Preserving transferable skills in the accounting curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a first-hand, critical reflection on the rapid redesign of a New Zealand university accounting course in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors reflect on their experience of redesigning a course for online delivery, while preserving its focus on transferable skills.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents the authors’ commentary on and self-evaluation of the teaching of a final year accounting paper during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

The authors provide lessons for developing transferable skills when pivoting to digital learning under extreme conditions. The authors found a multi-modal approach to course delivery that helped facilitate the development of transferable skills and self-reflection journals were particularly useful for motivating students in an online teaching environment. The authors also identified the efficacy of designing and evaluating online course delivery using a “transferable skills first” template to identify gaps in learning activities and assessments.

Originality/value

The pressures of rapidly pivoting to digital learning threatened the authors’ ability to maintain a focus on transferable skills. The authors provide a design method for maintaining and developing transferable skills in a digital environment using a “transferable-skills first” teaching philosophy.

Citation

Ng, F. and Harrison, J. (2021), "Preserving transferable skills in the accounting curriculum during the COVID-19 pandemic", Accounting Research Journal, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 290-303. https://doi.org/10.1108/ARJ-09-2020-0297