Formative assessment feedback has been a hot topic for Arden students — and for good reason. Across student forums, rep meetings, and programme discussions, one message kept coming through loud and clear: assessment feedback matters, but the experience of getting it hasn’t always felt fair or consistent.

For many students, formative feedback is a vital part of learning. It helps you understand where you’re doing well, where you can improve, and how to grow before final submissions. But the reality hasn’t always matched the expectation.

But wait a minute…what is Formative Assessment?

Formative assessment is all about helping you learn and improve as you go, rather than just judging your final result. It can take many forms—like draft submissions, quizzes, or in-class activities—and is designed to give you useful feedback while there’s still time to act on it. Feedback is the key part: it highlights what you’re doing well and where you can develop, guiding your next steps so you can build confidence and achieve your best. Think of it as a supportive check-in on your progress, rather than a final verdict.

Different courses, different rules

Students told us about very mixed experiences depending on their course, lecturer, or tutor. Some received timely, detailed feedback that genuinely helped them progress. Others weren’t so lucky.

There were noticeable differences in:

• How formative assessments were submitted
• Where submissions took place
• Deadlines and turnaround times
• The format and depth of feedback
• The systems used across departments

In short, what formative feedback looked like often depended on who you were studying with, rather than a shared university-wide approach. And understandably, that left many students feeling confused, frustrated, and unsure of what to expect.

Students spoke — and we listened

Thanks to consistent student feedback and ongoing conversations between programme teams and student representatives, this issue was formally recognised as something that needed addressing.

Arden’s Assessment Team stepped in to take on the challenge: to bring greater clarity, consistency, and fairness to formative assessment feedback across the university. The result? The creation of a Formative Assessment Policy that both students and staff can rely on.

This policy sets out clearer expectations around formative assessment processes, helping to reduce uncertainty and ensure students know what support they should be receiving as part of their learning journey.

Consistency, with room for flexibility

While the policy provides a shared framework, it also recognises an important reality: not all courses assess in the same way. Because of this, there will still be some variation at departmental level, depending on the format and style of assessments within different subject areas.

What’s changed is that these differences now sit within a clearer, more transparent structure, rather than feeling ad‑hoc or inconsistent.

Your Students’ Association at the table

Importantly, students weren’t just talked about in these discussions — they were actively represented. Your Students’ Association was involved throughout the process, ensuring the student perspective stayed front and centre.

Victoria represented students in these conversations, bringing real student experiences into the room and advocating for a system that works better for everyone. This is a strong example of student voice leading to meaningful change.

Why this matters

Clearer formative feedback processes mean:

• Better understanding of expectations
• Fairer experiences across courses
• More confidence in how and when feedback is given
• Stronger support for your academic development

And perhaps most importantly, it shows that when students raise concerns together, change can and does happen.

If you’ve got thoughts about formative feedback — what’s working or what still needs improving — your Students’ Association is always here to listen, represent, and act.

Student voice doesn’t stop here. It shapes what comes next.

You can read the Formative Assessment Feedback Policy in full here: Formative Assessment Feedback Policy

Championing Feedback That Helps Students Grow: Reflections by Victoria

Championing feedback that helps students grow has been a central priority in my academic engagement and contribution to policy development. I have always believed that feedback should go beyond evaluating performance, it should actively support learning, build confidence, and guide meaningful improvement. This belief shaped my involvement in the development of the newly approved formative feedback policy.
 
The policy, now approved, represents an important shift towards enhancing student learning and academic engagement. Reflecting on my role in the Task and Finish group, I was particularly passionate about ensuring that the student voice remained central to the conversation. My focus was on advocating for feedback that is clear, timely, and personalised, moving away from generic comments that often leave students confused and uncertain about how to improve.

Importantly, these discussions also led to improvements in expectations around the timeliness of feedback. Too often, students are left waiting without clear timelines, which can lead to frustration, disengagement, and a loss of motivation. By advocating for more timely feedback, we emphasised the need for students to receive guidance when it is most useful, while their learning is still active and they can apply it effectively.

Looking back, one of the most significant wins from this process was the agreement on the significance of the quality of feedback that students receive. No matter which level you study at, you can expect to find areas of good practice and areas to improve being highlighted with realistic actions.  The idea is that from one assessment to another your previous feedback would feed forward to help you grow, ensuring that feedback is meaningful, constructive, and tailored to individual student needs. You can expect further guidance regarding your course to be shared with you by your programme team.
 
Reflecting on the potential impact, I believe this policy has the capacity to significantly improve the student experience. Feedback that is clearer, more timely, and personalised feedback can empower students to take ownership of their learning, build confidence, and make informed improvements in their work. It also encourages a more continuous and constructive dialogue between students and educators.
 
However, the success of this policy will depend not only on its implementation but also on how you engage with it. I would strongly encourage you to make the most of the opportunity of getting formative feedback that you receive by reflecting on it, applying it to future work, and seeking clarification where needed.

The policy will be rolled out from next semester, so keep an eye on updates from your programme as they will explain how it applies to your course specifically. It’s also really important that you share your thoughts and experiences as the new policy is introduced. Your feedback will help us understand how the new policy is working and how it affects students. You can do this by completing module evaluation surveys which will help student leaders (like me and other representatives) identify any issues in courses or modules, and see how many students are affected. This allows us to have informed discussions and push for meaningful improvements.
 
Being part of this workstream has been a valuable and a reflective experience for me. It has reinforced the importance of advocacy, collaboration, and keeping student growth at the centre of academic practices. I am encouraged by the progress made so far and hopeful that this policy will contribute to a more supportive and effective learning environment for all students.