This case helps you get “Clued” in to audit analytics to identify employee fraud. ABC Theaters has been operating for 100 years and currently operates in 500 US locations. As part of the annual audit process, one location has been flagged due to the continued decrease in sales revenue. In particular, ticket sales revenue has been relatively steady, but concession stand revenue has declined when it should correlate to ticket sales. You utilize a large Excel file first to consider how various types of fraud might be prevented and detected in this scenario and then use audit analytics to determine possible reasons for the decreasing concession stand revenues. Finally, you write a professional memo with supporting visualizations to their supervisor to detail their findings.
With the increasing demand for tech-savvy accounting graduates, numerous accounting programs are considering the value of obtaining STEM designation. We conduct semi-structured interviews of fourteen accounting department directors with STEM-designated graduate programs. The interviews encompass three broad themes: (1) Motivation for pursuing STEM designation and expected benefits; (2) Process for acquiring the STEM designation, including curriculum modifications and related challenges; and (3) Resources, faculty training and hiring, and outcomes of STEM designation. The interviewees submit that STEM programs are vital for attracting international students. They report other advantages, including increased program visibility, greater interest from domestic students in STEM programs, and enhanced career opportunities for students from a curriculum focused on data analytics. In addition, some interviewees report that their technology programs are the only ones gaining students. Participants further reveal that international students graduating from STEM accounting programs are securing employment with Big Four, regional, and local accounting firms. Finally, we relate the findings to change theory and discuss recommendations for university accounting programs.
With the increasing focus on technology in accounting education and the profession, numerous accounting programs are modifying curricula to ensure students have the necessary technical skills to succeed in their future careers. Moreover, at least 83 graduate accounting programs have obtained STEM designation to signify the technological focus of their curricula. The purpose of this study is to present information to accounting educators on the current state of affairs surrounding accounting programs and STEM, as well as offer information for obtaining STEM designation. Specifically, we offer background information on the convergence of accounting and technology, the current status of accounting as STEM, the benefits of and guidance for obtaining STEM designation, and resources for incorporating technology into the accounting curriculum. In addition, we present a table of instructional data analytics tools that lists case studies for various technologies and topics, articles detailing course design for specific technology areas, relevant papers discussing technology in the accounting profession, and textbooks and websites pertaining to data analytics instruction.
We examine the relationship between three dimensions of Multiple Intelligence (MI) and student performance using two assignments. Utilizing mixed research design, we not only confirm the existing relationship between selected MIs and student performance, but also unfold three themes (adaptable, enjoyable, and experiential) of learning experiences informed by student reflections that explain this relationship. These patters illustrate challenges faced, excitement experienced, and experiential learning gained by students. We find that incorporating MI in teaching and assessing accounting students is likely to hone their soft skills in addition to the logical or mathematical skills that are engaged in most accounting courses.
An unrecognized choice made by accounting instructors is the degree of difficulty presented to students. Even if assessment is limited to multiple-choice materials, instructors can pick questions that vary from easy to very difficult. To do this, instructors depend on difficulty classifications provided by textbook authors and publishers. Using computer captured results from student efforts, this paper tests the integrity of these difficulty categories. This effort considers the impact of different grade consequences, different scoring systems, student aptitude and prior question exposure. The extent difficulty levels translate into student success variation is reported. The results generally support the publisher’s classifications. Nonetheless, interesting variations in the degree of these differences can be attributed to the context and consequences of question answering, as well as to the type of student asked to answer.