This case study details the development of a systematic, programme-focused assessment and feedback strategy by the Humanities Programme Team, in Dublin City University’s Open Education Unit. Such a strategy is represented by a design that explicitly provides students with appropriate opportunities to attain all programme learning outcomes, as well as module learning outcomes, as they advance through their studies. An essential aspect of this endeavour was to ensure the appropriate usage and variety of assessment types, and integral to this is the need to ensure that appropriate feedback is being provided to students for each of these assessment types. As such appropriate feedback mechanisms are vital in order to achieve a successful assessment that makes a real impact on learners. This is especially important in students first year of study when positive experiences with assessment feedback can contribute to retaining students.