Assessment and Feedback in Higher Education: A Review of Literature for the Higher Education Academy

This literature review has been undertaken for the Higher Education Academy (HEA). It explores recent scholarly contributions in the area of assessment and feedback in higher education (HE). The report is structured as follows. The introduction provides some background and a context for the approach taken to developing this review and the ‘lens’ through which the review was undertaken. The review then comprises three broad sections: ‘The fundamentals’ – a section that explores the significant principles underpinning best practice in assessment. ‘Practice and innovations’ – an exploration of recent literature that demonstrates the kinds of assessment practice currently being undertaken in higher education and links this application to the concepts discussed in the previous section of the review. ‘Reflections and setting directions’ – this section summarises the gaps in current literature identified by the authors, particularly in relation to gaps previously identified in work of the HEA through the A Marked Improvement (HEA 2012) report. The report concludes with some suggestions for relevant stakeholders based on the findings of the review.