Presenter:
Robert E. Holtfreter, Central Washington University
Description:
Over the past decade accounting academicians have been under pressure to restructure their classrooms with the use of new innovative delivery systems that can be used to improve student performance and develop leadership, interpersonal, problem-solving, and strategic-planning skills necessary for successfully working on teams. (AECC, 1990,1992; AICPA, 2002; Albrecht and Sack, 2000). The field of cooperative learning provides some guidance in meeting these challenges.
A number of meta-analyses of cooperative learning studies have emerged over the years and all of them have concluded that student performance is significantly better in cooperative rather than traditional learning classrooms. In cooperative learning classrooms students are very active in the learning process, whereas in the traditional classroom setting, students are very inactive and learn primarily through the lecture method.
Very little research has emerged in the accounting literature measuring the effect on student performance and various process skills when comparing the use of cooperative and traditional learning models in the classroom. The author has developed and class-tested a cooperative learning model called "homework check" and has published numerous articles, all of which demonstrate that student achievement is significantly better when compared to the use of traditional learning model.
The author will share the results of his research and the participants will learn to effectively use the model in their classrooms.
