Using computerized business simulations and spreadsheet models in accounting education: a case study

When teaching accounting to undergraduate students, tutors face a number of challenges. There is the challenge of ‘instrumentality’ as students are motivated to study accounting not because of some inherent love, or proven ability, for the subject, but for vocational reasons linked to future extrinsic reward (Ottewill, The challenge of insturmentality in business education, paper presented at the University of Glamorgan, 23 September 2002). Further challenges, possibly linked to instrumentality, are in the approaches to learning adopted by some students where surface learning is favoured to deep learning. Finally, students of accounting at university often lack concrete experience to enhance their learning, possibly causing them to adopt learning style preferences favouring abstract conceptualization. Students adopting such learning style preferences can often perform well in methods of assessment favouring theoretical aspects of accounting. Indeed, there is evidence that many accounting tutors lack concrete experience, further endorsing the status quo. This paper outlines the use of a computer simulation in an attempt to combat some of the challenges faced by accounting educators by providing an opportunity for concrete experience in an educational setting. It argues that the use of such a simulation is more in keeping with learning theories developed in educational psychology in general and experiential learning in particular. It presents an opportunity for students to develop algorithmic thinking, to use spreadsheet-modelling skills in a realistic setting, to enhance cognition in understanding the ‘whole’ of a business problem, and to reduce instrumentality through the intrinsic enjoyment of problem-based learning.