Feeding-Forward
Updated May 28, 2026
Feedback often stops at the point where learning should begin. Students receive a mark, skim the comments and move on. Quinton and Smallbone's model of feed-forward tackles that problem by asking students to process feedback while it is still fresh and connect it to future work.
The idea is simple: feedback becomes more useful when students are given structured time to reflect on it. Reflection helps them move from reaction to judgement to action. Without that structure, even detailed comments can remain unused.
What the study shows
The authors gave students reflection sheets alongside assignment feedback and asked them to complete the sheets during class time. The design matters because reflection was not left as optional homework. It was built into the teaching process.
The sheet asked three questions. First, "What do I feel about this feedback?" This gave students space to record the immediate emotional response. That matters because disappointment or relief can shape whether a student is ready to use comments constructively.
Second, "What do I think about this feedback?" This moved students towards analysis. They had to consider whether the feedback was fair, useful or unclear.
Third, "Based on this feedback, what actions could I take to improve my work for another assignment?" This turned reflection into planning. Students were not just asked to understand the previous mark. They were asked to decide what to do next.
The process also created a record. Because students kept a copy of their reflections, they could build a personal development plan across assignments. That matters in modular courses, where feedback can become fragmented. A student may receive comments from different staff in different modules without seeing the recurring pattern.
What universities can do with this
Feed-forward works best when it is timetabled. If students are expected to reflect outside class with no follow-up, many will not do it, especially when the next deadline is already approaching. Even ten minutes of structured reflection can change how feedback is received.
The feedback itself also needs to support future action. Comments that only justify the mark are weaker than comments that explain what the student should try next time. Staff do not need to write long essays. They need to make the next step visible.
Programme teams can use reflection sheets across modules so students build a record of recurring strengths and priorities. That can support personal tutoring, academic advising and employability conversations, because the evidence comes from the student's own work and reflections.
Student voice teams should ask whether students know how to act on feedback, not only whether it arrived on time. A fast comment that students cannot use is still poor feedback. The sharper evidence is whether students can describe what they will change in the next assignment.
Limits of the evidence
Structured reflection is not a substitute for high-quality feedback. It cannot fix vague comments, inconsistent criteria or assessment bunching. It does, however, give students a better chance of turning feedback into action when the comments themselves are worth using.
FAQ
Q: What is the difference between feedback and feed-forward?
A: Feedback explains the work that has been submitted. Feed-forward connects that explanation to what the student should do next.
Q: Why ask students how they feel about feedback?
A: Because emotion affects whether feedback is used. Giving students a brief space to name the reaction can help them move towards analysis and action.
Q: How can teams keep the process manageable?
A: Use a short, consistent reflection template and build it into class time. The value comes from regular use, not from a complicated form.
References
[1] Fairclough, N., Critical discourse analysis : the critical study of language. Language in social life series. 1995: Longman.
ISBN 13: 978-1-4058-5822-9
[2] Lea, M.R. and B.V. Street, Student writing in higher education: An academic literacies approach. Studies in higher education (Dorchester-on-Thames), 1998. 23(2): p. 157--172.
DOI: 10.1080/03075079812331380364
[3] Moon, J.A., Learning journals: a handbook for academics, students and professional development. 2006: Kogan Page.
DOI: 10.1108/et.2000.00442fad.001
[4] Smith, R.A. and S. Pilling, Allied health graduate program - supporting the transition from student to professional in an interdisciplinary program. Journal of interprofessional care, 2007. 21(3): p. 265--276.
DOI: 10.1080/13561820701259116
[5] Marton, F., Dai. Hounsell, and Noel James, The experience of learning. 2nd . ed. 1997: Scottish Academic Press.
Available at: University of Edinburgh
[6] Quinton, S. and T. Smallbone, Feeding forward: using feedback to promote student reflection and learning - a teaching model. Innovations in education and teaching international, 2010. 47(1): p. 125--135.
DOI: 10.1080/14703290903525911
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