Achieving AECC outcomes through the seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education

Although the Accounting Education Change Commission\u27s (AECC) Position Statement No. 1 provides numerous educational outcomes that accounting educators are to achieve, the accounting profession has not provided guidance on how to achieve those outcomes. The American Association of Higher Education developed seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education that provide guidance to accounting educators by focusing on student motivation and active learning. This article reviews experiential and cooperative learning methods and provides examples applying each method to accounting classes. Both methods provide a variety of classroom techniques that, in combination, fulfill the seven principles and achieve the AECC out-comes

Implementing Innovative Pedagogy in the First Course in Accounting and its Relationship to Student Attitudes Toward the Profession

Problem. The traditional accounting pedagogy that served the industrial era effectively is losing its relevance. Not only do accounting graduates lack the kind of skills called for in an information age but the profession is no longer successful in attracting sufficiently large numbers of quality students. During the 1980s, professional and academic accountants as well as employers of accounting graduates began to voice their complaints about an accounting education model that had not experienced significant change in about a half century. In 1989 the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC) was established to stimulate change and to act as a clearing house for innovative accounting pedagogy. The focus of the present study was the first course in accounting. Its purpose was to analyze (1) the impressions of students and faculty regarding the extent to which the course they experienced was congruent with AECC-based guidelines and (2) the relationship that those implemented AECC guidelines had on course retention and favorable student perceptions toward the accounting profession. Method. Student attitude was measured using Nelson\u27s Accounting Attitude Scale. In addition, an instrument specifically designed for this study was used to obtain teacher and student observations regarding classroom activities that coincide with AECC-based guidelines. A total of 1,009 students and 22 teachers from both innovative and traditional accounting programs took part in the survey. Results. Significant differences in responses regarding the presence of AECC innovation-based guidelines were found between innovative and traditional accounting programs for both students and teachers. Innovative accounting programs were more successful in getting senior faculty involved in teaching the introductory course and experienced lower student drop-out rates than did those in programs classified as traditional. Conclusions. Changes are finally taking place in the accounting classroom but not to the extent that they produce favorable student attitudes toward either the course or the accounting profession. Academic accountants and administrators must be careful as change occurs that the curriculum does not move from one driven by the CPA exam to one driven entirely by the changing needs of the Big Six accounting firms

Reaching for the Accounting Education Change Commission's recommendations through cooperative learning

The Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC) is a consortium of concerned accounting professionals and accounting educators that advocates the redesigning of accounting curriculums in higher education. Traditionally accounting programs have focused on the technical aspects of the profession. Although technical competence is necessary for the profession, the AECC urges accounting curricula to provide students with experiences that will foster decision-making skills, communication skills and interpersonal skills. This study was an attempt to respond to the recommendations of the Accounting Education Change Commission through cooperative learning pedagogy. Related research suggests that employing particular elements of cooperative learning can improve intellectual skills, communication skills, interpersonal skills, learning to learn, active learning, achievement, attitudes and student evaluations of teachers. The data from this study indicate that while imposing the AECC's recommendations through the use of cooperative learning pedagogy most students attained high levels of achievement on unstructured problems requiring high levels of cognitive applications. However, student achievement was not as high as expected on structured problems requiring lower levels of cognitive applications. In addition, students' reactions to cooperative learning and implementation of the AECC's recommendations were mixed. Team work was not perceived by many students to be important in introductory accounting. However, learning to learn and active participation in the learning process were deemed important to students in introductory accounting. Furthermore, students evaluated the professor's teaching effectiveness significantly lower than did previous students taking introductory accounting from the same professor using traditional lecture-recitation methods. Imposing the AECC recommendations through cooperative learning techniques in introductory accounting in higher education clearly calls for further research and longer-term exposure to the changes in classroom pedagogy

Participative Learning Experiences in the Professional Studies Classroom

Professional studies courses often focus on mastering a common body of knowledge but ignore student interaction and the development of critical thinking and communication skills. In a cost accounting course at Connecticut\u27s Sacred Heart University offered in fall 1993, various group and individual activities were implemented to incorporate these skills into the course. The requirements of the course included two quizzes, a computer project, class participation and activities, and a final examination. The approach to the course was based on pedagogical recommendations developed by the Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC) in 1989, which stressed the importance of solving unstructured problems requiring the use of a variety of information sources, learning by doing, incorporating technology into the learning process, group work, and teaching methods that build written and oral communication skills. Activities used in the course included extracurricular events with community accountants groups, research on current issues likely to affect the current working environment, and role playing presentations related to flexible budgeting. Numerous excerpts from the instructor\u27s journal describing the implementation of these activities are included

In defense of the old way of teaching elementary accounting

After a significant number of years away from teaching elementary accounting, I returned to this interesting phenomena. The devastating rebuke to the old way of teaching the basic courses by the Accounting Education Change Commission led me to rethink the old ways. This rebuke arrived with the 150 credit hour issue, a significant drop in the quantity of business majors, and a very noticeable decay in students\u27 ability to focus arising from the noise generated by MTV, VCRs, and Walkmen. After this rethinking, I not only have returned to my old ways of teaching by the building block approach, but I\u27ve become fascinated by the writings of some of the early American writers on teaching bookkeeping/accounting

Examining the skills debate in Scotland

This study examines the skills debate influenced by the accounting profession, higher education funding bodies and accounting academics, detailing the parameters for the skills debate and subsequent agenda

A Comparison of Information Systems Coverage in the CPA, CIA and CMA Examinations for the Period 1987-1991

In recent years, three major accounting professional organizations, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) and Internal Auditors Institute (IIA) have considered and issued statements on the body of knowledge deemed necessary for practice as a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. In each instance, knowledge and skills in information systems technology were included. This is not surprising, in view of the fact that changes in technology have dramatically altered the way in which accounting data is gathered, processed, stored, accessed and reported. Each of these professional organizations also requires or recommends the passing of an organization-sponsored certification examination for entry into or recognition within the various practice areas. While the examinations are not the only means of assessing the knowledge and skills necessary for certification, they are an important tool in evaluating the extent of the qualifications presented by a candidate. In view of the above, one may postulate that the certification examination, in each instance, would include coverage of the areas of knowledge included in the prerequisite body of knowledge. In particular, since each of the professional groups cite information systems (IS) knowledge as an important knowledge component, one would expect to observe test items addressing current IS in each exam

Is Reform in Accounting Education Needed in China and Russia: A Literature Review

The purpose of this study is to examine, through literature review, whether China and Russia are in need of accounting education reforms when they are not English-speaking, do not have developed accounting systems as major English-speaking countries do, have a different political orientation from the selected English-speaking countries and are at a transition stage from a state-planned economy to a market-driven economy. The paper is based entirely on literature review of global forces at play on accounting education reform, accounting education change in selected English-speaking countries and developments in accounting education in Russia and China. The review indicates that the two countries have a desperate need for accounting education change and that gradual changes are taking place in both countries, although China is at a more advanced stage of development because of its international trade. There are signs of both countries leaning towards the direction of the Accounting Education Change Commission’s (AECC) initiatives. China is focusing more on breadth of education than specialization and Russia is at a preliminary stage having to enhance its financial reporting system. The available literature on accounting education in Russia and China is limited, particularly in Russia as the Soviet’s old system did not offer accounting degrees. However, this does not present a problem in identifying an accounting education trend in these two countries from the available literature as explained in the final section of this paper “Limitations of This Study and Future Research”. With major English-speaking and non English-speaking countries leaning towards AECC in their accounting education reforms regardless of the political orientation of the country, one may conclude that AECC is the direction that developing countries having the same need for change should consider. The comparison made in this paper provides insights into an area that received little or no attention in the past

Effectiveness of delivery methods in the transfer of soft skills

[EN] Accounting education has in recent years increasingly emphasised the need for developing soft skills. To this end, various delivery methods have been advocated other than the conventional lecture format during the academic programme. This paper reports on a study of the perceptions of graduates on the effectiveness of delivery methods during the academic programme in transferring soft skills. A questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions was administered. Graduates reported that soft skills were most effectively developed when using case studies, followed by collaborative learning. Surprisingly, graduates also indicated lectures as an effective method in soft skills development, by ranking this method after collaborative learning. However, the method of computer-based activities, was reported as the least effective method in developing soft skills. This is a concern, given the prevalence and use of computers and technology in the accounting profession. Educators need to do more in inculcating soft skills, by using additional methods such as mentorship programmes and self-assessment.Keevy, M. (2020). Effectiveness of delivery methods in the transfer of soft skills. En 6th International Conference on Higher Education Advances (HEAd'20). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. (30-05-2020):113-122. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAd20.2020.10994OCS11312230-05-202