This paper reports on an experiment at one university where the professor changed two lecture-based managerial accounting classes to cooperative learning classes based on the Team-Learning Model advanced by Michaelsen (1998). For the professor who would like to implement cooperative learning, we provide a description of our experience with the Team-Learning Model. In addition, we investigate academic performance and student perceptions regarding the cooperative learning format. Although we do not find academic performance or student attitudes to differ significantly between the two learning environments, we document additional insights on cooperative learning, which extend the literature regarding this pedagogical method in accounting education.
Following enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002 (U.S. House of Representatives 2002), public accounting firms and publicly traded companies are much more focused on internal controls. Accordingly, many accounting graduates will be asked to evaluate, document, and perhaps test the adequacy of an organization's internal control structure. The Committee of Sponsoring Organizations' (COSO 1992) Internal Control—Integrated Framework is the most widely used tool for this purpose. This instructional case, based on the movie, Rogue Trader, gives students the opportunity to see the consequences of lax corporate governance and weak internal controls at the Barings Bank. Students view the movie and then use the COSO framework to critically analyze the collapse of a well-established financial institution.
The ability to understand, document, and suggest improvements for a business process is an import ant skill for an accounting student for the following reasons: (1) efficient business processes give businesses a competitive advantage; (2) business process analysis provides auditors with an assess ment of business risk; and (3) successful enterprise resource planning implementation depends on understanding and improving existing business processes. It is suggested that students be introduced to process mapping and scripting in an accounting information systems (AIS) course to facilitate their understanding of business processes and help them visualize the interaction between functional areas. The specifics of process mapping are covered and advantages of incorporating process mapping into the AIS curriculum discussed. It is also proposed that scripting, which is used to facilitate con figuration, testing of ERP software and communication between the accountant and the programmer, be included in the AIS course. Finally, suggestions for classroom activities are included.
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