At the University of Nottingham peer-assessment was piloted with the objective of assisting students to gain greater understanding of marking criteria so that students may improve their comprehension of, and solutions to, future mathematical tasks. The study resulted in improvement in all four factors of observation, emulation, self-control and self-regulation thus providing evidence of a positive impact on student learning.The pilot involved a large first-year mathematics class who completed a formative piece of coursework prior to a problem class. At the problem class students were trained in the use of marking criteria before anonymously marking peer work. The pilot was evaluated using questionnaires (97 responses) at the beginning and end of the problem class. The questionnaires elicited students’ understanding of criteria before and after the task and students’ self-efficacy in relation to assessment self-control and self-regulation.The analysis of students’ descriptions of the criteria of assessment show that their understanding of the requirements for the task were expanded. After the class, explanation of the method and notation (consistent and correct) were much more present in students’ descriptions. Furthermore, 67 per cent of students stated they had specific ideas on how to improve their solutions to problems in the future. Students’ self-perceived abilities to self-assess and improve were positively impacted. The pilot gives strong evidence for the use of peer-assessment to develop students’ competencies as assessors, both in terms of their understanding of marking criteria and more broadly their ability to self-assess and regulate their learning.

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A belief in teleology is often suggested to be a barrier in children's science education. Many studies have catalogued children's use of teleological explanations, but fewer have developed approaches to tackle children's use in scientific contexts. This paper reports two studies that utilised dialogic interventions alongside Concept Cartoons to do just that. Study 1 (5-to 7-yearolds, n = 54) addressed teleological explanations for natural phenomena (e.g., snow or rainbows) and Study 2, (9-to 10-year-olds, n = 24) explored organisms' traits (e.g., giraffes' necks or zebras' stripes). Both studies found that after only short discussions about styles of explanation in science, children's acceptance of teleological explanations was significantly reduced and they were more likely to endorse appropriate scientific explanations. These results suggest that teleology need not be a major barrier to teaching and learning about causality as it can quickly and effectively be addressed.

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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review two key academic‐commercial partnerships that BBC Training & Development has with two major universities. The learners are undergraduate students seeking training and ultimately a career in broadcasting. The review seeks to examine from the author's perspective the relative strengths each party brings to the partnership and to show how the learner benefits by bringing these together.Design/methodology/approachThe article represents a viewpoint from the author's perspective as a broadcaster and educator. He analyses the relationship, asks what a university should bring to the partnership and draws on interviews with key people involved in the partnership.FindingsPartnerships between the academic and commercial/industrial worlds do bring value to their clients in that they immerse students in the intensive reality of what they are learning, while giving them a context within which to understand theory and thereby develop a critical mindset.Originality/valueThis paper argues that such a partnership will enrich a learner's experience and produce a professional who is both practically grounded and intellectually critical.