Improving the Quality of Learning in Accounting through Advice and Learning Experiences from Former Students
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Advances in Accounting Education: Teaching and Curriculum Innovations
ISBN: 978-1-78560-767-7, eISBN: 978-1-78560-766-0
Publication date: 11 January 2016
Abstract
Purpose
The primary purpose of this study is to introduce a method of using former students’ advice and learning experiences to affect subsequent students’ thoughts and beliefs about accounting learning in a positive way thereby improving their academic performance.
Methodology/approach
At the end of Fall 2009, the instructor invited the students to give suggestions to future accounting students about their learning experiences. On the first days of the following three semesters, I showed the feedback to the subsequent students. I recommended that the students read the suggestions after class and throughout the semester when necessary. I also conduct the survey to collect the students’ perceptions on the usefulness of former students’ advice. Analyses are conducted to assess the impact of the students’ advice on class attendance, exam performance, and the dropout rate for the course.
Findings
The results show that former students’ advice and learning experiences can help subsequent students improve class attendance, course performance, and the drop rate.
Social implications
The study provides a useful and easy-to-adopt learning supplement to help students succeed in a course that many students find challenging. The study also gives educators a simple but useful and efficient way to achieve greater student involvement in their learning processes.
Originality/value
To the best of my knowledge, this study is the first to focus on the impact of former students’ advice and learning experience on the following students’ learning performance in accounting education.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Acknowledgment
The author would like to thank two anonymous referees and Beth B. Kern (editor) for helpful comments leading to a significant improvement in the content and exposition of the chapter. The author also thanks the conference participants at the Global Business and Social Science Research Conference, and Linda Holmes, for their comments and suggestions.
Citation
Xiang, M. (2016), "Improving the Quality of Learning in Accounting through Advice and Learning Experiences from Former Students
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016 Emerald Group Publishing Limited