Does Using Real Organizations for Team Projects in an AIS Class Make a Difference?

This paper explores the impact of substituting a field-based component of a semester-long team project in an Accounting Information Systems (AIS) course with a book-based alternative. Traditionally, the project required students to interact with a real organization to document and analyze business processes. To address time constraints and curricular adjustments, a version utilizing a comprehensive ERP manual instead of working with a real organization was introduced. The differences between the field-based and book-based versions of the project have been assessed by comparing students’ perceptions of their professional competencies and their appreciation for the AIS course. The results indicate that while the book-based project is less time consuming, it does not fully replicate the experiential learning benefits of the field-based approach, particularly in risk management and control concepts. The findings suggest that, although removing the field component may streamline the course, it diminishes key learning outcomes. Analysis and possible alternative solutions are discussed in the concluding section of the paper.