1. indispensable conditions for improvement (Sadler 1989)
(knows the standard or goal)
(recognises the ‘gap’ between their work and the standard)
(can take action to fill the ‘gap’)
the student comes to hold a concept of quality roughly similar to that held by the teacher,
is able to monitor continuously the quality of what is being produced during the act of production itself..
And has a repertoire of alternative moves or strategies from which to draw
Giving and receiving feedback occurs within complex contexts  {{346}} but should include aspects of each of these key elements however it is ultimately the quality of the communication dialogue between students and tutors which will determine the effectiveness of the feedback
Sadler’s model leads to an emphasis on developing self-regulation in students {{61}} such that they have the ability to judge their own performance and make changes appropriately. Consequently, recent research is paying particular emphasis to the notion of feedforward {{387}} where feedback helps students to understand and reduce the gap and exploratory studies have examined the extent to which different types of tutor feedback better enable students to do this {{381}}. This paper is examining one such approach.
This model helps to explain why some able and motivated students fail in HE

2. Tutor friendly formative feedback
Tutor posts good examples of completed tasks on Blackboard
Students peer assess tasks using assessment criteria
Tutors give feedback on posters, presentations in class
Tasks are done on-line (MCQs), auto marked giving immediate feedback
Tutors put main effort into marking drafts (agreed with examiner), just checking for change and putting mark on final piece

3. Exercise Take one assessment opportunity in a programme that you know.
Draw the Guidance and Feedback Loop on a sheet of flip paper
use post-its to identify ways the tutor can help the students understand the assessment and use their feedback for future assignments
Think about how the tutor can help them understand the standards, rules, procedures, expected of them.

4. The guidance and feedback loop: main steps
Source: Hounsell et al (2007)

5. The guidance and feedback loop: main steps
Pacing the introduction of new assessment methods
Choosing collaborative and enquiry-based assignments
‘Unpacking’ tasks through questioning
Working with exemplars to ‘surface’ assessment criteria
One-to-one dialogue with individual weak students to discuss feedback
Peer reviewing draft assignments
Practice assignments (for example, mock examination, practice presentations)
On-line self tests,
Discussing feedback with tutors/ peers
Comparing tutor feedback with self assessment and identifying ‘gaps’
Discussing strategies to fill the gaps.