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The Publication of the
Explorations in International Society
Teaching and Learning for Exploring Teaching
Volume 16, Number 1 Winter 2004 and Learning
President’s Message The Distinguished Fellow’s
By Al Crispo Presentation Award
Purdue University By Jerry W. Samples
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
I hope everyone enjoyed a nice break and that you all
look forward to a new year filled with teaching and ISETL’s new Distinguished Fellow’s
learning opportunities. Please note our newly designed Presentation Award recognizes and
web site, www.isetl.org, and the call for proposals for promotes conference presentations that
the 34th annual ISETL conference to be held in illustrate teaching and learning in an
Baltimore, Maryland, October 14th-16th, 2004. We are a environment conducive to the success of
supportive and inclusive organization of professionals our students. Each potentially selected
who practice the scholarship of teaching and learning in proposal will clearly identify the subject
higher education, and we encourage college and matter, provide objectives for the session,
university faculty and practitioners from all disciplines indicate an interactive format, and contain
to develop, study, and apply learner-centered principles new ideas or novel approaches to teaching.
of teaching in 50-minute presentations or poster sessions Proposals fitting these criteria are then
that reflect these goals and interests. reviewed by a committee that selects those
The 33rd annual conference unveiled the new which hold promise for excellent
Distinguished Fellows Presentation Award. presentations.
Distinguished Fellows and Society Board Members At the conference, Fellows and Board
judged the competition, and I extend congratulations to Members evaluate the presentations, and
the winning presenters from Johns-Hopkins University. the presentation with the highest
The award will become a permanent feature of future evaluations is selected for this award.
conferences. Since the Board is involved in the voting
I would like to remind the membership of the process, Board Members and their
nomination process for Distinguished Fellow, the coauthors are not considered for the award.
highest honor ISETL can bestow upon an individual The many fine presentations at this
member. You are invited to nominate those members year’s conference made the selection
whom you think contributed to the scholarship of process difficult and the discussions about
teaching and learning or who have excelled in the area it passionate. After all the votes were cast,
of exceptional service to the ISETL organization. the presentation “SO YOU WANT TO BE
Next year in Baltimore, in addition to great A STAR: PROFESSOR SEARCH!” by
presentations and other events, we hope to be honored Diane S. Aschenbrenner, Kathryn Kushto-
by a presentation from Sam Postlethwait, a Reese, and Ronald A. Berk from the
Distinguished Fellow and one of the founders of Johns-Hopkins University School of
ISETL. Sam will trace the roots and history of the Nursing was selected to receive the first
organization. I want to thank Sam for offering his time. annual Distinguished Fellow’s
I would like to hear suggestions and comments from Presentation Award.
the general membership so we can be responsive and The award includes a free registration to
continually improve ISETL and our annual conferences the conference for one of the team
through open correspondence. Also, please avail members, and winning attendee(s) will be
yourselves of the ISETL listserv for open discussion of asked to present their session again as a
pedagogical, societal, and other concerns at single activity from which all can benefit.
ISETL@lighthouse.valdosta.edu. Finally, it is time to start the process
Please let me once more invite you to submit a once again, so get your submissions ready
proposal or just come and share in the learning, and send them in. We look forward to
fellowship, and fun that are traditions with ISETL. another great conference this year in
Baltimore.
Implementing Active Learning
Explorations in College Accounting Classes
By Donald J. Raux
in Teaching Siena College
and Learning Abstract
Professional organizations and professional and
Volume 2, Number 1 corporate employers have been quite active over the
Winter 2004 past decade in indicating that they prefer to hire
students who have learned how to learn actively, can
think critically, and are adept at the second-level
ISETL PRESIDENT learning skills. Additionally, many studies have
shown that students retain more information when
Al Crispo
active learning is utilized. Thus, I have worked to
Dept. of Organizational Leadership
coordinate active learning strategies in my accounting
Purdue University
classes with the goal of improving students’ second-
West LaFayette, IN 47906
level learning skills.
awcrispo@tech.purdue.edu
Professional and Educational Contexts
EDITOR
Susan Copeland Henry For years there have been many warnings of serious
Department of Humanities problems in accounting education. The Institute of
Clayton College & State Univ. Management Accountants (IMA) in three previous
Morrow, GA 30260 studies (IMA,1999, 1996, 1994) concluded that
susanhenry@mail.clayton.edu accounting education needed to change if it is to meet
the future needs of accountants in industry. The
ASSISTANT EDITOR American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
(AICPA), in its recent Vision Report (1986) called for
Robert Bromber
modified accounting education programs to meet the
Pikes Peak Community College
future needs of CPAs. Fourteen years ago, the
Robert.Bromber@ppcc.edu
American Accounting Association’s (AAA)
Committee on Future Structure, Content and Scope of
EDITORIAL BOARD Accounting Education (the Bedford Committee)
William Krug / Purdue University called for a much broader role for accounting
Lynne Anderson / National University education than that being filled by most universities
Bruce White / Quinnipiac University today. Consider the following 14-year-old quote from
Bonnie Hairrell / Birmingham-Southern College the Bedford report:
Craig Abrahamson / James Madison University
Ann Jablonski / Marywood University There is little doubt that the current content of
Frances Johnson / Rowam Universitye professional accounting education, which has
James Armstrong / Virginia Union University remained substantially the same over the past 50
Andrew Milks / Stark State College years, is generally inadequate for the future
Angela Humphrey Brown / Piedmont College accounting professional. A growing gap exists
Jane Strobino / Marywood University between what accountants do and what
Joyce Swofford / Clayton College & State Univ. accounting educators teach…. Accountants who
remain narrowly educated will find it more
SUBMISSIONS difficult to compete in an expanding
Submit articles of 500-2000 words on profession…. The Committee’s analysis of
alternative teaching methods to the editor accounting practice has indicated that accounting
via regular or e-mail. All submissions are education as it is currently approached requires
peer-reviewed. major adjustments between now and the year
2000.
2
The Big 5 (then Big 8) professional service firms, in their 1989 White Paper advocated changes in
accounting education and felt so strongly that change was needed that they contributed five million dollars
to fund the Accounting Education Change Commission. That Commission, through several publications
and the funding of innovation in accounting education programs at several schools, called for significant
changes in accounting education. These previous efforts were very well done and have given us sufficient
warning that accounting education must change to meet future needs of students. Except in a few schools,
these warning signals—warnings about the future viability of accounting education—have largely gone
unheeded. In too many respects, accounting education is being delivered the same way today as it was 20
or 30 years ago.
All of these sources emphasize the importance of students becoming better life-long learners, and active
learning facilitates that objective. Accordingly, second-level skills such as critical thinking,
communication and interpersonal skills, and technical and analytical skills must be emphasized. Since the
lecture format does not facilitate the learning of these types of skills, a new pedagogy needed to be
developed.
Why Active Learning?
Studies have clearly shown that students who are primarily responsible for their own learning learn more,
retain more and are more successful in their subsequent classes and in their careers. One of the primary
objectives of a college accounting education is the retention of material learned so that it can be utilized in
later classes and the student’s subsequent career. Data has shown that only about 10% of what is read,
heard, or seen is retained which clearly points to the fact that merely reading material or being “lectured at”
is by far not the most effective way to retain material. Even if the methods are combined, such as a lecture
with a PowerPoint presentation that is seen, heard, and read, the data indicates that only about 25% of the
content is retained. However, when students learn by actually doing something, they retain about 70%, and
if they actually do something and explain it to someone else, the retention increases to the 90-95% range.
Accordingly, teaching methods that foster doing and explaining should be given the highest priority for
skills where student retention is desired. This requires some major changes in the “typical” accounting
class. Traditionally, accounting classes have been predominantly lectures and have fostered a passive
learning style by accounting students. This pedagogy also exacerbates the fact that many accounting
students are introverted and reflective and would prefer to be passive, although employers desire students
that are more active and that have developed second-level skills.
The New Pedagogy
The pedagogy that I have developed for my accounting classes, which is based on the old adage, “When
the student is ready, the teacher will appear,” contains some key elements:
• The student must assume primary responsibility for his/her learning experience.
• The professor’s role becomes one of preparing the student to assume primary responsibility and
facilitating that learning experience.
The main objective is to have the student become primarily responsible for the learning experience. This
is problematic since most of their prior experience in high school and previous college courses has not
made them responsible. Since this is new to the students the professor must provide the students with a
detailed roadmap of how this is accomplished and explain in detail why it will be beneficial to adapt such
responsibility.
The first class needs to be a thorough discussion of what is being attempted and why. Students must be
provided with a detailed syllabus that outlines everything that is expected of them for the semester. The
syllabus must also give them detailed instructions of how to go about this new process of active learning.
The instructions that I provide on how I want them to perform in my class extracted directly from my
syllabus are:
(continued on page 8)
3
Technology – No Longer the New Kid on the Block
By Ruby Evans
University of Central Florida
In the early nineties, visionary college and university administrators began to make changes in
strategic plans so that students could take advantage of the impending information explosion.
Realizing that computer literacy was no longer equivalent to proficiency in programming languages,
these individuals pushed the envelope that supported use of computers as repositories for, conduits of,
and electronic portals to educational resources. As the 20th century came to a close, instructional
issues—including efficiency, effectiveness, and expansion of access—combined to provide symbiotic
support for increased computer usage in teaching, learning, and administration.
The last decade of the th century revealed an unprecedented upsurge in the integration of
20
technology and active learning strategies in classroom instruction. Use of the personal computer and its
associated technological innovations—the Internet, E-mail, word processing packages and web
sites—became the rule in many college and university environments (Evans, 1999). Technological
literacy became the new literacy for the 21st century. The phrases learner-centered, learning-centered,
and student-centered became popular phrases. Ultimately, the omnipotent data-knowledge-information
trilogy emerged as a lead player in the sustained integration of computers and related technology in
formal educational settings.
Higher education’s movement toward greater integration of technology in instructional delivery can be
attributed to myriad factors, including:
1. Societal demands.
2. Employer need for more technologically literate workers.
3. Increasingly important role of technology in work and personal lives.
4. Need for alternate forms of communication.
5. The shift from a teaching to a learning paradigm (Boettcher, 1999).
6. Finite resources.
7. Efficiency; time, accessibility.
8. Introduction of technology into the curriculum beginning with pre-school instruction.
To be sure, information technology is changing the way people live and learn (Spector &
de la Teja, 2001). Technology, no longer regarded as a passing fad, is a medium that continues
to gain value as an increasingly pervasive form of communication and data transfer, and one
which continues to impact the infrastructure of formal education and its delivery (Evans, 2001).
In new learning environments, spanning PreK-20 higher education (pre-school to graduate
school), students are expected to cooperate and collaborate, exhibit critical thinking skills,
demonstrate problem-solving skills, and demonstrate competence in basic technological
literacy. Technology, no longer the new kid on the block, is becoming a well-respected member
of the educational community.
References
Boettcher, J. (1999). The Shift from a Teaching to a Learning Paradigm. Syllabus Magazine, 13(1), 50-52.
Available online @ http://www.syllabus.com/syllabusmagazine/aug99_magfea2.html
Evans, R. (2001). An internal educational partnership for learning: Faculty and reference librarians-A
virtual dynamic duo. T.H.E. Journal: Technological Horizons in Education, January 2001.
Available online @ http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A3262.cfm
Evans, R. (1999). Serving modern students in a modern society at the community college: Incorporating
basic technological literacy. T.H.E. Journal: Technological Horizons in Education. Available
online @ http://www.thejournal.com/magazine/vault/A2292.cfm
Spector, J. M. & de la Teja, I. (2001). Competencies for online teaching. ERIC
Clearinghouse on Information & Technology. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service
No. ED456841). Access: http://ericit.org/digests/EDO-IR-2001-09.shtml
4
Collaborative Business/Industry Engagement:
Transitioning Toward a Win-Win Partnership
By Michele Summers and Beverly Davis
Purdue University
Leading economist Lester Thurow stated that the dominant competitive weapon of the 21st century would
be the education and skills of the American workforce. Alan Toffler agreed with this and added that if we
truly want companies to be productive and adaptive, we will need people who are learning constantly. He
added that businesses haven’t begun to recognize the role learning plays in economic production. Research
shows that currently one in four employers now take part in a career-education program. The Midwest is
the United States’ manufacturing belt, and the need for statewide programs in Indiana was apparent.
Therefore, Purdue University developed a unique statewide system to address the need and facilitate trends
in adult education.
History of Statewide Technology Systems
The Purdue University School of Technology statewide delivery system is a unique partnership between
education, industry, and government. It was created in 1983 to help meet Indiana’s need for the purpose of
updating presently employed people in the skills they need to function in an ever increasingly technical
workplace. The statewide delivery system extends the University’s high quality technology programs to
eleven outreach locations. Purdue’s Office of Manpower Studies assessed community needs at each
location and found willingness in these eleven communities for cooperative efforts with public and
independent institutions to meet the needs of the programs being offered.
The statewide system provides the opportunity for presently employed people to update and upgrade their
technical and leadership skills. Because most potential students have full-time jobs and families, the
programs offer flexibility in accommodating their unique and non-traditional educational needs. As is the
case with courses taken at the West Lafayette campus, all course credits apply toward a Purdue University
degree. However, statewide delivery systems allow for unique partnerships with industry and business
allowing for variation in delivery of curriculum. Along with educational institutions partnerships, faculty
at statewide locations have the opportunity to keep in touch with industrial change by consulting with local
industry. Most of the academic programs have industrial advisory committees who continually suggest
ways of improving curricula.
Statewide Technology locations initially performed at the basic level of engagement, promoting the
benefits of continuing education to individuals, business leaders and industry in local communities. Classes
were offered at a central location and taught by Purdue faculty and adjunct instructors.
Expansion of Engagement Opportunities
The level of engagement increased significantly when Purdue University statewide locations began
extending the classroom to business and industry locations. To increase the level of collaboration with
business and industry, the Organizational Leadership and Supervision department with the School of
Technology developed a certificate program in 1997 designed specifically for non-traditional students
working full-time. This certificate, designed with industry input, is offered only at off-campus locations
and is posted to a student’s academic transcript. All credits earned in the certificate program accumulate
and may be applied to the both the Associate and Bachelor degree in Organizational Leadership.
This certificate program encouraged industry and business to offer classes at their locations and sponsor
cohort groups of students in the certificate programs. At other industry locations, the classes were offered,
but no cohort groups were formed; however, the company did provide educational reimbursement for
employees enrolled in the program.
The next engagement level, or increased outreach, allowed for locating administrative functions in off-
site locations. This enabled students to complete the admissions process, register for classes, and complete
degree requirements entirely at the outreach campus. These services encouraged non-traditional students to
enroll by making the academic counseling help available at convenient times and locations. An added
(continued on page10 )
5
The Maverick Educator’s Survival in Academia
By Mary Kalen Romjue and A. Jeanne Miller
University of Central Florida
Are you a free spirit? The sort who doesn’t follow the normal routine, but instead chooses to work the
way you want? Do you often rub your superiors the wrong way even though not following the rules is a
real no-no that may cause you to be the first to be let go? You may need a mentor.
Business experts like Richard E. Cheverton tell us that free spirited people are the creative innovators of
the workplace. Specifically he says, “A maverick is an individual who thinks and acts in an unpredictable
manner that results in new insights into innovative ways to live” (Cheverton, 2000, p. 21). Unfortunately,
these innovators risk the wrath of the traditionalists. They jeopardize their chances of tenure and promotion
just because they don’t want to play the game. Cheverton (2000) describes the mavericks predicament by
noting, “A maverick appears to be a troublemaker, but is really acting with boldness and directness without
regard to immediate consequences” (p. 21). A maverick can also be described as “noncomformist,
obstinate, troublemaker, mischief-maker, malcontent, rabble-rouser, individualist, free spirit, independent,
eccentric, loner, free thinker” (Cheverton, 2000, p. 21). Cheverton also notes, “A maverick is less
interested in political and organizational boundries…the maverick is able to cut across internal and external
borders, bringing people and ideas together” (Cheverton, 2000, p. 83).
One suspects that the maverick situation is probably as prevalent in the profession of education,
especially at the college and university level. An inspection of educational literature finds that there is
reference to educational mavericks as well. One educator reports that the environment that faces many
educators is one that is not open to innovators nor innovation, but that this should change:
In the long run, the most important (and the most difficult) community college reform requires
abandonment of the military model of management that dominates the thinking of many
administrators. Counterproductive authoritarian management styles are gradually being pushed
aside in business and industry. Unfortunately, the market forces that drive reforms in those sectors
are, in educational institutions, either absent or are too subtle to exert pressure for change. (Brady,
1994, p. 234)
Countries other than the USA experience similar responses to mavericks in education as well. Marshall
(2000) describes a condition that existed when an innovator Philippe Meirieu questioned and challenged a
particular paradigm of the French lycee as an institution. Philippe Meirieu is recognized as the architect of
France’s Lycee Reform of 1999. His resignation was the direct result of what he sees as the education
ministry’s failure to modernize that institution. It appears that he was a victim of the battle between
conservatives who fear a reduction in standards and innovators who want to update the education system.
When any innovator is discussed, there appears to be great pressure to eliminate what is unfamiliar or out
of the norm.
Just how do new faculty members view their role in the educational system? There is bound to be
variation from educator to educator, but interestingly, according to Fortunato (1979), “… a faculty
member’s first career loyalty is normally given to his or her discipline. Faculty members do not consider
themselves to be employees” (p. 32). Rather, they think of themselves as professionals pursuing their
discipline (Fortunato, 1979). Their aspirations and expectations may not reflect what is in practice at their
institution. If this new faculty member then encounters an administrator who has little or no tolerance for
maverick behavior, there is bound to be a reaction sooner or later.
Most would agree that the administrators make the rules. Administrators assign the courses for faculty to
teach each semester and are responsible for assessing faculty in their yearly evaluations. These are the
same people who may thrive on office politics and organizational charts. Cheverton (2000, p. 178) outlines
the difference in attributes between managers and mentors of mavericks (MOM) below:
MANAGER MOM
Plan Plot/ challenge
Organize Facilitate/ nurture/ fertilize
Lead Protect/ coach/ cheerleader
Evaluate Reframing/ change roles
Communicate/ control “Always say yes.”/ Lies
6
Educational mavericks may find themselves in a veritable minefield. Here’s where a MOM can be
essential. In such a situation a mentor can serve as a shield from bureaucratic superiors. Successful
mentorships are not generally accomplished through having a mentor appointed or assigned, as is so
commonly done by those who have little appreciation of the true mentor/protégé relationship. More than
likely, a true mentorship will only happen when two people (our maverick and a potential mentor) find out
that they have mutual interests, experiences and even to some degree, similar maverick personalities. The
mentor is even more effective if he or she has either had experience as maverick or has benefited from
watching others go through the experience while trying to establish themselves in their academic
community.
When one studies the history of mentorships, it is obvious that to be successful, the protégé must be
enthusiastic and conscientious in developing his/her own potential. The protégé must diligently carry out
plans and activities and regularly do more than is expected in order to gain the respect and deserve the time
of the mentor. A very important characteristic of a protégé is to keep an open mind and not be on the
defensive. The protégé must also be sensitive and aware of how others feel. Probably equally important is
to have a sense of humor. There will be many times when it will be the only thing that will bridge the gap
between failures that are bound to happen and a sense of reality (Romjue, 1991).
Undoubtedly, the profession of education has a history of responding slowly to change and innovation.
Alfred (1999) describes the characteristics that are needed to make high level, distinctive institutions. He is
saying that these institutions grow by changing the competitive base, taking risks, breaking rules, and
innovating in ways that revitalize existing markets and create new ones. Similarly, those individuals who
may be considered mavericks need the same freedoms/environments in order that they may thrive.
Fullan (1993) has predicted the rapid change society and education are now experiencing. Therefore,
static institutions are not really marking time in place, but they are rapidly losing ground. Institutions resist
change and therefore need change agents. Thus, just as the mavericks need the freedom to be innovators,
the educational institutions need individuals with the characteristics of mavericks who will be willing to
take risks required of innovation.
Mavericks are the creators, the risk takers, the fearless visionaries who can accomplish the task of
being change agents, but they cannot do so on their own. James H. Van Sciver (1998) agrees as he
states, “Courage in and of itself is not sufficient. The wisdom necessary to operationalize that courage
in the context of the situation and the knowledge of strategic decision making and timing are critical”
(p. 7). To finalize, Cheverton (2000) says, “[O]ne of the M. O. M.’s functions is looking out for the
maverick, protecting him” (p. 179). We concur that the same thing is true in education. For
educational innovators looking for tenure and promotion, get a MOM.
References
Alfred, R. (1999). Distinctive college create competitive advantage through maverick behavior.
Community College Journal, 69 no. 4, 8-13.
Brady, M. (2000). Max and Me. Cocoa, FL: Marion Brady Publisher.
Boston, B. W. (1976). The Sorcerer’s apprentice – A case study in the role of the mentor. Reston, VA.
ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, the Council for Exceptional Children.
Bruzzese, A. (2000). Take This Job and Thrive. Monassas Park, VA: Impact Publications.
Cheverton, R. (2000). The Maverick way. MAVERICK WAY .COM Fortunato, R. T. (1988). Working
successfully in an academic environment. CUPA Journal, 48 31-32.
Fortunato, R. T. (1999). Working Successfully in an academic environment. CUPA Journal, 48, 31-32.
Fullan, M. (1993). Changing Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational Reform. London, New York,
Philadelpha: The Falmer Press.
Marshall, J. (2000). Reformer caught in cross-fire. The Times Educational Supplement, 4380.
7
Ronjue, M. K. (1991). Highly Gifted Students’ Participation in a Mentoring Program. (Doctoral
dissertation, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1991). Dissertation Abstracts International, 52, no.
12A. 4222.
Van Sciver, J. H. (1998). Informed Courage in Local Leadership: Essential in Overcoming Barriers to
Change in Education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 421 772).
________________________________________________________________________
(continued from page 3)
Perform the following for each chapter.
• Read the main objectives on the syllabus before reading the chapter. The objectives that will be
most heavily tested are bolded.
• Read each objective in the text, then immediately handwrite the key concepts in your own words.
(Please note that I am not suggesting that you copy words directly out of the text.)
• If you were not able to grasp the key concepts, reread the objective and try again to summarize.
• If you are still unable to grasp the concepts, write out a question regarding what you do not
understand and bring it to class. These questions may be asked verbally, or if you feel more
comfortable you can give me written questions prior to class. During class, make sure that your
questions are asked and answered to your satisfaction before attempting the quiz.
• When you finish the chapter, read the author’s summary of objectives to see if you caught the
primary concepts. If you initially missed some important concepts, add them to your synopsis. If
you do not understand what you missed or why what you missed was important, write a question
and present it in class.
• Once you have read and summarized the key concepts, the next step is to see if you can apply the
concepts. I have provided you with exercises that will allow you to see if you can apply the
concepts. It is critical that you do NOT look back at examples in the text when you attempt the
exercises. If you do an exercise looking back at an example, you will not know whether you could
have done the exercise without the text—and the text will not be available during exams and
quizzes. I do not expect you to do all the exercises. It is important that you attempt at least one
exercise for each objective before attending the first class on any given chapter.
• If you cannot apply the concepts without looking back, you will need to reread the concept and try
to apply it again without following the example.
• If you still are unable to complete the exercise, then write a question about what part of the
application is giving you trouble and bring to class.
• I will briefly lecture all key concepts and answer all questions brought to class before all quizzes.
If a quiz is given on the first day of a chapter, it will be on the reading and will be objective and
primarily qualitative. If the quiz is given on the second day after I have answered questions on the
exercises, it will be similar to the exercises.
• The quizzes will be graded as follows:
Each quiz will be graded—there will be no curves, and
You will be awarded two points for each quiz that you score 75 or higher to a
maximum of 20 points, which will result in 100 for a quiz grade; 16=80; etc.
The incentive for the student taking on such responsibility is that grades are heavily weighted (25-40% of
class grade) on class participation and quizzes, which are dependent upon doing what is outlined.
There are other major things that the professor has to do in addition to preparing a detailed syllabus:
• Develop a community of learning
• Have mini-lectures prepared on all learning objectives
• Answer fully all student questions
• Provide students with exercises to be done in class (both individual and group)
• Review any requested homework assignments, and
• Summarize all relevant learning objectives.
8
The community of learning is developed by:
• Displaying a genuine interest in students and their learning experience
• Be accessible to students
• Give students opportunities to provide feedback on the pedagogy, and
• LISTEN and be willing to make adjustments.
It is also crucial that the professor model skills that he/she wants the students to develop. This can be
done as follows: through our instruction and mini lectures we display how to share what we know; we set a
role model through how we handle ourselves in the classroom (being prepared and professional), and we
need to mentor our students by letting them know what we want them to be.
Another critical factor is that the professor must also respect diversity. Students have diverse
backgrounds and different talents and learning styles. We also must respect that students have different
goals and objectives. This is especially difficult for me because I still have difficulty believing that not all
the students want to learn all they can or get an “A.” Once one has recognized the types of diversity I have
outlined, it is crucial that one adjusts for such differences.
Results to Date
I am fond of saying, “I am not less crazy, just crazy less.” Attempting to implement
active learning has been a challenge and has caused me many sleepless nights over the
past nine years, but as I modify and fine tune my pedagogy and explain it better, I have
fewer headaches.
My results to date have been mixed. I have had the pleasant experience of receiving many letters and
emails from former students telling me that my class was the best class that they ever took and that it
helped them with subsequent classes or with their career after graduation.
Conversely, I have encountered a lot of resistance to date. Many students are not willing to do the work
that is required to perform well in an active classroom. Such students do not do the legwork to effectively
use active learning and are resentful that I will not take back the active role in their learning. This is
exacerbated by the fact that some other professors do not require students to take on the active role. These
factors have contributed to lower enrollments and a higher drop rate.
I am convinced that active learning is the best way to facilitate a college accounting class and I am quite
pleased that implementing this pedagogy has made a difference in the lives of the students who were
willing to do the work of diagnosing their areas of need. I give the student the analogy that one would not
go to a medical doctor without telling him/her about problems with which one needed help, and
accordingly, the same principle works in a learning situation. Do the legwork to see what one can learn on
one’s own, and then ask for help with what one can’t; this also makes better use of limited class time. My
current goals are to reduce the resistance and to reach more students in the future.
References
Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC). 1990. Objectives of education for accountants:
Position statement number one. Issues in Accounting Education (Fall): 307–312.
Albrecht, W. Steve and Sack, Robert J. 2000. Accounting Education: Charting the Course through a
Perilous Future: AAA Web site.
American Accounting Association (AAA), Committee on the Future Structure, Content, and Scope of
Accounting Education (The Bedford Committee). 1986. Future accounting education: Preparing
for the expanding profession. Issues in Accounting Education (Spring): 168–195.
———, Report of the Changing Environment Committee. 1998. The Future Viability of Accounting
Education. Sarasota, FL: AAA.
(continued from page 5)
9
benefit of independent locations was the increased accessibility for employers, especially the host location.
Enhanced communication enabled Purdue to be more responsive to the needs of the community, not only in
terms of courses and degrees, but also other engagement areas.
A discussion of our successes and lessons learned and would be incomplete without describing a typical
Purdue University Statewide Technology student:
• Wealth of work and life experience
• Non-traditional students who work full-time with family responsibilities
• Adults with little or no educational achievement beyond high school completed years ago
Teaching classes in these off-campus locations resulted in expected and unexpected successful experiences
and lessons learned.
Sharing Our Success Stories
Students are eager, excited, and motivated to learn, which in turn also makes the instructor eager, excited,
and motivated to teach. The result is that faculty remains current with business/industry technology. In
addition, non-traditional students are eager to apply classroom knowledge to the workplace (also a lesson
learned).
Bringing the classroom to workplace enables students who may not have every completed a college with
the opportunity to complete college degrees. Non-traditional students are motivated to return to college for
two primary reasons: professional employment and personal gratification. Graduation is truly a time for
celebration!
In the classroom, learning is structured around the learner’s needs with the instructor acting as a
facilitator. Typical interactive classroom successes in an outreach location can be described as follows:
• Classroom activities become a successful way to showcase newly developed skills and abilities to
co-workers and management.
• Students bond with one another.
• Observing students grow and mature before their eyes provides a sense of satisfaction for
instructors.
Lessons Learned for Future Models
Although these partnerships are a model of engagement, in retrospect we have discovered many areas we
have identified as lessons learned for future endeavors. The first lesson learned was that faculty and staff at
outreach locations need to interact with the host institution staff and members of other organizations on a
regular basis to ensure that course material is geared to meet the needs of the community. Scheduled
weekly meetings among business leaders, faculty members, and an HR director to discuss workplace and
educational needs enhance communications and increase the effectiveness of the instruction. The
educational benefits found at this level of interaction were not discovered until the end of one early
partnership.
Another downfall of taking the educational experience to the workplace includes many student
misunderstandings. The first issue is the logistics. Since the classroom is still in their workplace, students
often set their first priority as the requirements and demands of the workplace. During class it was not
unusual to hear phones ringing and pagers signaling that the student/employee was needed. These resulted
in students leaving the classroom environment to attend to work matters. During breaks it was common for
students to wander back to the work areas to check on “something,” which often resulted in students
arriving late or possibly not returning at all. Because of the demands of the workplace, students have
attempted to have HR intercede on their behalf to justify absences and late assignments. Facilitators have
faced many new dilemmas and have had many questions to address, e.g., what happens when a student
must miss class due to overtime demands, out of town for business, etc.?
Lesson learned? From the beginning the instructor must continually clarify classroom expectations and
ensure student understanding of those expectations. Students must be reminded of the commitment and
personal adjustments required for success in the classroom. Such moments early in the term can be used as
opportunities to discuss common fears and concerns for those students who haven’t visited a classroom in
10
twenty years. The facilitator may wish to share study tips, presentation guides, classroom expectations and
other relevant materials to ease the transition for the students
A second issue that needs to be addressed is the “mix” of students in the classroom: hourly and salaried.
Although salaried employees, i.e., management employees, attempt to “blend in,” often the hourly
employees do not freely discuss leadership issues. It was not uncommon for hourly employees to shut
down during discussions of discipline, unions, or other volatile topics.
Lesson learned? If there is a group in which most or all for the same organization, it is easy to center the
discussion on the workplace. However, if you have a mix of hourly and salaried students, textbook cases or
outside examples are better for discussion. If the discussion evolves to the common point of reference, this
transition should happen naturally and at the discretion of the students.
College class work often relies heavily on group or teamwork for course projects. Because students
attending are familiar with one another, there may be preexisting personality conflicts. Do you reassign
people because they do not like someone in their assigned group? For example, in a Conflict Management
course, certain workplace individuals were referenced as sources of conflict in the workplace. A discussion
that leads to personal affronts, either toward departments or individuals, whether named or unnamed, does
not contribute to the learning process.
Lesson learned? Instructors must ensure that discussion is channeled toward a productive resolution with
positive outcomes. Instructor can use these moments to teach students to explore feelings and develop
suggestions on techniques that would make the working relationship a win-win situation. The facilitator
must avert the classroom discussion towards productive problem solution and away from personality
disputes.
A final concern is the students who enroll in the program but for various reasons, including lack of
education preparation, are unable to handle the academic demands of college coursework. What if
remedial coursework was required in English or mathematics? How can these matters be handled
diplomatically and allow the student to “save face?” Students enter coursework with expectations that
classes will mimic “training” completed through the HR department. Students are sometimes overwhelmed
by the amount of outside study time required and the level of difficulty of course materials. The last but
probably the most serious is the lack of confidentiality about grades and academic performance.
Information needs to be shared with the HR department for several reasons, including reimbursement,
personnel files, etc. How does one maintain the privacy of the students? What happens when a portion of
the student cohort include HR personnel?
Lesson learned? Careful admission screening is paramount to successful off-site programs. If a student
does not have the background to achieve success, this student needs to be encouraged to sign up for
remedial classes through the HR department. This would allow the student to successfully transition to
classes after the required remedial work is completed. The time commitment and demands of college
courses need to be clearly explained to potential students to avoid excessive attrition from the program.
Lastly, HR personnel need to understand the importance of maintaining student record confidentiality. If
possible, one individual who is not a student should handle all records.
Conclusion
The facilitation of learning through partnership between business/industry and educational institutions is
an important, exhilarating, and profound activity. Outreach campuses designed to engage adults in the
educational process know that facilitating learning is often not a wholly fulfilling and bountiful experience.
The adult learner provides a new and growing potential student population, resulting in industry and
education partnerships. The success or failure of these programs will be dependent on how these programs
are designed and implemented.
(continued on page 12)
Susan Copeland Henry, Editor
Department of Humanities
Clayton College and State University
11
Morrow, GA 30260
CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS
34nd ANNUAL CONFERENCE:
ISETL 2004
THE COLONNADE
HOTEL
BALTIMORE, MD
OCTOBER 14-16, 2004
HOSTED BY JOHNS-HOPKINS
UNIVERSITY
SEE HTTP://WWW.ISETL.ORG
(continued from page 11)
References
Davis, B. & Summers, M. (2003). Victories to growth opportunities: Engagement in business and industry
collaborations. Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration Proceedings: E-
Proceedings: www.asee.org/conferences/ciec2003. January, 2003: Tuscon, AZ
Toffler, A. (1998). Rethinking the future. In R. Gibson (Ed). Rethinking the future, pp.229 –249. London:
Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
Thurow, L. (1998). Changing the name of capitalism, In R Gibson (Ed). Rethinking the future, pp. ix.
London: Nicholas Brealey Publishing.
United States Department of Labor. Retrieved September 27, 2002 from
http://soeweb.syr.edu/faculty/ddgilbri/Workforcesummary.htm
Editor’s Postscript
By Susan Copeland Henry
What a highly interactive conference we had in Colorado! Even the buffalo participated (an enigma
for non-attendees). ISETL is the most creative and vibrant group of people that I have ever known, and
I know that the Baltimore conference will bear out this fact as well. Besides the great conference
sessions, I also hear rumors of planned boat rides and tours; all sound engaging and fun.
I must announce that I will be stepping down as publication editor and turning the reins over to Peter
Doolittle, who will be publishing our new journal online in the coming months. I am very excited
about these changes as ISETL marches into cyberspace and into the future, and there is no finer person
to help us get there. Thanks, Peter, and thanks to all supporters of and contributors to Explorations.
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