Dr. John G. Wermert
School of Accounting
Drake University
2507 University Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50311
Telephone: (515) 271-3899
Fax: (515) 271-4518
E-mail: john.wermert@drake.edu

Courses

Principles of Financial Accounting and Principles of Managerial Accounting

Abstract

The Scavenger Hunt
(Internet Exercise #2)
This technology application is quite simple. It is a scavenger hunt exercise in which I give students a set of questions that they are required to find the answers to on the Internet. While the exercise is quite simple, I believe it is effective in exposing students to the wealth of accounting information on the Internet. Generally, I require the students to answer five out of six questions so that if they are "stumped" by a particular question, they won't have to spend an inordinate amount of time on it. Once they find the answers, they are required to document the answers and provide the URL of the web site where they found the answer. Most questions can be answered by the students in one or two paragraphs. Students do not need specialized software or hardware to complete the assignment. A web browser, such as Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer, and a word processing program are all that is needed.

I specifically choose questions that will make good discussion items in a Principles of Accounting class. Some of the topics I have used include:

• a. the 150 hour requirement
• b. job qualifications for positions in accounting
• c. professional certifications
• d. mergers of CPA firms
• e. recent changes in tax law that are likely to affect college students
• f. activity based costing
• g. types of consulting projects performed by CPA firms

Learning

Some of the benefits of this approach to incorporating technology include:

• a. This is a fun exercise. Student learn about some important issues in the accounting profession while having fun doing it.
• b. Students obtain additional experience searching for relevant information using web browsers and search engines. Almost all students are familiar with search engines so very little background instruction is necessary.
• c. The case is easily modified from one semester to the next by changing the questions that the students are required to answer.
• d. No specialized hardware or software is required (other than a web browser and word processor).
• e. The exercise is performed outside of class, therefore, only a small amount of time is required (to discuss the answers).
• f. The exercise can be performed individually or in teams.
• g. This can be a great student recruitment vehicle (for departments) if questions related to the accounting profession are included. It gets students who have not decided upon a major to consider various aspects of a career in accounting.

Practice

The WWW will become an increasingly important source of information. As more accounting information is put on-line, students will need to be able to efficiently search this information to find answers to important questions. This exercise helps students to develop these skills.

Resources

There are many indexes of accounting sites on the WWW that serve as excellent starting points to find other sites which can be used for questions. Some of my favorite indexes include:

RAW (Rutgers Accounting Web): http://www.rutgers.edu/Accounting/raw.htm
Bob Jensen's Bookmarks: http://www.trinity.edu/rjensen/
Tax and Accounting Sites Directory: http://www.taxsites.com/