The University of Queensland Australia - Financial Reporting and Accounting

The heavy integration of traditional learning methods within universities has prompted a call for alternative approaches that support a more flexible learning experience and deliver more engaging content. In order to meet this demand and better prepare students for the real world, the University of Queensland sought a solution that would subvert the classroom and create a more active learning experience, allowing students to learn by ‘doing’ rather than passively absorbing expert information delivered through lecture material.

Guroo Learning created a digital learning program designed to remodel classroom-based interactions through the incorporation of case studies and other practical elements that prompt students to become active participants in the learning process.

The digital suite equipped students with foundational knowledge while planned lectures and tutorials provided further elaboration on key concepts and pragmatic learning opportunities. Through the incorporation of eLearning, students were offered a flexible, self-paced experience that could be effortlessly integrated into their schedules.

Learner Outcomes

• Enable Bachelor of Commerce students to analyse and record accounting transactions and prepare financial statements
• Understand the role and purpose of financial accounting within organisations and markets
• Analyse and record business transactions
• Prepare, analyse and interpret financial statements
• Apply accounting concepts through the use of accounting software
• Appreciate the need for regulation, corporate governance and ethical considerations in preparing financial accounting information

Learner Personas

• First year undergraduate students
• New to university life and the demand of course work

Program Requirements

• 11 x 20 minute digital learning experiences
• Integrated Case Studies

In response to the University of Queenslands request to re-design their business courses to meet the growing demands of students, Guroo Learning created an educative suite of 11 digital experiences broken down into three comprehensive modules - business activities and reporting, preparing financial statements, and analysing financial statements. The modules and associated experiences were designed to complement face-to-face learning by guiding conversational topics and supplying students with the foundational knowledge needed prior to attending lectures and tutorials.

Each digital experience ran for 20 minutes and was supplemented with integrated case studies and session plans intended to guide classroom-based facilitation. The case studies acted as a basis for practical development, while face-to-face time was spent actively creating the financial reporting and accounting materials that had been learnt about within the eLearning space. Assessments in the form of online quizzes, exams and an assignment were also included throughout the course to test the retention of information and measure the effectiveness of the program.

Overall, through the adoption of a more active approach to learning, the program delivered on the organisational objectives laid out at the beginning of the project, namely the creation of an immersive blended experience that would engage first year students while offering them the freedom to design their own learning journey. By incorporating both digital and face-to-face components, students were able to pick up where they left off both in class and online, resulting in theoretical and practical knowledge being attained.