Perceived pervasive skills acquired through educational games in an accounting undergraduate degree
- Authors: Malan, Marelize , Van Dyk, Vanessa
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Pervasive skills , Student perceptions , Game-based learning
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/489357 , uj:44616 , Citation: Malan, M. & Van Dyk, V., 2021, ‘Perceived pervasive skills acquired through educational games in an accounting undergraduate degree’, Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences 14(1), a555. https://doi.org/ 10.4102/jef.v14i1.555
- Description: Abstract: Orientation: Learning should be active, experiential and fun. Research purpose: This study investigated the perceptions of students regarding the development of pervasive skills within an undergraduate accounting syllabus. Motivation for the study: Game-based learning is an effective way to increase students’ knowledge, evoke intense involvement in a collaborative setting and promote effective learning, which could result in the development of pervasive skills. Research approach/design and method: The perceptions of second-year students were gathered through a questionnaire with closed- and open-ended questions. The questionnaire sought to compare the two games that are played by the same set of students, one in their first year of study in a commerce module and another in their second year of study in an accounting module. Main findings: It was found that students enjoyed both games, particularly their collaborative nature and how they could learn from fellow students. The students perceived that the Monopoly board game primarily developed strategic thinking, critical thinking and professionalism whilst the 60 Seconds game developed teamwork, time management and communication (listening). The two games were, therefore, seen as effective learning aids since skills development occurred both within a formal, mark-bearing game and in an informal game with no bearing on the students’ marks. Practical/managerial implications: Learning through games can be interactive, practical and enjoyable and should be used as a tool to develop students’ pervasive skills. Contribution/value-add: This study also showed that it is not always necessary to spend much resource on a learning supplement. Both games proved to be effective learning tool in the development of pervasive skills.
- Full Text:
Students’ experience of pervasive skills acquired through sponsored projects in an undergraduate accounting degree
- Authors: Malan, Marelize , Van Dyk, Vanessa
- Date: 2021
- Subjects: Pervasive skills , Student perceptions , Sponsored projects
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/481330 , uj:43610 , Citation: Malan, M. & Van Dyk, V. 2021. Students’ experience of pervasive skills acquired through sponsored projects in an undergraduate accounting degree.
- Description: Abstract: An accounting graduate should not only possess technical knowledge, but also core competencies and pervasive skills necessary to meet the needs of employers and society as a whole. This study is centred on the undergraduate accounting programme of a South African university where several sponsored projects are offered to develop these skills. Purposive sampling was used to gain insights into the perceptions of students on whether these skills were developed throughout their degree. It was found that the students perceived a wide range of pervasive skills to be developed through their participation in the sponsored projects. These findings are consistent with literature, which emphasises the importance of such skills in the students’ future careers. Most notably, students gained a better understanding of the role of an accountant through their participation in the sponsored projects as well as finding them effective learning experiences. The challenges reported by students were the social aspect and the ability to work successfully in a team.
- Full Text:
Engaging students in a fully online accounting degree : an action research study
- Authors: Malan, Marelize
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Student engagement , Online learning , Action research
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/438694 , uj:38139 , Citation: Malan, M. 2020. Engaging students in a fully online accounting degree : an action research study.
- Description: Abstract: Student engagement is crucial for learning, especially in online learning. For a student to be a successful online learner, they need to engage socially and collaboratively through their behaviours, emotions and cognition. This paper discusses an accounting module of a fully online degree where engagement was purposely integrated using an engagement framework. An action research design was followed to determine the degree of engagement within the module and to improve on it. The findings indicated that incorporating five forms of engagement into the module was positively received by students and resulted in more students successfully completing the module. Student reflections showed that the module was cognitively engaging, that personal preference will guide social engagement and that working collaboratively will always be a challenge. Where, due to COVID-19, entire programmes need to convert to online learning, the findings of this study, could be implemented to ensure the continued engagement of students.
- Full Text:
Student engagement in a fully online accounting module : an action research study
- Authors: Malan, Marelize
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Accounting education , Action research , Online learning
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/455166 , uj:40276 , Citation: Malan, M. 2020. Student engagement in a fully online accounting module : an action research study.
- Description: Abstract: Student engagement is crucial for learning, and especially so in online learning. For a student to be a successful online learner, they need to engage with the online content, with their peers and with the educator. This paper presents an accounting module of a fully online degree where engagement was purposefully integrated using an online engagement framework. Within this framework, the educator regularly interacted with the students to ensure that they were engaging with the online material and a group task was assigned where students had to collaboratively construct knowledge and display it in a video. An action research design was followed to determine the degree of engagement within the module and to improve on it for future modules. Results indicate that regular interaction did result in more students being active and ultimately successfully completing the module. Student reflections on the group task indicated that there are definite benefits in creating knowledge collaboratively although the format in which it should be presented needs to be reconsidered.
- Full Text:
Accounting students’ experiences of peer assessment : a tool to develop lifelong learning
- Authors: Malan, Marelize , Stegmann, Nerine
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Peer assessment , Lifelong learning , Self-directedness
- Language: English
- Type: Article
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/283019 , uj:30509 , Citation: Malan, M. & Stegmann, N. 2018. Accounting students’ experiences of peer assessment: a tool to develop lifelong learning.
- Description: Abstract: The accounting profession highlights lifelong learning as a vital fundamental competency. Peer assessment, self-assessment and self-directedness contribute to the development of lifelong learning skills. These interrelated skills should be fostered through higher education programmes, requiring intentional interventions. Peer assessment is regarded as an underutilised intervention in the undergraduate accounting programme of a South African university. In order to assess the experience of students of a peer assessment intervention they were required to mark the assignment of a peer, provide feedback to the peer after which the latter was allowed to improve the assignment based on the peer’s recommendations – a ‘review – revise – resubmit’ approach. The research is based on a mixed methods design called concurrent triangulation...
- Full Text:
Exploring the perceptions of academic trainees on IFRS learning through a new teaching and learning strategy
- Authors: Malan, Marelize
- Date: 2013-07-24
- Subjects: International Financial Reporting Standards , Accounting - Study and teaching , University of Johannesburg. Dept. of Accountancy , Accounting - Standards , Financial statements - Standards
- Type: Thesis
- Identifier: uj:7668 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/8536
- Description: M.Comm. (Accounting) , In January 2010, the Department of Accountancy at the University of Johannesburg changed their teaching and learning strategy. This new strategy moved away from a teacher-centered classroom experience to a student-centered approach. Several interventions were employed to accomplish this. Examples include: pre-reading in preparation of the next lecture, self-assessment tests of the main objectives of the topic under discussion, tutorials, assignments and consultation with peers and/or lecturers. Accounting education at the Department is based on International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). IFRS is seen as principle-based standards. Many educators of accounting will have to adapt their teaching strategies and approaches when they deal with principle-based standards. They need to move away from teaching the rules to facilitating the understanding of principles, so that it can be applied to various scenarios. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of academic trainees on a new teaching and learning strategy in the Department. This is done through a review of pedagogical approaches and strategies as suggested in the literature and then by gaining insight from academic trainees, through in-depth interviews, of the detailed working of the new teaching and learning strategy and the impact that the new teaching and learning strategy had on their learning of IFRS. The study found that the academic trainees perceived the new teaching and learning strategy to be successful and a good model to follow. It provides students with opportunities to learn in different ways, it encourages deep learning patterns and it places the responsibility for learning with the students so that they will become life-long learners. The teaching and learning strategy is not infallible and can be improved by providing more areas where students can debate multiple solutions, by incorporating more group work to enhance interpersonal skills and by explaining the workings and the purpose of the teaching and learning strategy more effectively.
- Full Text: