Conference and Teaching and Learning in Accounting (CTLA) Sessions

Using Technology to Increase Student Engagement in the Accounting Classroom
Markus Ahrens, St. Louis Community College-Meramec

The session will focus on how the use of technology can increase the engagement of students in online and face-to-face classroom settings.  Demonstrations of I-Pad applications, “cloud” projects and other technology will be presented during the session.  In addition, student assessment results of the engagement techniques will be provided during the session.

Perspectives of Auditing Practitioners on Teaching and Research
Moderator: Benjamin Hoffman, Kent State University
Panelists:
Lori Kalic, Assurance Services Partner, McGladrey LLP
Michael Pratt, Assurance Partner, PwC
Gino Scipione, Audit Partner, Grant Thornton
Danielle J. Kimmell, Assurance Services Partner, Bober Markey Fedorovich

This panel brings together experienced auditing practitioners from various sizes of public accounting firms to discuss their perspectives on the needs of their profession presently and in the future.  These practitioners will address several topics such as: desirable characteristics of newly hired auditors, desired priorities of auditing academics in the classroom, the usefulness of accounting research to the profession, desirable research topics accounting academics should address in the future, etc. 

Help Shape the Future: Share what you wish you had known when you first started teaching
Karen Braun, Case Western Reserve University & R. Drew Sellers, Kent State University

The purpose of this session is to identify best (and worst) teaching practices that can be shared with doctoral students, junior faculty, new PQ faculty and others across the country such that novice teachers would benefit from the collective wisdom of experienced accounting educators.  Participants will brainstorm, in small groups, about their own experiences to generate a list of best (and worst) practices in several categories such as 1) teaching strategies, 2) assessment, 3) classroom management, 4) student motivation and engagement, etc., The solicited tips will become part of a special track for PhD students at the 2015 CTLA and also part of a proposed accounting educator training program that would be available to all doctoral students and junior faculty, nationwide, in the form of online teaching modules and/or in-person workshops, perhaps through the Pathways Commission’s proposed National Center for Accounting Education Excellence.

Crash Course on Flipping the Classroom: Everything You Need to Know
Markus Ahrens, St. Louis Community College-Meramec & Tracie Miller-Nobles, Austin Community College

This session will discuss some basic “flipped” techniques that can be integrated into your teaching style.  In addition, session attendees will be provided with student exercise examples and technology tips that can aid in implementing “flipped classroom” models. 

Professor, What’s on the Exam?? Creating Independent Thinkers through Self-Directed Learning 
Tracie Miller-Nobles, Austin Community College

Do you wish that your students took more initiative in your class? Do you struggle with students expecting you to give them the answers to the homework, assignments, or the exam? Do you wish your students would be more independent thinkers and not solely dependent on you, the instructor? If so, this is the perfect session for you! In this session, we will introduce the concept of self-directed learning as a way to empower students to take control of their own learning. We will discuss the different stages of students and how certain instructional strategies will work best for each type of student. Participants will be presented with concrete examples and models that can be used in the accounting classroom to encourage students to be more engaged and aware in their own learning.