Sharpen Your Teaching Skills Sessions

Presented on Friday and Saturday at the meeting, sessions in this track will feature presentations by educators from across the country sharing valuable teaching tips that you can put to use immediately in your classes.

October 19, 2018

10:45 am - 12:00 pm
Session 1.01: Analytics in the Accounting Curriculum - Data Analytics and Professional Competencies Undergraduate Course
Presenters: Mary M. McCarthy, Central Connecticut State University, Marie G. Kulesza, Central Connecticut State University, Michelle Kusaila, Central Connecticut State University
The accounting profession is changing at a rapid pace. To keep up our employers are looking for students who possess data analytics skills, critical thinking skills, business acumen, and relationship skills (PWC 2015). This session provides an introduction to developing a data analytics mindset and strengthening communication and presentation skills.

1:45 pm - 3:25 pm
Session 2.01: New Teaching Experiences
So You've Just Been Assigned to Teaching Accounting 101. Now what?
Presenter: Ellen D. Bartley, Farmingdale State College
Teaching the first accounting course presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Many doctoral programs do not provide an extensive opportunities for students to teach.This session is intended for those new (or relatively new)to teaching or new to teaching the introductory course. I will address general topics of concern to new instructors such as syllabi preparation, classroom management, and assessment. I will then contrast the differences between teaching an introductory course and an upper level course, and the difference between teaching accounting majors and non-accounting majors.
Resources and Teaching Strategies for New Faculty
Presenter: John S. DeJoy, Clarkson University, Karen Osterheld, Bentley University
Participants will learn teaching strategies and techniques that have stood the test of time. The goal is that each participant will select and be able to apply at least two teaching strategies from the several provided by the facilitators. Participants will understand the educational theory behind these effective teaching strategies.

3:55 pm - 5:35 pm
Session 3.01: Information Systems
Moving to the Cloud - Strategies of Bringing a Real-Life Case to Quickbooks Online 2.02
Presenter: Qiongyao Zhang, Robert Morris University
The first part of this session describes challenges and strategies to combine the best of the two worlds: a real-life accounting cycle activities using System Understanding Aid (SUA) and an entry-level cloud-based accounting system: Quickbooks Online (QBO). In an AIS course, SUA is widely used as a manual exercise on accounting operations for a wholesaler. On the other hand, software like QBO is an easy-to-use platform, but it needs a real-life setting to help students understand how accounting transactions are mapped to the accounting cycle. Challenges of combing these approaches include: (1) how does an instructor monitor students’ QBO process through a remote accountant account, (2) to set up a customized chart of accounts, (3) to start a company with balance forward data, (4) to record transactions in purchase/cash disbursement/sales/cash receipts/payroll cycles, (5) to use “audit trails” function to screen the potential errors in QBO, and (6) to efficiently analyze performance by QBO generating data. Examples and solutions to each challenge will be demonstrated.
Adding Hands on Learning in Accounting Information Systems Courses
Presenter: Mary Kay Copeland, Palm Beach Atlantic University

October 20, 2018

9:05 am - 10:45 am
Session 4.01: Techniques to Invigorate Learning in the Classroom
Using Dynamic Content to Reinforce the Proper Sequencing of a Series of Operations
Presenter: Keith G. Gauthier, American International College
Many of the accounting skills that students find challenging to master can be reduced to little more than trivial computations when the students already have a strong foundational understanding of the topic in question. Consider, for instance, the determination of depreciation expense under the double declining balance method. The calculation consists of nothing more than multiplying a fixed asset’s net book value at a given point in time by twice the straight-line rate. Before making the computation, however, the student must already possess several foundational competencies, including calculating the straight-line rate, understanding the importance of a fixed asset’s cost, recognizing that accumulated depreciation equals total depreciation expense since the asset was placed in service, and using cost and accumulated depreciation to determine net book value. In our presentation, we will demonstrate how we are using content from the Orchard Study Guides, a peer-reviewed, open-access resource, to lead students toward proficiency in challenging topic areas by structuring problems into a logical sequence of simple steps. The Orchard Guides are a dynamic and interactive on-line educational resource available at orchardguides.com. Merlot’s peer-review of the resource can be found by doing a site search for “orchardguides” at merlot.org.
Creating an Interactive Teaching and Learning Experience for Accounting Students
Presenter: Mary Ella Gainor, Bryant University
We will discuss techniques for creating an enhanced interactive classroom environment where students take responsibility for their learning and we will review a number of techniques individually and then pull them together to show the synergistic effect of using all of them within each lesson to create a participatory learning environment. A specific lesson will be demonstrated throughout the discussion. Specific techniques and tools that will be demonstrated and discussed are; the three plus one technique to learning accounting – helping students create an organized approach to learning, using video recording software (Camtasia) to create problem solving videos – giving students tools they can revisit – a video creation will be demonstrated, grade it and they will come – giving students incentive, the modified flip and group work – asking students to work together but ensure the learning objectives are delivered, student-graded participation – making students aware and accountable, getting what you expect – rising to the challenge and the power of cold calling – nudging students to participate.
So Many Topics, So Little Time - Tools and Resources for Updating and Reinvigorating Your Courses
Presenter: Patricia A. Johnson, State University of New York at Fredonia
Developing a new course? Teaching a course for the first time? Overwhelmed with multiple preps and keeping students engaged? This session will provide you with resources you can use to help build a new course or refresh a course you’ve been teaching for years, all in one place. The
push to incorporate data analytics, sustainability, activities to develop professional skepticism, and technology into our courses and teaching can be overwhelming at times but also provides a great opportunity to invigorate us as teachers andengage our students, showing them that accounting is
anything but dull and boring!

11:15 am - 12:30 pm
Session 5.01: Student Engagement
Research and Writing in the First Tax Course
Presenter: Lisa B. Church, Rhode Island College
Research and writing may be considered more advanced topics, but introducing them early in the first tax course can actually be a great way to have students engage in active learning. A sample tax memorandum is worked on in class with the students using a scaffolding approach.  Students draft each part of the memorandum and review in class before moving on to the next part of the memorandum.  Research is done together, with the instructor demonstrating how to find the appropriate sources.  The focus of the assignment is the style and tone of a professional tax memo.  Examples are reviewed in class together.  Students will share their work and some samples (both model examples and examples that could use improvement) are displayed on the overhead.  Students complete the assignment with a finished, professional tax memorandum.  The grade does not reflect a right or wrong answer, rather the grade reflects a professional, well-written, logical piece (thus even a wrong answer will receive full credit).  The suggested solution and several student submissions are then reviewed in full for students to see how someone else might write this memorandum.  Student comments on class evaluations have indicated that they feel confident if asked to write a tax memo in a professional setting after completing this assignment.
Micro Uniting for Student Engagement
Presenter: Jeannette Landin, Landmark College
The aim of college accounting educators is to teach students the skills they need to be successful in the 21st century workplace. The challenge is learner diversity in the classroom. Classrooms comprise learners with a wide variety of backgrounds and learning needs. To meet the needs of all students in college accounting classes, the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach is a key factor in promoting engagement, learning, and retention. One foundational element in the UDL approach is micro-uniting of lessons. This session will offer a practicum in micro-uniting an accounting fundamentals course with hands-on opportunities for attendees to apply micro-uniting techniques to their own courses.