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It is unclear whether the methodology was geared to test a specific hypothesis or to find a model that best fit the selected variables. The author's framing of the commentary suggests that it was meant to test the hypothesis that a number of pre-selected variables may influence a student's choice when considering studies in the biological sciences. However, as written, the analytical approach appears to use model selection, rather than test an a priori hypothesis. The author describes variables that appear to be sequentially added to the model before a best-fit model is selected. Instead of using the best-fit models, where 'black South African' is no longer a significant variable, the author makes inferences about each model. Further, the variable that makes the largest contribution to explaining variability in the Regression 2 is 'Agrees 'I support wildlife conservation but have no interest in having a career in it\". At this point, the variable 'black South African' is far from significant and no interaction effect is shown to support that these are linked to the dependent variable.

This paper presents how the learning-oriented assessment (LOA) conceptual framework has been used to characterise course-level assessment practices employed in selected undergraduate Biosciences courses at a South African university. Secondly, the assessment practices were related to students’ perceptions and experiences of assessment and feedback. The data were collected from course and assessment documents and drew on students’ experiences of assessment and feedback. The overall analysis from documents showed that the assessment environments in the courses were dominated by summative assessment tasks (little use of explicit formative assessment tasks) and that students predominantly experienced frequent practical tasks (laboratory reports), tests and examinations. It was evident from students’ responses that assessment was viewed primarily as measuring learning and that feedback was focused on awarding marks. Furthermore, students were less positive about the clarity or transparency of assessment and on the feedback they received. The learning-oriented assessment framework presented here could be a useful tool in identifying the ways in which university teachers assess learning, as well as making them aware of the effects of their practices.