Teaching and Curriculum Sections 2006 Survey to Determine Changes to Strategy to Better Serve the Profession

Priscilla A. Burnaby, CPA, PhD Bentley College Susan Hass, Professor, CPA Simmons College Authors

Topics Introduction and Objectives Methodology Summary of Findings Balanced Scorecard Conclusions

Introduction and Objectives Understand section members goals Better meet the needs of section members Create the basis for the Sections strategy Communicate the strategy to Section leadership so they could act on it Strengthen the Teaching and Curriculum Section

Methodology A questionnaire was developed based on the T&Cs Steering Committees concerns In late of the 1100 T&C members, 151 members responded for a 13.7 percent response rate Depending on the type of question, the findings are tabulated by – Number of responses – Percentage of responses – Means of responses

Summary of Findings

Mid-Year Meetings One of the biggest concerns of the T&C Steering Committee in polling its membership was to determine whether or not the members wanted a mid-year meeting.

Need for a Mid-year Meeting Need for Meeting Number of Responses Percentage of Responding Sample Percentage of Total Sample Yes, need a mid- year meeting because the number of paper sessions is inadequate No, do not need a mid-year meeting because the number of paper sessions is adequate No Response128 Total151100

If Section had a Mid-year Meeting Mean Response to Scope and Content Number of Responses Activities 1*23*45*MeanTotal Be similar to national format with sessions Improving teaching skills and provide venues for research papers Be a mixture of research papers and presentations on improving teaching skills Held in conjunction with a regional meeting. The meeting would rotate each year to a different region Should have a CPE session on a current accounting topic that would be relevant to accounting professionals * 1= Strongly disagree 3=Neutral 5= Strongly agree

Suggested Activities for a Mid-year Meeting to Encourage Member Attendance ActivitiesNumber of Responses* Panel discussion6 Have star teachers involved/ speakers4 Case studies2 Hands-on activities7 Assessment workshop7 About improvement in classroom issues5 About improving teaching/ teaching technology20 Focusing on research8 CPE Session7 About improvement in curriculum issues5 Field trips/ plant tours2 Open bar, coffee at breaks, cocktail party/ warm climate 3 Networking2 Have non-accounting people2 Location3 Low price/ Budgetary allotment2 A mix of activities2 Not needed2 * Some respondents had more than one suggestion.

Suggested Activities for Regional Meetings to Strengthen Attendance Activities Number of Responses* Plenary speakers4 Paper presented and CPE sessions8 Panel session/ panel discussion5 Hands-on workshop2 Network/ Build relations with other sub-areas of accounting 4 Assessment workshop5 Focusing on research4 About improvement in teaching11 About improvement in classroom issues3 About curriculum issues with in courses and within degree program 2 Focusing on specific courses/ course design3 Location3 Lower Cost/ Funds5 Schedule good parties/ Coffee at breaks/ Cocktail party 3 Fields trip/ tours2 Best paper award2 * Some respondents had more than one suggestion.

Strengthening the Image of Pedagogical Research

Rank of Activities for Pedagogical Research Number of Responses Activities1*23*45*MeanTotal At regional meetings have leading researchers provide information at a CPE about application of their models to educational research Have pedagogical/educational research sessions at the New Scholar Concurrent Sessions at the AAA National meeting * 1= Strongly disagree 3=Neutral 5= Strongly agree

Refresher Session and On-line Journal Refresher Session in Educational-related Research Number of Responses Percentage of Sample Answering Percentage of Total Sample No Yes No response42.7 Total The Section Should Have an On-line Journal No Yes No response21.9 Total151100

Form of the Training Sessions Type of Training SessionNumber of Responses Percentage of Sample Answering Percentage of Total Sample Special Workshops at the AAA National meeting CPE before a regional or annual meeting CPE and after a regional or annual meeting No response128 Total151100

Content of the On-line Journal Content of On–line JournalNumber of Responses Percentage of Sample Answering Percentage of Total Sample Like Issues with teaching strategies, cases, etc Research in teaching and curriculum development Other ( See next slide) No response Total151100

Other Suggested Content for an On-line Journal Content of On-line JournalNumber of Responses Combination of above 2 selections (Like issues with teaching strategies, cases, etc. and Research in teaching and curriculum development) 14 Also solutions to problems in teaching harder topics 1 Paper articles for on-line1 More specific teaching materials information1 Practical orientation1 Shorter teaching ideas, cases, innovative problems, etc. 2 Less methodologically driven1 Digested issues, no further proliferate1

Sharing of Teaching Materials

Sharing Class Materials Interested in Sharing Your Class Materials on the Sections WebsiteNumber of Responses Percentage of 151 Respondents Syllabus Cases Problems Exams Other Class material Interested in Accessing Others Class Materials on the Sections Website Number of Responses Percentage of 151 Respondents Syllabus Cases Problems Readings Exams Other Class materials

Strengthening Section Support

Regions of the Respondents Regions Number of Response Percentage of Sample Answering Percentage of Total Sample Mid-Atlantic Northeast Southeast Southwest Western No response53.4 Total151100

Number of Sections to Which Members Belong Number of sections Number of responses Percentage of Sample answering Percentage of Total Sample No response21.3 Total:151100

Number of Years in T&C Committee Number of years Number of Responses Percentage of Sample answering Percentage of Total Sample 1 to 4 years to 9 years to 14 years years or more than 15 years Dont remember No Response64.0 Total151100

Cost Consideration on Selection of Sections Number of Response 1*23*45* Mean Total The cost of joining a section is an important consideration for me when I decide which sections to join I limit the number if sections I join based on the total cost of AAA membership * 1= Strongly disagree 3=Neutral 5= Strongly agree

Members that Consistently Join the Same Section Year after Year Number of Response Percentage of Sample Answering Percentage of Total Sample Yes No No Response84.6 Total151100

Suggestions and Opportunities to Support Faculty

Suggestion to Improve the Teaching and Curriculum Section Number of Responses* Short case, sharing examples of teaching materials, technology and more curriculum 11 Assessment focus3 Emphasis on research4 Summaries and updates on details in the specific topic areas4 More paper opportunities2 Provision of teaching materials in publications or online journal/ newsletters 4 Peer reviewers or a peer-reviewed journal4 REA boot camp style teacher training session/ CPE session/ conference and workshops 4 Accounting requirement to PhD3 Compiles in a single location teaching methodologies and cases in various area of accounting 2 More exposure to student learning2 * Some respondents had more than one suggestion.

Suggestion to Help Members Representing Two-year Schools Remain Active in the Section Number of Responses* More teaching oriented activities/ sharing accounting teaching materials 5 Something they are interested and/ or need2 Special sessions/ specific programs and presentation/ Offering something they are interested and/ or need 12 Connect with them at regional level2 Encourage them to contribute materials to MERLOT, submit papers 2 Free or lower membership, fees and funds for travel 2 * Some respondents had more than one suggestion.

Suggestion to Assisting New PhDs with Their Teaching Efforts Number of Responses* Provide a resource in teaching development and preparation, and classroom issues11 Workshops/ panel sessions on teaching innovations and student learning; Sharing experience12 Doctoral Consortium/ New faculty Consortium5 Teaching boot camp3 Teaching workshops in conjunction with regional meetings2 Other Provide feedback on teaching by observing them in the classroom Provide mentors when they take their first faculty position Online newsletter Discussion board and teaching materials on the T&C website CPE sessions dedicated to new PhDs Create and maintain data bases for teaching materials Workshops sessions with seasoned teachers Offering a monetary prize to support research Low registration costs for meetings Offer traveling trainers to visit PhD programs Sponsor the Harvey Brightman workshop that is sponsored by the EMBA Council Teaching sessions by master teachers Make a mini workshop at the annual AAA meeting Have a conference for them New PhD program on teaching Peer-reviewed journal 16 * Some respondents had more than one suggestion.

Suggestion to Increase Participation of New PhDs in the Section Number of Responses* Sharing with other professors/ Networking4 Provide something they need, useful materials5 Teaching boot camp at Nationals2 Invite Department Chairs of T&C to offer good ideas and chairs of doctoral program 2 Workshop by great teachers/ Faculty consortiums2 Free membership or attendance for the first several years/ Reduced attendance6 Rewards at their schools3 Other Improve the value of educational research Identify opportunities Provide serious consideration for their tenure application Encourage new PhDs to focus on teaching Create associate membership options for PhD candidates Actively recruit them Encourage practitioners to insist that business schools weigh teaching more heavily in their tenure and reward systems Personally invite them Sponsor social sessions which have a strong message content about the session Secret membership 10 * Some respondents had more than one suggestion.

Suggested Changes in Strategy and By Laws

Need for Changes in the T&C Section Number of response Percentage of Sample answering Percentage of Total Sample No Changes to T&C Objectives Yes, I agree. No changes are needed No, I disagree. Changes are needed No Response106.6 Total Officers Remain in their Position for Two Years Yes No No Response149.3 Total151100

Suggested Changes in Objective(s) Objective(s) Should be Added (9 Responses) Consider whether section has met its goals and should be disbanded. Our professions (accounting and education) need to change significantly: efforts to change by someone with more "clout" than myself are needed. Implementation: To develop and share handouts, problems and solutions, essay questions, test questions and solutions, PowerPoint presentations, summaries, outlines, podcasts, webcasts, and DVDs, Wikis, web resources, etc. To teach accounting: sharing: a. To share what we have, and b. To improve the syllabi, handouts, problems, questions, definitions, and solutions. We need to address use of technology in the classroom, managing diversity in the classroom, assessing in the classroom, managing plagiarism and ethical issues. Develop ways to measure learning and not rely on student evaluation of teaching data. More emphasis on specific teaching techniques/materials, rather than research on teaching or general discussion of teaching & curriculum. More publication opportunities. Offer guidance on developing learning objectives and analyzing evidence of student learning for those objectives. Change name to Teaching and Learning, with a view to including Student Effort, without which Curriculum and Instruction cannot produce student success. Objective(s) Should be Deleted (4 Responses) Consider whether section has met its goals and should be disbanded. Consolidate objectives that cloud and misunderstood The objectives should be rewritten to avoid characterizing teaching as the presentation of knowledge. What matters is not what teachers present but what students learn to do. Research in teaching and learning should become a minimalist component.

Balanced Scorecard

Financial To succeed financially we must maintain and grow our membership base and provide services to our membership. ObjectivesInitiatives Increase Membership: To increase in membership by 10% Campaign from President to all AAA members Send news letter to all AAA instead of just T&C members members that do not go to national meeting. department chairs of all programs, not just AAA members? Use existing members to recruit new members Retention: To maintain current members. Survey those that drop memberships Develop survey Recognition of long-standing members Break –down of why members leave section (retirement, etc.) Income Statement: To create an analysis of revenues and expenses to determine amounts can devote to projects. What provides revenues to organization at this time Look for alternative sources of revenues Where do we spend money? How will our changes affect the cost section?

Internal Business Process To satisfy our members what processes must we excel at? ObjectivesInitiatives Hall of Fame: To recognize one persons contributions by inducting them in Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame Committee Order Plaque Best Transcript: To award best transcript annually at regional meetings and at annual meetings. Transcript Committee Transcript Standards Officers Manuel: To develop a procedure manual for officers. Have each officer and former officer write up what they did in each of the positions Section Representative Manual: To develop a procedure manual for section representatives. Committee of past section representatives develop a procedure manual for section representatives for: o Paper selection process o Ice Cream Social o Best Transcript award Name Change: To change sections name to Teaching, Learning and Curriculum. Board prepares by-law change and present to annual meeting. Relationships: Increase and strengthen relationships with other Boards of Education. Obtain list of other Board of Educations Contact boards Officers: To change by-laws so that officers hold two- year terms. Board prepares by-law changes and present to annual meeting. CPE for Professionals: To develop CPE sessions that would interest professionals as well as academics. Committee Find people to create and teach sessions

Learning and Innovation: To achieve our vision, how will we sustain our ability to change and improve services for our members? ObjectivesInitiatives Website: To create a section of our website to share class materials. Curriculum section by type of class Newsletter: To create a quarterly or semiannual newsletter that will be sent to all AAA members – not just section members. Find someone to do newsletter Develop guidelines for material inclusion Format and editors for the materials, standing columns or special topics? Participation: Strengthen participation at Regional Meetings. Create regional subcommittees Publications: Creating a new sectional journal focusing on Teaching and Learning. Journal Create guidelines for new journal Pedagogical Research? Measure Learning? Best practices in the different areas Sharing of syllabus and projects

Customer To meet our members needs what must we provide our members? ObjectivesInitiatives Demographics of Members: To determine who belongs to the T & C section. Look at the demographics of the current membership Where do they teach? Where is their PhD from? What is their academic level, etc? Should the section help the PhD shortage by providing boot camps of teaching in different areas? How many two-year school members? National Meetings: To provide opportunities for more papers at national and regional meetings. Create sessions devoted to papers that have a chance at getting published in the new journal Share leading models Develop ways to extend this to Ph.D. students Two Year Schools: To encourage participation of professors from two-year schools. Which two-year schools have members in the section? Provide CPE on courses offered in two year schools. Provide guidance to two years colleges as to what four-year schools need for student skills for transfer?

Conclusions

The sections members responded with excellent suggestions for change while continuing to support the current activities of the section. Respondents indicate little support for a mid-year meeting but do support an on-line journal. The main message for the T & Cs leadership is to support sharing of best practices in teaching and student learning. The survey results provide the T&C Steering Committee leadership with the information necessary to go forward and provide innovative support to faculty who believe in excellence in teaching.