The concept of feed-forward can clearly operate within, so that students apply what they learn in early formative and summative assessments so their later assessments and ultimately the examination (if any). This means that feedback must be timely, so that students have sufficient time to reflect on what they have been told, where they have gaps in their knowledge or skill sets, and what their strengths are. They can then use this information in making decisions about how to approach their next assessment.

Perhaps more importantly for curriculum design, feed-forward is also a powerful tool across a degree programme if used correctly. By acting on feed-forward, students should progress towards the achievement of the overall learning outcomes of the programme, including those relating to employability. It can also help students to make conceptual links between modules for a deeper learning experience.

When mapping assessments across the curriculum, you should therefore identify how and where the feedback from one module can usefully feed-forward to help students achieve the learning outcomes of later modules (or even to help them decide which modules to take). Depending on the programme of study, feed-forward might inform a large number of modules. For example, feed-forward on essay technique is likely to be useful for many modules, whereas feed-forward on a student's understanding of a particular topic might have less impact outside that module.

Students are far more likely to engage with the feedback they are given if they can see that acting on it should improve their makrs in the next assessment or in another module. This mapping of the assessment of learning outcomes, and thus of where feedback can act as feed-forward, should be shared with students.

Feedback on one assessment will obviously feed-forward more effectively in relation to a similar type of assessment than on a totally different type of assessment. The curriculum must therefore contain a number of assessments that are sufficiently similar to allow good students to demonstrate that they have reflected on their feedback and improved their performance as a result.

This might seem to be at odds with the view that assessments should be diverse and inclusive to allow all students an opportunity to demonstrate the extent to which they have met the learning outcomes of the programme. However, provided that you have drafted your learning outcomes in a sufficiently diverse and inclusive manner, and that your assessment criteria are aligned to these outcomes, it should be possible to provide feed-forward which will allow for slightly different ways of assessing these outcomes. For example, 'try to ensure that you give your own opinion of the authorities on this point when engaging in critical analysis' would act as feed-forward for either an essay or a presentation.

Of course, students are expected to become more competent and to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the subject matter as they progress through their degree programme. Feed-forward must therefore work in tandem with other ways of engaging the student in the assessment process so that students understand what more they need to do to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes for each year of their programme.