysis: Don’t do it or Do it more carefully?](https://www.cem.org/blog/meta-analysis-dont-do-it-or-do-it-more-carefully) By Philippa Cordingley  
[Is meta-analysis all just ‘an exercise in mega-silliness’?](https://www.cem.org/blog/is-meta-analysis-all-just-an-exercise-in-mega-silliness) By Stuart Kime  
[The Big Evidence Debate](https://www.cem.org/blog/the-big-evidence-debate) By Rob Coe

 

[View full post](https://www.cem.org/blog/the-big-evidence-debate-catch-up)

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