TEACHING FIRST LEVEL TERTIARY ACCOUNTING USING A GRAPHICAL METHOD TO IMPROVE STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDING AND ENGAGEMENT

Introductory accounting is a first level accounting subject in an undergraduate accounting degree. The subject provides students with fundamental knowledge of, and skills in applying, accounting concepts and principles, and prepares students for higher level accounting subjects. Research shows many students struggle to understand these accounting fundamentals, and indicates that contemporary teaching methods, utilising visualisation and graphical representation, could benefit student learning. An innovative method of teaching accounting using graphics proposed by Darlow (2016), yet to be validated, has potential to enhance the understanding of complex accounting principles. The current study uses a quasi-experimental method to compare students taught using a traditional approach to those taught using Darlow’s method. The sample consists of undergraduate students enrolled in the introductory accounting subject in two consecutive trimesters; a control group of students taught in Trimester 2 and a quasi-experimental group taught in Trimester 3. Tests of understanding were compared to ascertain differences and a satisfaction survey was deployed. Findings provide implications for teaching both introductory and higher-level accounting subjects, and for designing learning and assessment materials

Digital natives, virtual worlds, mobile technologies and games

Digital Natives at School Aims: Do children who are immersed in Technology show different learning behaviours compared to those not immersed Do children immersed in Technology show differences in attention and reasoning skills compared to those not immerse

Computer science unplugged: school students doing real computing without computers

The Computer Science Unplugged project provides ways to expose students to ideas from Computer Science without having to use computers. This has a number of applications, including outreach, school curriculum support, and clubs.The “Unplugged” project, based at Canterbury University, uses activities, games, magic tricks and competitions to show children the kind of thinking that is expected of a computer scientist. All of the activities are available free of charge at csunplugged.org. The project has recently enjoyed widespread adoption internationally, and substantial industry support. It is recommended in the ACM K-12 curriculum, and has been translated into 12 languages. As well as simply providing teaching resources, there is a very active program developing and evaluating new formats and activities. This includes adaptations of the kinaesthetic activities in virtual worlds; integration with other outreach tools such as the Alice language, adaptation for use by students in large classrooms, and videos to help teachers and presenters understand how to use the material.This paper will explore why this approach has become popular, and describe developments and adaptations that are being used for outreach and teaching around New Zealand, as well as internationally

Welcome (Professional Development for Mentor Teaching Program)

In this video, Associate Professor Mick Grimley, Academic Director of Teacher Education, welcomes teacher mentors to a 6 week professional development program

Developing online education in partnership

Online education is growing rapidly due to faster Internet connections, a higher uptake of broadband Internet and greater IT literacy. However, effective online education can only be achieved through a considered approach that connects learners through collaboration, interaction, participation, personalisation and productivity. Swinburne Online is a recent player in the field of online education and is borne through a partnership between Swinburne University of Technology and SEEK Limited. Swinburne Online provides a model of online education that adheres to state of the art research. It uses Gilly Salmon's five stage model of online learning combined with a supportive environment for learners. The venture to date has seen a rapid development of online courses but has not been without challenges

Computer science without computers: new outreach methods from old tricks

A disturbing gap is emerging as the demand for qualified computer scientists increases, yet enrolments in CS courses have dropped dramatically since 2000. One of the reasons often given for this is the mismatch between whatschool students understand the subject to be, and what it really is. A major project based at Canterbury University is underway for school outreach to communicate to primary-school aged children what sort of ideas computerscientists work with. To avoid confusing the message with the medium, the programme does not use computers at all, but instead uses activities, games, magic tricks and competitions to show children the kind of thinking that isexpected of a computer scientist.The project, dubbed “CS Unplugged”, has recently enjoyed widespread adoption internationally, and substantial industry support. It is recommended in the ACM K-12 curriculum, it has influenced the official Korean school curriculum, and has been translated into Korean and Japanese with approximately 10 moretranslations in progress. The Unplugged outreach materials are freely available on the web, and new formats and activities are under development. This includes adaptations of the kinaesthetic activities for special needs children (including mobility and vision impairment); integration with other outreach tools such as the Alice language, and videos to help teachers understand how touse the material. This paper will explore why the programme is generating so much interest, and describe developments and adaptations that are being used for outreach around New Zealand as well as internationally

Towards a pre-teen typology of digital media

Whilst prior research has identified children as avid users of new technologies, insufficient studies have explored their patterns of use. This paper investigates how New Zealand pre-teens use technology out of school and identifies a typology of technology use. Two hundred and twenty four children between 10 and 12 years of age completed a comprehensive questionnaire about their use of technology. Results indicated that children of this age were immersed in technology related activities. A principal components factor analysis revealed a typology with five distinct factors underlying pre-teen digital behaviour. Two factors showed some differentiation by gender but differences were not evident for socio-economic factors

Week 6: Resilience (Autism MOOC)

This video is about the philosophical and practical components of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), from the lifelong transitions to day to day practicalities

Welcome (Autism MOOC)

Mick Grimley and Emma Donaldson welcome participants to the Autism MOOC, define its purpose and its operational aspects